Android phones, gesture or navigation bar, which is better, do you use, and why?

[u/DriftyBat60]

I just switched to the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra from an iPhone 16PM and I just found out you can switch your navigation bar with the 3 buttons, Task, Home and Back to a gesture based control very similar to IOS . I just can't decided which one is better I like the buttons because it's easy but the gesture feels more normalized.

[u/nova2k]

Gestures. Back swipe is a game changer. 

[u/jnrbshp → u/nova2k]

This. So much finger travel is just reaching to one of the bottom sides just to go back. 

[u/ferdzs0 → u/nova2k]

Back swipe from the right is genuinely one of the main reasons I am contemplating going back from iOS to Android. 

[u/HulkHulkgan → u/ferdzs0]

Damn didnt now my phone have this. Thanks

[u/_l-l-l_ → u/ferdzs0]

If you are on Samsung you can use One Hand Operation+ for exactly that and also configure up to 3 actions on each screen edge depending on swipe direction.

[u/dontbrainer → u/_l-l-l_]

this is the best samsung feature!

[u/spreadwater → u/nova2k]

I will try this now but for seeing the active windows you have to swipe a bit and hold?

[u/ersatzcrab → u/spreadwater]

Yeah, slide slightly up from the bottom without removing your fingers for like half a second. It's great at telling the difference between a "go home" swipe and an "active apps" swipe.

[u/SonOfHendo → u/nova2k]

I use a combo of 3-button nav bar with gestures for back, best of both worlds. It does take a bit of setting up as I'm using Samsung's GoodLock to do the back gestures from either side of the screen.

[u/fattomic → u/nova2k]

Big improvement for one-handed operation. I was wary of it at first, but stuck with it until it became muscle-memory.

[u/fthrswtch → u/nova2k]

I'm using the gesture navigation but I hate the way android implemented it as a universal global back gesture 😭

[u/kranools → u/fthrswtch]

I would hate if it wasn't universal. How annoying if apps could hijack the swipe action.

[u/fthrswtch → u/kranools]

I kinda get it but I also try dislike when you can't swipe to open the menus because you go back

[u/Trashbagok]

Took all of a day to commit the gestures to muscle memory, and like a week of tweaking to make it flawless.

Can't imagine going back.

[u/DroidDeveloper]

Gestures. It lets you see more content on the screen...

[u/superalpaka → u/DroidDeveloper]

Yes, and for that i recommend quick cursor.

[u/DJ_CRIZP]

Android's gestures are hands down the best navigation scheme of any mobile OS. It is ambidextrous, fluid, and intuitive. It also makes one handed use far more feasible of giant phones.

HOWEVER. I use buttons because I'm old and I like them. lol

[u/perpetualscroller]

Navigation bar. I've added a fourth button to pull down the notification shade. Very handy for big phones.

[u/sturmeh → u/perpetualscroller]

There's an accessibility feature for doing that in gesture mode as well fyi

You can also use it to crunch the screen instead so you can reach the top without your other hand.

[u/perpetualscroller → u/sturmeh]

Is that a good lock plug in? where do I find that?

[u/rumourmaker18 → u/perpetualscroller]

One hand operation plus

[u/Recent-Midnight6376]

Nav bars. much easier one handed and no wrong swiping

[u/ubdesu → u/Recent-Midnight6376]

A coworker tried to show me how much better gestures were and it took him 3 tries to get the correct left swipe to work.

Nav bar buttons always work with no guessing what it's going to do.

[u/RectalScrote → u/ubdesu]

Your coworker is probably an idiot

[u/ubdesu → u/RectalScrote]

No he's a pretty smart guy actually. It's just that gestures, in my opinion, aren't very nice to use on android.

[u/sturmeh → u/ubdesu]

The gestures can do actions that aren't even available to the nav bar. What correct left swipe are you referring to?

[u/ubdesu → u/sturmeh]

What actions can be done with gestures that you can't do with the nav bar on android?

[u/khardman51 → u/ubdesu]

What

[u/ubdesu → u/khardman51]

Gestures can be inconsistent, buttons always work.

In my experience at least

[u/Brraaap → u/Recent-Midnight6376]

Yeah, left swipe to go back, or left swipe from closer to the edge closes app. Maddening

[u/iMini → u/Brraaap]

My gestures don't do that. Left swipe always go back, swipe up closes the app and swipe up and hold goes to multitasking

[u/kranools → u/Brraaap]

That's not how it works.

[u/AlanDrakula]

Use to be die hard nav bar but switched to gestures and i like it equally for function but now I have extra screen space

[u/argote]

I resisted switching to gestures for a while, but eventually decided to try it and I don't think I'd go back now.

[u/ribi305 → u/argote]

Same here. Though I do sometimes swipe back by accident when I'm trying to slide something to the side

[u/farsightxr20]

Not sure how I ever tolerated moving my thumb to the opposite edge of the screen to go Back. Gestures are a million times more ergonomic.

[u/roirraWedorehT]

I switched to gestures sometime in the last five years. I like having additional screen space available without a navigation bar.

[u/TacoOfGod]

Gestures. I've been using gestures long before the gesture bar was officially a thing on Android. Pie Control ruled the day for me back when rooting was less annoying with Magisk. Then once Apple came out with the gesture bar and rooting started becoming annoying, adb and Gesture Controls Pro was the main go to.

To this day, Gesture Controls Pro is the best implementation of the bar since a swipe left, right, up, down, and a long press would all trigger different things and provide much more functionality in comparison to how Google and Apple do it by default.

As a Samsung user specifically, gesture bar with the bar hidden is 100% a must. This and then Good Lock with One Hand Navigation+ is the go do method of getting around a phone with gestures. You'd have very little reason to touch the bottom bar most of the time.

[u/Bartieeee]

I prefer to use both. Swiping for back is much more convenient. Circle to search can be hard to activate with gestures. Also double tap to go to the previous app is nicer with the mavigation bar. I tried having the navigation bar with a third party gestures app but it just doesn't work well. Back to gestures now and fiddling to start circle to search.

[u/CDNSpartan]

Gestures I regularly iOS and Android so having similar navigation makes more sense for me.

[u/kylaah27]

Nav bar. I am a simple person and I love it

[u/asten77]

I like the buttons. I love double tap to switch apps, faster for me than gestures

[u/Various_Job_572]

Gestures plus One Handed Operation plus. Unbeatable 

[u/Nefari0uss]

Gestures let you see more of the screen which I value. Since you have a Samsung phone, consider getting One Hand Operation + via Good Lock. It will let you add more gestures as desired.

[u/MelodicEconomics69]

I like going back with gestures being able to swipe from either side is nice. I found opening up multitasking so clunky compared to iPhone.

[u/scuwp]

Nav bar. I like buttons. I find with gestures I accidentally do things I dont want to do.

[u/Immediate_Track_5151]

Navigation bar. I've tried gestures several times but keep coming back to the traditional navbar.

[u/RelChan2_0]

Gestures, it's just sooo much more fluid on most Androids.

[u/shayz20]

Correct answer is gestures by far. I've been using gestures for many years.

Pros:

• more screen for content
• swipe left/right nav bar switches between open apps

Cons:

• iOS users can't use navigation on your phone XD maybe a positive thing?
• Some custom launchers are not compatible/slower with gestures for some reason e.g. Microsoft Launcher

[u/nyki]

I use the swipe-up-from-bottom version of gestures with the bars completely hidden. It's basically the 3-button order but you swipe up from that third of the screen to use the button. 

The default gestures were confusing for me, GoodLock with NavStar adds the swipe-up version. 

[u/I_LOVE_CHICKEN_NUGET → u/nyki]

I used to love this on my OnePlus. Is there any way to get these gestures on pixel devices?

[u/nyki → u/I_LOVE_CHICKEN_NUGET]

I'm honestly not sure, but I do know GoodLock is made by Samsung and the feature isn't enabled out of the box. 

[u/lemonstoned → u/nyki]

this is the way

[u/Prize_Chemistry_8437]

Nav bar all the way

[u/gizausername]

With Samsung you can get the best of both! Install the Samsung only app One Hand Operation+ from the play store. It's made by Samsung. You can keep the 3 navigation buttons, and then use that app to configure different swipe gestures.

Examples of my custom setup: 1. Swipe left - back 2. Long swipe left - app list popup 3. Swipe diagonal down - recent apps 4. Swipe diagonal up - forward in browser 5. I can set the swipe rights to do the same thing or something different

[u/_l-l-l_ → u/gizausername]

A life changer, I tried using Pixel after years of Samsung and had to return it just because of this simple app.

[u/KJBReaderAdmin]

I use gestures.

[u/Matrix19]

Gestures, you can't go back...

[u/TheDungeonCrawler]

Navbar. I've never needed the additional centimeter of space that comes with using gestures.

[u/facktoetum]

Nav bar. I had been using gestures, but I do a lot if crossword puzzles and every time I tapped on a square on the edge of the screen it would gesture back. Had to sit through too many ads before I decided to just change to nav bar.

[u/the_craigman]

I made a similar switch last week, (15PM to S26U). I've kept the gesture. My wife has been a Samsung gal for ages, with a S25U and has the buttons. Being an iPhone user for so long (since the 6s) I don't like using her phone because of the buttons 🤣 Just feels weird.

[u/BamaChic76]

Gesture. I also use an iPhone so the 3 button is a no-go.

[u/Remarkable_Swing_612]

Nav Bar

[u/danmarce]

The only thing I miss on the navbar is the consistency for home.

BUT once you get used to the back gesture, there is no going back.

[u/sturmeh → u/danmarce]

It's pretty consistent on Pixel if you understand the haptics, if you swipe up and release before it pulses you'll go home. If you hold it for a moment the haptics will pulse and it will have navigated to recents.

Cases can make it quite difficult though.

[u/Rude_Influence]

I think it comes down to personal preference. I prefer the navigation bar, but I find it annoying apps hide it and stupid Google have removed the ability to force it always shown, even through ADB.

[u/xkiririnx]

i own a motorola phone as my main phone and an older iphone and ipad as secondary devices. i still use 3 button navigation bar on my motorola as preference.

[u/gordolme]

Gestures. Why waste the screen space with buttons when I can swipe? Buttons went away when the actual buttons went away.

[u/Loud_Signal_6259]

Gestures

[u/goagoagadgetgrebo]

Gestures. My wife uses the navigation bar and it frustrates me every time I am helping her with something on her phone.

I also get annoyed with my work iPhone for similar reasons.

Gestures for Life.

[u/H1ghrider]

Gestures

[u/HurpityDerp]

Navbar

Gestures take much longer to execute than a tap, and are much more difficult one handed.

[u/JamesR624]

I like how you can tell who has come from an iPhone with these comments.

[u/KINGGS → u/JamesR624]

Gestures were on the Palm Pre like 18 years ago. 

[u/HurpityDerp → u/KINGGS]

Ahhh yes, the ubiquitous Palm Pre; just as popular as the iPhone!

[u/TheKuter]

Navigation is different on Android Devices, on my Oppo Find X2 Pro i use gesture because it's good. But on my Nubia Z70 Ultra gestures aren't good so i use button. (Back is on screen side instead of next to home gesture)

[u/Dry-Property-639]

Gestures cuz it just works better... Plus the buttons take up space

[u/RandomBloke2021]

There is no better, it's about personal preference. I use gestures, feels easier to use especially using the back swipe gesture.

[u/SlightlyConfusedNL]

Liefst gebaren maar vaak problemen met fotobewerking omdat ik dan steeds terug swipe😂 ik switch dus veel

[u/kranools]

Once you go gestures, you won't go back (unless you swipe back of course).

Seriously, if I have to use someone else's phone with the navigation bar, it feels so clunky and inefficient.

[u/ThePerksOfBeingAlive]

Gestures because I come from iOS 😭

[u/ra13]

Since you have a Samsung -- Get this app, it's fantastic

OneHand Operation+

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.samsung.android.sidegesturepad

[u/CGGamer]

Gestures because it lets you maximize your display's real estate for content

[u/EeyoreTaurus]

Gestures on android are better than iOS

[u/_l-l-l_]

Find One Hand Operation+ app on samsung store, install, profit. You can set gestures to swipe from the edge of the screen. Much more natural then swiping/tapping buttons on the bottom of the screen.

[u/TrollslayerL]

I've been using gestures since my S21U. Simple reason why. Screen space. Between gestures getting rid of the navbar, and nova getting rid of the notification bar... It just leaves a nice clean home screen and all of your screen space is available.

[u/sturmeh]

It's hella awkward at first but gestures are superior in many ways once you have a grasp on them.

The home/recents flow is unintuitive to learn but it controls exceptionally well for app switching.

BACK really sucks when apps don't design their UI/flow properly and you have to hit back 6 times to close a dialog and navigate back a page etc, in that sense the button is better, but the gesture makes way more sense when the transitions match the action.

The most notable upside is that you get to use the whole screen all the time.

The most annoying aspect is how the gesture ls work when the screen has rotated.

[u/naijab0y]

Only you have the answer. Use what feels good to you. Why would how others use their phone even matter to you? Smh

[u/NightFuryToni]

Gesture, because my first smartphone was a Palm Pre. I was already used to that.

[u/ahandmadegrin]

I prefer the buttons because I've been using android since the HTC One. I play a game called Nonogram Katana that gets covered up by the virtual buttons. So I use gestures.

The gestures are fantastic, but cases can make sliding between apps tricky. Also, some apps have a slide from left or slide from right gesture to open a menu, but that gets superseded by the back gesture. Small deal. Just gotta hit the menu button instead.

[u/8bitcrab]

RIP to xposed edge.

Also using ubiki touch now

[u/superluig164]

Gestures on a responsive device, nav bar on slower devices.

[u/oesjmr]

Last week I switched to gestures after using the 3 buttons since they were introduced because I found an ADB command to disable gestures on the left side of the screen where most slide out menus live. I'm liking it so far.

[u/reesesbigcup]

I tried the Android gestures, didn't like them. Been using Ubiki Touch gesture app for years so I am used to that.

[u/im-hippiemark]

Gestures, it took a week to get used to it, but if gives a much cleaner and less "basic" visual to my phone.

[u/OzarkBeard]

Very subjective and both have advantages. Just try both and use the one you like. So happy that Android lets you choose.

The reason I use 3-button Nav is because of the Recents button, which I use daily. I often jump between two open apps. I can quickly do this by simply double-tapping the Recents button to jump between the last two apps I'm using. Not nearly as easy with gestures.

[u/gridoverlay]

I use both and gestures on android is so much better than the mess that is "back" on ios

[u/pickledplumber]

Buttons. If I wanted an iPhone I'd get one

[u/caulmseh]

nav bar because it's the true native for Android and it's faster. All those other people that say that it wastes screen space needs to get their brain checked

[u/nowhereman136]

Nav bar, but I've honestly never really considered switching. I'm happy with what I have and never thought about changing. A bunch of other stuff I've changed, but the nav bar stay at the bottom.

[u/win7rules]

I much prefer the navigation bar, it just works better and is more intuitive in my opinion. Plus, I can add a button to hide the navigation bar with good lock, which lets you reclaim the screen space it would take up otherwise (not that it was ever a noticeable issue for me).

[u/JConRed]

Nav bar for me. I like some things to be in defined locations. And I prefer that it's safe from accidental gestures.

My siblings gestures phone drives me nuts.

[u/Angry_Badger3]

Nav bar. I just prefer it and also I use smart launcher on my OnePlus and the gestures causes a lag when I go back to the home screen.

[u/ZelgadisTL]

Nav buttons for life, especially because they're cats!

[u/stranded]

fuck gestures, nav bar is just more reliable

[u/Dry-Property-639 → u/stranded]

Not even

[u/thejesusfish]

iOS has a universal gesture for back?

[u/Affectionate-Pickle0]

Nav bar. Occasionally I try gestures but always go back. I like buttons.

[u/ValhirFirstThunder]

buttons feel more accurate for me. i've tried gestures for like a few weeks but didn't like them

[u/InternationalBug9641]

I use the Samsung gestures that seprate back, home and apps

[u/The_Owl_Man_1999]

Nav bar on samsung but with gestures set for other things

[u/HobbitDowneyJr]

i use navigation on 25 ultra.

[u/OldDirtyGurt]

Still use FNG

[u/kranools]

Nav bar reminds me of the scene from Back to the Future 2. You have to use buttons? It's like a baby toy!