You Can Try Out the New Back Gesture in Android 14 in Advance
Today, Android and iOS are more similar than ever, but Android still reigns supreme in one particular area: the back gesture. While the iPhone deals with inconsistent gestures and back buttons, returning to Android is a dream come true, and a simple one at that. You press the back button or swipe back and each time you return to the last page, app, or screen you visited. Now the gesture is changing and you can be among the first to try the new update.
Why do you need it when it’s already so good? Well, we’ve praised the Android back gesture, so let’s critique it (a little). This is undoubtedly perfect for getting back to what you last did on your smartphone. But what if you don’t remember what it was? Sure, if you come back in a few seconds, you’ll probably know, but you may have just spent the last 12 minutes reading about the Oscars getting it right and your mind is so busy playing Frances McDormand in Fargo that you you don’t have a soul . an idea of what you were doing before you clicked on this article.
For most Android users, the back gesture is a handy shot in the dark. But it won’t be for long: with Android 14, Google is finally giving us some context before we return to our previous position. In Android 14 Developer Preview 2, we now have a “predictive back gesture” that shows you a preview of what you’re about to switch to when you tap the screen. If you’re about to go back a page, you’ll see this, but if you’re about to switch to another application, you’ll also see its window appear slowly. In addition, you will see a “Subject to You” arrow indicating that you are going back a page.
How to get Android’s new back gesture right now
Of course, Android 14 isn’t out yet. (Hell, some of us don’t even have Android 13 yet.) To try out the new back gesture, you’ll need to install the latest Android 14 developer preview on your Pixel 4a 5G or later.
Unlike Apple developer betas, which are locked by a paid developer account, anyone can install the developer preview on a compatible Pixel device. However, like any software being tested, be careful before you install it on your personal phone. If you do this, make sure you have a clear backup of your data somewhere, as an issue with Developer Preview can cause you to reset your smartphone, losing any data that is not saved elsewhere.
Developer Preview is also a bit more involved than installing regular preview software, but Android Police has a great step-by-step guide to installing Developer Preview on your Pixel. Once the developer preview is installed on your device, you’ll find a new predictive back gesture option under Developer Options in Settings.