Google Assistant launch gesture
The fifth Android Q beta is now rolling out to testers.
Android Q brings a score of visual and functional improvements over Android Pie and out of these, the new iPhone-style navigation gestures arguably the most contentious. The new navigation gestures arrived in Android Q Beta 3 in May (our Editor-in-Chief Mishaal Rahman discovered WIP two months ahead of the official launch) along with a new back gesture, which works by swiping inwards from either the left or the right edge of the smartphone. The gestures were improved noticeably in the Android Q Beta 4 over the third beta. With the thinner and repurposed navigation bar, the trigger for the Google Assistant also changed and after reasonable inquisition, we learned that one of the ways to hail the Assistant is by swiping from one of the lower corners of the display towards the center of the screen. With the Android Q Beta 5, which is set to arrive soon, we may see improvements in this gesture.
In addition, Android Q Beta 5 introduces a "peek behavior" for apps that use navigation drawers -- panels that can be accessed with a swipe or a tap, showing users an app's main menu. This peek behavior will let users know if they've grabbed the drawer and if continuing with the gesture would bring it in. "Gestural navigation lets apps use the full screen for content while minimizing the visible system chrome and navigation -- which is particularly important on today's edge-to-edge screens. In Beta 5 we're continuing to improve and polish based on your feedback and we wanted to provide an update on a few key areas," the tech giant said in its announcement. Google says there's one more beta iteration to go before it releases Android Q to the public, but the fifth beta's features and behaviors are apparently very close to what we'll see in the consumer version. Pixel owners who want to take Android Q for a spin right now can check Google's FAQs for more details and to enroll their devices for access.
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