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On Android’s gesture-navigation layout, the pill area can help you switch apps, open the app overview and go back—not just return to Home. The four gestures below follow Google’s current Android Help instructions; exact menus and behavior can vary by device and manufacturer.

What the four navigation gestures do

Google calls this layout Gesture navigation. Use these gestures from the screen edges indicated, rather than treating the pill as a button to tap.

  1. Go Home: Swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen.
  2. Open the app overview: Swipe up from the bottom and hold, then let go. Tap an app preview to open it, or swipe a preview upward to close that app.
  3. Switch quickly between open apps: Swipe from left to right along the very bottom of the screen. This is the quickest pill-area gesture for moving between apps.
  4. Go Back: Swipe inward from either the left or right edge of the screen. In an app that uses horizontal swiping, starting close to the edge may matter so the system recognizes Back instead of the app’s gesture.

Google’s Android navigation guide covers these gestures and notes that steps can vary by device.

Check which navigation mode your phone uses

The pill is associated with gesture navigation, but Android also has button-based layouts, and the interactions differ. If these gestures do not work as described, check the navigation mode in Settings. Google lists separate paths: on Pixel, go to Settings > System > Gestures > System navigation; on other Android devices, the path may be Settings > System > Gestures > Navigation mode. Menu names and locations vary, so use your manufacturer’s support guidance if you cannot find the setting.

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If you have older two-button navigation

In the two-button layout, the Home button works differently: swipe up on it to switch apps, swipe up again to see all apps, and tap Back to return. Do not expect the full gesture-navigation shortcuts to behave the same way in this mode.

If gestures are difficult to perform

Three-button navigation is a supported alternative. Google recommends it for people with limited dexterity or difficulty making precise gestures; choosing buttons is a practical accessibility option, not a failure to learn the pill.

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Fix edge swipes that miss or conflict with apps

A case can make it harder to start a Back gesture at the edge. Google says you can adjust left and right edge sensitivity in navigation settings; increasing sensitivity may help when a case interferes. The trade-off is that a more sensitive edge can conflict with an app’s own gestures along that side of the screen. If an app’s horizontal navigation stops working reliably, try reducing the sensitivity.

Other gestures worth knowing

Open full Quick Settings

Swipe down with two fingers to open the full Quick Settings panel in one step. This is a useful Android system gesture, but it is separate from navigation-pill controls.

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Try the assistant gesture only if your device supports it

Google’s 2019 Android Q description included swiping inward diagonally from either bottom corner to trigger the device assistant. That is a historical description, not a guarantee for every current phone or assistant setup. Check your device’s gesture settings to see whether the shortcut is available.

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Why Android has a gesture option

Google’s Android UI Product Managers Allen Huang and Rohan Shah described gesture navigation as a way to give apps more screen space, while acknowledging that gestures can be harder to learn, may not work for everyone and can conflict with app navigation. Their 2019 explanation of gesture navigation also said three-button navigation would remain an option. The post’s context is Android Q in 2019, so its observations should not be read as current usage statistics.

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