Galaxy S22 uses navigation buttons by default. But you can easily switch to Galaxy S22 navigation gestures.
This Galaxy S22 how-to guide explains when you may need to use Galaxy S22 navigation gestures, the difference between touchscreen gestures and navigation gestures, the two types of the Galaxy S22 navigation gestures, and how to switch to and customize Galaxy S22 navigation gestures. A cheatsheet of frequently used Galaxy S22 navigation gestures is also provided.
When you migrate to or set up your Galaxy S22, by default, navigation buttons (with a navigation bar) are used.
Such an old-school navigation system is actually very popular among some smartphone users, including some long-time users who care more about getting the job done than fancy methods.
But the trend for system navigation in Android and iOS is in gestures, not buttons. Android Pie (Android 9) ditched the navigation buttons and partially switched to navigation gestures. Full-screen gestures were kicked in with Android 10.
Of course, most Android phones keep the option of switching between navigation buttons and navigation gestures. But most Android vendors, except Samsung, choose navigation gestures as the default option.
Here is a quick comparison of Galaxy S22 navigation gestures vs navigation buttons:
As an owner of Galaxy S22, you have the choice.
Your choice depends on your needs and experiences.
You may stick to the default navigation buttons if:
There is no reason to force you to switch to Galaxy S22 navigation gestures.
However, you may consider switching to the navigation gestures if:
In a nutshell, the decision boils down to your needs and preferences.
Some Galaxy S22 owners may confuse Galaxy S22 navigation gestures with touchscreen gestures (explained here).
Actually, it is quite simple and straightforward. Galaxy S22 navigation gestures are just a few touchscreen gestures designated for system navigation.
In other words, Android uses a few (not all) touchscreen gestures to let you navigate through the system (to replace the physical or on-screen navigation buttons).
Individual apps may use the same gestures and other gestures for other functions. For example, in the Gallery app, you may swipe to the left/right to change photos when viewing photos in an album. But if you swipe from the edge (left or right) of the screen, it will be recognized as a navigation gesture.
The differences between Galaxy S22 navigation gestures and touchscreen gestures include:
As mentioned, by default, Galaxy S22 uses navigation buttons. You may check this guide on how to use and customize navigation buttons (and navigation bar) on Galaxy S22.
You may follow the following steps to switch to Galaxy S22 navigation gestures at any time.
You can open Galaxy S22 Settings in a few different ways, for example,
Once on the Galaxy S22 Settings page, tap Display, as shown below.
Tap the Navigation bar on the Display Settings page, as shown in the screenshot above.
On Galaxy S22, navigation gestures and navigation buttons are considered part of the navigation bar, although there will be no navigation bar when Galaxy S22 navigation gestures are used.
On the Navigation bar settings page, as shown in the screenshot below, you can set the navigation type as:
Tap Swipe gestures to switch to Galaxy S22 navigation gestures.
Once you switch to Galaxy S22 navigation gestures, you will notice the change in the navigation bar, as shown above.
By default, Galaxy S22 uses the Android-style navigation gestures: swipe from the bottom and sides of the screen. You can change it to Samsung-style gestures (read on).
On the navigation bar settings page, you can tap More options, as shown above, to switch between two sets of navigation gestures on the Galaxy S22.
The two types of navigation gestures are:
By default, the Android-style navigation gestures are used. You can swipe from the bottom and edges of the screen.
As shown in the screenshot below, when this type of navigation gesture is activated, you can adjust the gesture sensitivity.
If you switch to Samsung-style navigation gestures, there will be three lines at the bottom, as shown in the screenshot above.
Each of these 3 lines mimics the 3 navigation buttons (Back, Home, Recents). Instead of tapping the navigation buttons, you need to swipe upwards from the corresponding lines.
The major difference between these two sets of Galaxy S22 navigation gestures includes:
Anyway, if you are used to navigation buttons and want to try the navigation gestures, you may try both to see which is better for you.
By default, you can only customize the gesture sensitivity for the Galaxy S22 navigation gestures.
If you need more customizations for the navigation gestures, you should try Samsung’s NavStar (part of Good Lock) app.
For example, as shown in the screenshot below, if the NavStar is not installed, you can tap it to find it in the Galaxy Store. You can also tap the download button to install it directly.
With the Android 13 (One UI 5 and One UI 5.1) update, there are some changes in Good Lock. You may check this guide on how to use NavStar to customize navigation gestures if your Galaxy S22 is running Android 13 or Android 14 (One UI 6).
Of course, you can also search for NavStar in the Galaxy Store, and then tap the Install button, as shown above, to install it.
Because NavStar is one of the components of the Good Lock app, you need to install the Good Lock app first. Otherwise, you cannot install NavStar.
Once installed, NavStar can be used to customize both navigation buttons (and the navigation bar) and navigation gestures. This guide explains how to use NavStar to customize the navigation bar and navigation buttons.
As shown in the screenshot below, NavStar switches to “swipe gestures” automatically because this set of navigation gestures is active.
Of course, you need to enable NavStar (tap the switch to turn it on/off) to proceed.
As shown in the two screenshots above, you can use NavStar to customize the Galaxy S22 navigation gestures in the following aspects:
The “real” Galaxy S22 navigation gestures are actually very simple:
Some gestures look like Galaxy S22 navigation gestures. But they work regardless of using navigation buttons or navigation gestures. For example:
If you have any questions about using the Galaxy S22 navigation gestures, please let us know in the comment box below.
The community will help you.
You may check other Galaxy S22 guides:
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