Skip to main content

Google may bring changes to Android's navigation bar in the form of more buttons

android n news
Image used with permission by copyright holder
On-screen navigational buttons on Android mean there’s more room for customization, but Google has yet to offer the right tools. That may change soon.

On stock Android, the standard navigation buttons are the back button (sideways triangle), the home button (circle), and the recents button (square), in that order. Hidden code in Google’s newly released Android 7.0 Nougat suggests the System UI Tuner may soon let users add more buttons such as a clipboard or a keyboard switcher, according to Android Police,

Right now, the System UI Tuner only allows for customizing the status bar, Do Not Disturb mode, and other minor features. It’s where Night mode used to reside before Google pulled the plug.

The new feature, which is likely still being tested, lets you remove all the standard buttons on the navigation bar, and add new ones via the Add button option. You can add more buttons to fill up the navigation bar, such as a keyboard switcher, a spacer, a clipboard, and a button that you can assign certain keyboard functions.

Three icons sit next to each button you add. The arrows let you resize the button; the cross removes it; and the two lines let you move it around the bar.

It’s unclear as to when this feature will be unveiled. Google says it will work on regular maintenance updates, and the first could be Android 7.1 which brings proprietary Nexus features such as the Nexus Launcher, Google Assistant, and quite possibly this new navigation bar customization. It could also be something Google scraps, so don’t get your hopes up just yet.

Editors' Recommendations

Julian Chokkattu
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Julian is the mobile and wearables editor at Digital Trends, covering smartphones, fitness trackers, smartwatches, and more…
The first Google Pixel 7 Pro leaks show few design changes
Google Pixel 6 Pro widgets.

Just months after the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro launched, the first renders purporting to show the Pixel 7 Pro have arrived. The images from reliable leaker OnLeaks (Steve Hemmerstoffer) show off an evolution of the design language Google initiated with the Pixel 6.

Going off the images, the Pixel 7 looks a lot like the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. The changes are subtle. For example, the rear camera visor now blends with the frame rather than sits atop it. The other changes relate to the dimensions, with the Pixel 7 Pro predicted to be shorter, thinner, and less wide than the 6 Pro. Expect the same 6.7-inch to 6.8-inch curved display, single USB-C port, and dual speakers to make a return.

Read more
Google’s newest Android updates bring accessibility changes and emoji updates
The Google Photos logo.

Google today announced a slew of updates coming to Android this fall. Rolling out starting today, the changes update various facets of Android devices, ranging from accessibility to using your phone when mobile to just plain entertainment.

The major features here for accessibility are Camera Switches and Project Activate. Camera Switches is an Android feature that lets you control your phone with facial expressions by using your front-facing camera as an input method. It first debuted as part of the Android 12 beta, but Google is rolling it out to older Android phones as well this week. As for Project Activate, it's an app that lets you use facial gestures to communicate.

Read more
Google Maps is getting improved Live View navigation, more detailed map data
google maps

Google is making Maps even more helpful than it already is. At Google I/O 2021, the company announced a series of updates to Google Maps that will make it more helpful in day-to-day life, and improve features like the augmented reality (AR) view that Google launched in Maps last year.

Perhaps the most notable change to Maps is that Google is adding more detail in several places. For example, Google Maps will now show users where things like crosswalks, street signs, and intersection markers are straight from the normal map view. As noted by Google at the event, this could be very helpful for parents with strollers, those in a wheelchair, or those who just want to plan their exact walk. The more detailed view was actually already announced by Google in August, but is now more rolling out to 50 more cities around the world.

Read more