6 ms·

It also looks like the back button is gone... how is that supposed to work?

by haldean 8y ago

phalangion 8y ago
Probably the same way it works on iPhone, where developers incorporate navigation into the apps.
- vxNsr 8y ago
  Until apps adapt what is one supposed to do?
  - mikelward 8y ago
    Nothing. It's still there. It's just hidden when it wouldn't do anything.
DoofusOfDeath 8y ago
That might not be a bad thing. I've used Android for a while, but I'm not always clear if/when the back button will do in-app navigation vs. return me to the phone's home screen.
- craftyguy 8y ago
  I've always regarded the back button as a completely random thing.
  - bmurphy1976 8y ago
    I've always regarded the back button as the single most important reason why I prefer Android to iOS. Interesting how different people perceive the world.
    - publicfig 8y ago
      iOS's Swipe From Left works differently than Android's (at least 8.1 Oreo's) does, but often accomplishes the same task. It's pretty equivalent to Android's back button in a lot of cases, acting as hierarchical navigation and back to previous screen when applicable. The difference is that it only works within an app, which means it won't kick you back to a previous app (unless it's opened in a web view) and won't take you back to the home screen. I typically found iOS to handle it more elegantly than my <=Android8.1 phone, but I haven't updated to Pie yet to see how it's different.
    - craftyguy 8y ago
      I never said I didn't like it.
    - monk_e_boy 8y ago
      The random way the back button works -- moving to iOS I didn't miss it. There are plenty of ways to switch apps, or go back within an app. I thought I'd miss it. I didn't. Now I wouldn't need it on Android.
      - nine_k 8y ago
        If one app activates another (camera -> album -> photo editor -> share), how do you go back from mid-way if you decided to?
        sjwright 8y ago
        Because Android features this metaphor, it's used extensively. Because iOS doesn't, it isn't as much. iOS features different metaphors which achieve the same outcomes in different ways, such as pop-up sheets for the camera, album views and share panes. And in cases where one app does activate another, you can go back one step by tapping the top-left corner of the screen. There's only one level of "app back", but that's plenty since iOS doesn't tend to jump you between apps a lot, and because that navigation isn't co-mingled with other "back" operations.
        threeseed 8y ago
  - what_ever 8y ago
    I don't work on Android but isn't that behavior defined by the Android OS and just apps doing whatever they want?
uncleartraveler 8y ago
The back button is not gone. Yet.
ASinclair 8y ago
The back button shows up when you open an app.
Anon1096 8y ago
It's not gone in all of the screenshots the home, back, and menu button are all still there. I think swiping up is just going to be an additional feature to reach the new recents+home row screen.
smnrchrds 8y ago
I can see the back button in two of the screenshots.
nsriv 8y ago
Running it on my Pixel 2XL, the new navigation pill is strictly optional.
bitmapbrother 8y ago
In the event you don't like the new gesture based navigation system you can always revert back to the traditional Back, Home, and Recents layout in settings.
joshuamorton 8y ago
The back button is now contextual, it appears in apps, but disappears when it can't do anything.
- ptx 8y ago
  What about when an activity in app A opens an activity in app B? Can I still go back to app A's activity from app B's activity?
  - joshuamorton 8y ago
    I just tested this (I think): I opened a link from fb messenger in chrome. The back button is still there, and clicking it returned me to messenger. So yes I believe so.
cptskippy 8y ago
It's now an application navigation function and not an OS navigation function. So in screenshots demonstrating core OS functions it's absent but in screenshots demonstrating Apps it's present.
- mikelward 8y ago
  What are you talking about? I'm using P preview and it's still there. It's also still there in several screenshots at https://www.android.com/versions/pie-9-0/ https://www.android.com/versions/pie-9-0/. It's just now hidden when it wouldn't do anything.
  - cptskippy 8y ago
    I haven't been following P development very closely. It looks like they added it back in Beta 3. https://news.softpedia.com/news/android-p-beta-3-returns-the-back-button-and-brings-more-improvements-521817.shtml https://news.softpedia.com/news/android-p-beta-3-returns-the...
mikelward 8y ago
Nope, it's just hidden on the home screen where you're already as far "back" as you can go.

It also looks like the back button is gone... how is that supposed to work?

phalangion 8y ago

Probably the same way it works on iPhone, where developers incorporate navigation into the apps.

vxNsr 8y ago
Until apps adapt what is one supposed to do?
- mikelward 8y ago
  Nothing. It's still there. It's just hidden when it wouldn't do anything.

DoofusOfDeath 8y ago

That might not be a bad thing. I've used Android for a while, but I'm not always clear if/when the back button will do in-app navigation vs. return me to the phone's home screen.

craftyguy 8y ago
I've always regarded the back button as a completely random thing.
- bmurphy1976 8y ago
  I've always regarded the back button as the single most important reason why I prefer Android to iOS. Interesting how different people perceive the world.
  - publicfig 8y ago
    iOS's Swipe From Left works differently than Android's (at least 8.1 Oreo's) does, but often accomplishes the same task. It's pretty equivalent to Android's back button in a lot of cases, acting as hierarchical navigation and back to previous screen when applicable. The difference is that it only works within an app, which means it won't kick you back to a previous app (unless it's opened in a web view) and won't take you back to the home screen. I typically found iOS to handle it more elegantly than my <=Android8.1 phone, but I haven't updated to Pie yet to see how it's different.
  - craftyguy 8y ago
    I never said I didn't like it.
  - monk_e_boy 8y ago
    The random way the back button works -- moving to iOS I didn't miss it. There are plenty of ways to switch apps, or go back within an app. I thought I'd miss it. I didn't. Now I wouldn't need it on Android.
    - nine_k 8y ago
      If one app activates another (camera -> album -> photo editor -> share), how do you go back from mid-way if you decided to?
      - sjwright 8y ago
        Because Android features this metaphor, it's used extensively. Because iOS doesn't, it isn't as much. iOS features different metaphors which achieve the same outcomes in different ways, such as pop-up sheets for the camera, album views and share panes. And in cases where one app does activate another, you can go back one step by tapping the top-left corner of the screen. There's only one level of "app back", but that's plenty since iOS doesn't tend to jump you between apps a lot, and because that navigation isn't co-mingled with other "back" operations.
      - threeseed 8y ago
- what_ever 8y ago
  I don't work on Android but isn't that behavior defined by the Android OS and just apps doing whatever they want?

uncleartraveler 8y ago

The back button is not gone. Yet.

ASinclair 8y ago

The back button shows up when you open an app.

Anon1096 8y ago

It's not gone in all of the screenshots the home, back, and menu button are all still there. I think swiping up is just going to be an additional feature to reach the new recents+home row screen.

smnrchrds 8y ago

I can see the back button in two of the screenshots.

nsriv 8y ago

Running it on my Pixel 2XL, the new navigation pill is strictly optional.

bitmapbrother 8y ago

In the event you don't like the new gesture based navigation system you can always revert back to the traditional Back, Home, and Recents layout in settings.

joshuamorton 8y ago

The back button is now contextual, it appears in apps, but disappears when it can't do anything.

ptx 8y ago
What about when an activity in app A opens an activity in app B? Can I still go back to app A's activity from app B's activity?
- joshuamorton 8y ago
  I just tested this (I think): I opened a link from fb messenger in chrome. The back button is still there, and clicking it returned me to messenger. So yes I believe so.

cptskippy 8y ago

It's now an application navigation function and not an OS navigation function. So in screenshots demonstrating core OS functions it's absent but in screenshots demonstrating Apps it's present.

mikelward 8y ago
What are you talking about? I'm using P preview and it's still there. It's also still there in several screenshots at https://www.android.com/versions/pie-9-0/ https://www.android.com/versions/pie-9-0/. It's just now hidden when it wouldn't do anything.
- cptskippy 8y ago
  I haven't been following P development very closely. It looks like they added it back in Beta 3. https://news.softpedia.com/news/android-p-beta-3-returns-the-back-button-and-brings-more-improvements-521817.shtml https://news.softpedia.com/news/android-p-beta-3-returns-the...

mikelward 8y ago

Nope, it's just hidden on the home screen where you're already as far "back" as you can go.