Phonewell
Get more screen with swipe navigation
Gesture navigation, step by step on Samsung, Pixel and Xiaomi phones.
Why it helps
Swipes replace the three buttons at the bottom, so apps get more room and moving around feels quicker.
What you'll notice
Swipe up to go home, up and hold for recent apps, and in from either side to go back.
When to use it
When you want to go back, then swipe in from the left or right edge of the screen.
How to set it up
Pick your phone.
Samsung Galaxy
- Settings
- Display
- Navigation bar
- Open Settings, then "Display" and "Navigation bar"
- Choose "Swipe gestures"
- Practise: swipe up for home, swipe in from the side for back
Based on reports from owners and the tech press. We have not yet checked it on a phone ourselves.
Google Pixel
- Settings
- System
- Navigation mode
- Open Settings, then "System" and "Navigation mode"
- Choose "Gesture navigation"
- Tap the gear next to it to adjust back sensitivity if side menus are hard to open
Based on reports from owners and the tech press. We have not yet checked it on a phone ourselves.
Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO
- Settings
- Home screen
- System navigation
- Open Settings, then "Home screen" and "System navigation"
- Choose "Gestures"
- Practise: swipe up for home, swipe in from the side for back
Based on reports from owners and the tech press. We have not yet checked it on a phone ourselves.
How to undo it
Go back to the same screen and choose the buttons again.
Labels can differ. Menu names and their order vary between models and can change with a system update. If a step doesn't match your phone, search Settings for the feature name or one of its other names: swipe navigation, full screen gestures, navigation bar, remove buttons.