Google Pixel 3 only supports gesture navigation： future Android will do the same

Gesture-based user interfaces, if well designed, may be better than traditional button-based operations, especially on larger screens. Google introduced gesture-based navigation in 9.0 Pie as an alternative to traditional navigation bars. And in the latest Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, Google went a step further and made gesture navigation its default and only option, which means that Android’s traditional three-key navigation method has disappeared completely.

On the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, users won’t be able to disable gesture navigation and opt for the familiar three-button scheme. Importantly, the decision also reflects Google’s overall Android plans for the future. In a response to a user’s question on Twitter, Google’s official @madebygoogle account tweeted: "The Pixel 3 introduces a new model that will represent the way navigation is done on all future Android phones."

This means that gesture-based navigation will become an integral part of Android in the future, not just on Pixel devices. Of course, given the open nature of the Android operating system, Google is unlikely to make it the only option.

That being said, many manufacturers, such as Samsung, OnePlus, Xiaomi, and Huawei, have started rolling out their own gesture-based navigation features with varying degrees of success. Looking to the future, we will definitely see more Android phone manufacturers offering gesture-based interfaces. We just hope that most Android UIs will still have the option to switch back to traditional button-based navigation.