Skip to main content

Android Q Beta 5 will tweak gesture nav w/ ‘peeking’ app navigation drawers

Android Q has a surprising number of additions hidden within, and one of the biggest is the new gesture navigation system. Today, a Googler has confirmed that in Android Q Beta 5, gesture nav will be tweaked again to better support app navigation drawers.

Immediately following their debut, it was obvious that Google’s latest take on navigation gestures had their benefits, but they also effectively broke most Android apps by ruining the navigation drawer. Swiping to access the drawer instead triggered the back gesture. Clearly, that required a fix, and in the next beta update, that’s what is coming.

Chris Banes, a Googler involved with Android Developer Relations, tweeted today about how navigation drawer behavior will be changing to suit the new gesture system. Instead of simply swiping to access the drawer, a press to “peek” the drawer will allow it to be swiped. It’s a less fluid motion for certain, but since it doesn’t require developer interaction, it works on all apps including those using the “old” DrawerLayout versions.

While this change doesn’t exactly “perfect” Google’s latest take on gestures, it’s a step in the right direction. Navigation drawers were one of the biggest complaints with this gesture system, and this change makes things much easier for those who will be using Android Q, and makes more sense than swiping at an angle. You can see the new behavior in action in the tweet below.

More on Android Q:

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Developer Economics Survey Giveaway
You’re reading 9to5Google — experts who break news about Google and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Google on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel