Get around on your Android device
You can get around on your phone or tablet in different ways. Learn how to choose an option, then use that option to move between apps and other items. The steps may vary based on your device and manufacturer.
Important: Some of these steps may vary based on your device.
Select a Navigation mode
- Open your device's Settings app.
- Go to Navigation mode settings:
- For a Pixel device: Tap System 👁 and then
Navigation mode.- If System navigation doesn’t show: Go to the steps for older Android versions.
- For other devices: Tap System 👁 and then
Gestures 👁 and then
Navigation mode.- If System or Gestures doesn’t show: To change navigation settings, get help from your device manufacturer.
- For a Pixel device: Tap System 👁 and then
- Choose an option:
- Gesture navigation: To navigate between apps and other items, use swipe gestures rather than buttons.
- 3-button navigation: In the navigation bar, at the bottom or side of your screen, use dedicated buttons for Home, Back, and Recents.
- This is recommended for users with limited dexterity or who struggle to perform precise gestures.
Customize your Navigation mode
If you use 3-button navigation, you can customize the order of the buttons in the navigation bar:
- To customize your order, go to Navigation mode settings.
- For a Pixel device: Tap System 👁 and then
Navigation mode. - For other devices: Tap System 👁 and then
Gestures 👁 and then
Navigation mode.
- For a Pixel device: Tap System 👁 and then
- To the right of the 3-button navigation option, tap Settings 👁 Image
. - Select from these options:
- Back, Home, Recents
- Recents, Home, Back
You can customize the sensitivity of your gesture navigation.
- Open your device’s Settings app.
- For a Pixel device: Tap System 👁 and then
Navigation mode. - For other devices: Tap System 👁 and then
Gestures 👁 and then
Navigation mode.
- For a Pixel device: Tap System 👁 and then
- On the right of Gesture navigation, tap the gear 👁 Image
👁 and then
Left edge and Right edge sensitivity.- To test the settings, try the demo.
Tip: By default, the sensitivity sliders are set to the middle. For best results, try different options to find what works best for your device and personal preferences.
If your phone case interferes with swiping from the edge of the screen, to improve your experience, setting the sensitivity to high can be helpful. Note that higher sensitivity may conflict with any app gestures along the edge of the screen.
On your phone screen, you can adjust the sensitivity and delay of a touch and hold action. Learn more about touch and hold delay.
To change your touch sensitivity:
- Open your device’s Settings app.
- Tap Display & touch 👁 and then
Touch sensitivity.
Adaptive touch: Touch sensitivity automatically adjusts to your environment, activities, and screen protector.
Increased sensitivity: Makes your screen more responsive to lighter touches.Move between screens & apps
Open the previous screen you were looking at. You can go back more than once. But when you reach the Home screen, you can't go back any further.
- Gesture navigation: Swipe from either the left or right edge of the screen.
- On some apps, the location of the swipe gesture is important, like when there’s a horizontal scroll on the screen:
- To go back: From the far edge of the screen, swipe left or right.
- To scroll horizontally: From the middle of the screen, swipe left or right.
- On some apps, the location of the swipe gesture is important, like when there’s a horizontal scroll on the screen:
- 3-button navigation: Tap Back 👁 Image
.
- Gesture navigation: Swipe up from the bottom of the screen.
- 3-button navigation: Tap Home 👁 Image
.
- Gesture navigation: Swipe up from the bottom, hold, then let go.
- 3-button navigation: Tap Overview 👁 Image
.
From here, you can:
- Close apps: Swipe up on the app image.
- Open an app: Tap its image.
- Gesture navigation: At the very bottom of the screen, swipe from left to right.
- 3-button navigation: Tap Overview 👁 Image
. Swipe right until you find the app you want. Tap it.
Select, move, or change the display of items
Tap to select or type
To select or start something on your phone, tap it. In some apps, to find available actions, you can touch and hold text like when you play a song.
To type something, tap where you want to type. You'll find an open keyboard.
Double tap an item to change size
On some pages like a webpage or map, tap twice to zoom in.
Pinch open & closed to change size
In some apps, to change the size, put 2 or more fingers on the screen.
- To zoom in, pinch open.
- To zoom out, pinch closed.
Turn screen rotation on or off
Most screens can rotate as you turn your phone. To turn rotation on or off:
- At the top, to open Quick Settings, swipe down.
- Swipe to find the “Auto-rotate” tile.
- Tip: To open the full Quick Settings in one step, swipe down with two fingers.
- Tap Auto-rotate 👁 Image
.
You can also access this option in Settings.
- Open your device’s Settings app.
- Tap Display & touch 👁 and then
Auto-rotate screen.
If you use an older Android version
On some older Android devices, these settings may be different than the instructions above.
To find the navigation settings for your specific version and device:
- Open your device’s Settings app.
- Search for "Navigation.”
Depending on your older version, you may find a combination of the options below:
- Gesture navigation:
- To go Home: From the bottom of the screen, swipe up.
- To switch apps: From the bottom, swipe up, hold, then release.
- To go back: Swipe from either the left or right edge of the screen.
- 2-button navigation:
- 3-button navigation: Go back, Home, and switch apps with buttons at the bottom of your screen.