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How to use navigation gestures in Android 10?

A definite guide for Android 10 navigation gestures

Last updated on: March 7, 2020, first published on: December 13, 2019 Leave a Comment

How to use navigation gestures in Android 10?Android 10 brings a new (and improved) set of navigation gestures for you to use the phone more effectively and intuitively.

In addition to using the traditional 3 navigation buttons, and the 2-button navigation gestures as in Android Pie, you can now use gestures only without using any buttons in Android 10.

This Android 10 guide explains the new features of the Android 10 navigation gestures, how to enable them and how to use them.

Table of Contents hide
1) What’s new in Android 10 navigation gestures?
2) How to enable navigation gesture in Android 10?
2.1) Step 1: Open Settings
2.2) Step 2: Access System settings
2.3) Step 3: Access Gestures settings
2.4) Step 4: Access System navigation page
2.5) Step 5: Enable Gesture navigation
3) How to use Navigation Gestures in Android 10?
3.1) 1. Returning to Home Screen (Home Screen) — Swipe upwards
3.2) 2. Accessing Apps screen — Swipe up from the home screen
3.3) 3. Accessing notifications –Swipe downwards
3.4) 5. Accessing the quick setting panel — Swipe downwards twice
3.5) 6. Accessing recent Apps (Recent/Overview button) — Swipe upwards and hold
3.6) 7. Switching to the last used apps — Swipe to right from the white bar
3.7) 8. Returning to the previous screen (Back button) — Swipe to left
3.8) 9. Accessing the Hamburger menu
3.9) 10. Access to Google Assistant
4) A complete list of Android 10 navigation gestures
4.1) When in the Home screen or Apps screen
4.1.1) Table 1. List of navigation gestures in Android 10 when you are in the Home screen or Apps screen
4.2) When in an app
4.2.1) Table 2. List of navigation gestures in Android 10 when you are using an app
5) Can you use the new navigation gestures in Android 10?

What’s new in Android 10 navigation gestures?

Previously in Android Pie (Android 9), navigation buttons (3 or 2) are found at the bottom of the screen. Now in Android 10, navigation gestures can fully replace the navigation buttons.

This means that if navigation gestures are enabled, the Home, Back, and Recents (Overview) buttons located at the bottom of the screen, seen below, will be gone.

Android 10 Home screen

How to enable navigation gesture in Android 10?

If you upgraded the phone to Android 10, very likely, the original navigation buttons will likely be used by default.

In this case, you need to follow the following steps to enable the Android 10 navigation gestures.

Step 1: Open Settings

To access Settings, as shown below, tap on the Settings icon in the Apps screen (App drawer), or Home screen, or through the quick settings panel.

Accessing Settings through application Android 10 Quick Settings Panel

Step 2: Access System settings

In Settings, scroll down and tap on System, as shown below.

Android 10 Settings

Step 3: Access Gestures settings

In the System settings page, tap on Gestures, as seen below.

Android 10 System settings page

Step 4: Access System navigation page

In the System settings page, tap on System navigation, as shown below.

Android 10 Gesture settings

Step 5: Enable Gesture navigation

In the System navigation page, there will be the option to change the phone’s system navigation. Tap on Gesture navigation to enable it.

Android 10 System Navigation page

Additionally, you can change the sensitivity of the back gesture by tapping on the settings icon as seen below.

This adjusts how sensitive the phone will respond to gestures along the screen edge and hence prevent any accidental gestures along the screen edge.

Android 10 Gesture navigation Android 10 navigation gesture

How to use Navigation Gestures in Android 10?

Here are the 10 operations you need to master when switching to the new navigation gestures.

1. Returning to Home Screen (Home Screen) — Swipe upwards

To exit from an application and return to the Home screen, swipe up from the bottom of the screen, as shown below.

This has the same function as tapping the Home button in the previous version of Android (0r if you switch back to navigation buttons).

Android 10 Settings page Android 10 Home screen

2. Accessing Apps screen — Swipe up from the home screen

First, return to the Home screen by swiping up from the bottom of the screen.

Next, swipe up again to access the Apps screen (app drawer).

Android 10 Home screen Android 10 App drawer

3. Accessing notifications  –Swipe downwards

Swipe down from the top of the screen to access notifications.

This gesture works in all recent Android versions.

Android 10 Notification panel

5. Accessing the quick setting panel — Swipe downwards twice

Swipe down twice from the top of the screen to access the quick settings.

Again, this gesture works in all recent Android versions.

Android 10 Quick settings panel

6. Accessing recent Apps (Recent/Overview button) — Swipe upwards and hold

Swipe from the bottom of the screen upwards without letting go of the finger from the screen and hold to view recent apps.

This has the same function as the Recent (Overview) button.

Android 10 Recent Apps

7. Switching to the last used apps — Swipe to right from the white bar

In an app, touch the thin white bar at the bottom of the screen and swipe right to open a previously used app.

Android 10 Navigation gesture

Additionally, after opening a previously used app, touch and swipe left to switch back to the app you were using before.

Android 10 navigation gesture

8. Returning to the previous screen (Back button) — Swipe to left

Swipe left from the right edge of the screen to return to the previous screen.

Similarly, swiping right from the left edge of the screen has the same effect as swiping left from the right edge.

Google chrome home page Google chrome home page

9. Accessing the Hamburger menu

The Hamburger menu (aka navigation menu) is only available in some applications and shown as  3-stripes.

The navigation menu is usually shown at the top-left corner of the app, as shown below.

Google Keep home page Keep Hamburger menu

To open the navigation menu, you can use either one of the following two gestures:

  1. Hold the left edge of the screen until you see a vertical line ( as shown below)  then swipe (drag) to right.
  2. Swipe from the left edge of the screen at an angle.

Google keep menu

10. Access to Google Assistant

When the Home button exists, you can hold the Home button to launch the Google Assistant.

Now, as there is no Home button when using the full-screen navigation gestures, then how to access Google Assistant with gestures?

The gesture to access (launch) Google Assistant is Swipe from the left (or right) corner of the screen towards the centre of the screen as shown below.

Android 10 navigation gestures: Access to Google AssistantGoogle Assistant in Android 10

Both the left side and right side works identically.

A complete list of Android 10 navigation gestures

When in the Home screen or Apps screen

Here is the list of supported navigation gestures in Android 10 when you are in the Home screen or Apps screen (i.e., not using any apps).

Gesture Behaviour
Swipe up Open the Apps screen
Swipe up and hold View recent apps
Swipe down Home screen: View Notifications panel

Apps screen: Exit Apps screen to Home screen

Swipe down twice Home screen: Open quick settings panel

Apps screen: View Notifications panel

Swipe to left Switch to Home screen panel on the right
Swipe to right Switch to Home screen panel on the left
Swipe to right & upwards from the bottom left corner Launch Google Assistant
Swipe to left & upwards from the bottom right corner Launch Google Assistant

Table 1. List of navigation gestures in Android 10 when you are in the Home screen or Apps screen

When in an app

If you are using an app, the app may define it is own gestures for you to navigate inside the app. Such gestures are app-dependent.

The following Android 10 navigation gestures are designed to let you navigate among apps or switch to other features.

Gesture Behaviour
Swipe up Exit to Home screen
Swipe up and hold View recent Apps
Swipe down View Notification panel
Swipe down twice Access quick settings panel
Swipe to left Return to the previous screen
Swipe to right Return to the previous screen
Swipe to the right  at an angle Open App (Hamburger) menu
Hold then swipe to the right Open App (Hamburger) menu
Swipe left/right from the white bar/line Switch between previously used apps

Table 2. List of navigation gestures in Android 10 when you are using an app

Please note, Android 10 navigation gestures discussed in this guide are available in the stock Android. You can use them on all Google Pixel phones, Android One phones, Nokia Android phones, and Motorola Moto phones (Moto E, Moto G, Moto X, and Moto Z).

Some vendors, e.g.,  Samsung, LG, Xiaomi,  One Plus and Huawei, may use own navigation gestures.

Some third-party launchers may support additional gestures.

Can you use the new navigation gestures in Android 10?

If you want to share your thoughts on the navigation gestures Android 10, or if you have any questions on Android 10, please let us know in the comments section below.

You may check other Android 10 guides on this page.

If you are still on other versions of Android, you may check these guides:

  • For Android Pie (Android 9), please check the Android Pie guides page.
  • For Android Oreo (Android 8.0 and 8.1), please check the Android Oreo guides page.
  • For Android Nougat (Android 7.0 and 7.1), please check the Android Nougat guides page.
  • For Android Marshmallow (Android 6.0), please check the Android Marshmallow guide page.
  • For Android Lollipop (Android 5.0 and 5.1), please check the Android Lollipop guide page.
  • For other general Android questions or problems, please check the Android 101 page.

Enjoy Android 10!

Filed Under: Android 10 Guides Tagged With: Android 10, Android 10 new features, Android 9, Android Pie, app drawer, Home button, Home screen, navigation bar, navigation button, navigation gesture, quick setting panel, quick settings

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