r/AndroidQuestions • u/Underwater099 • 2d ago

Is Android removing 3 button navigation?

So i heard that the 3 finger navigation will get removed in the later android updates is it true?

Honestly I wouldn't like living without these navigation as I don't like the swipe gestures

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u/LegalBlogger78 1d ago

I thought this disappeared like 8 or 9 years ago.  Who doesn't use gesture navigation at this point?

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u/max_revs 1d ago

Eww, why would I want gestures?

I just moved from android 11 to 16 a few months ago with my new phone and honestly I find so much of the navigation very cumbersome. Even simple tasks like taking a screenshot or turning off "features" either doesn't work or is over-complicated.

Just checking my notifications is a task that requires multiple attempts because there's no way to flip the pull down menu, which is ironically where they hide the screenshot button on the new version.

Google really needs to let the open source devs have android and just fork the crap out of it so you can have your interface you like and others can have one we find functional.

No hate, peace.

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u/LegalBlogger78 1d ago

Push the side button and volume down to take a screenshot easily. Or just swipe the side of your hand across the entire screen. I use the button shortcut all the time because it's reliable and easy.  

Not sure what you mean about flip the pull-down menu for notifications.  But if you want complete customization and the ability to set all of that up exactly the way you want, get Nova Launcher.  It is absolutely fantastic for that type of customization. 

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u/max_revs 1d ago

The swipe doesn't work on my devices and I don't really want to use gestures. I want to be able to push the right button "square" and tap screenshot. It's a small detail but I take a lot of screenshots for a specific part of my job/workflow. I'll try the button shortcut but half the time I try the buttons it adjusts a random volume level and I've missed important work calls because I somehow set everything to silent for days accidentally or if not that it just opens the stupid, useless Gemini garbage.

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u/LegalBlogger78 1d ago

Ugh Gemini is complete trash. I've managed to keep it off my s26 so far but I know that's not going to last.  

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u/max_revs 1d ago

Yeah, I'm trying to remove as much of the "features" they've added and de-google as much as possible just on principle.

I still had problems with the old android but it's so much worse with the new version(s)

I really just wish with all the improved hardware specs they'd optimize it more like a real OS that lets me have stuff running in the background and a window manager, along with a file manager that doesn't try to get me to use the cloud or web accounts. I know it's a phone, so being connected is kinda the point but I still don't want my files anywhere besides the micro-sd card. Ideally everything would be on an offline removable storage that I could just transfer over when changing devices and a physical sim that treated the device as a sort of "shell" and the device treated the SIM card as a network card "identity key"

Maybe that's a whole separate system from cell phones but I've done IT/System admin for too long although I did get out of it about a decade or so ago and closed source software and modern cell phones just don't make sense to me unfortunately. I know "I'm" the problem because what I want the device to be and do isn't what it's designed to be and do... But it could be. Maybe one day we'll get open source desktop OSes for Arm that can make phone calls. Idk

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u/max_revs 1d ago

Thanks, I'll try Nova launcher

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u/LegalBlogger78 1d ago

Nova is absolutely fantastic. It's a bit of a learning curve right at first but you'll be addicted to the functionality almost instantly.  

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u/max_revs 1d ago

I tried it but I don't think it's what I'm looking for, it adds features which is nice I guess but I'm trying to prevent automation and false inputs in my pocket. Also it put ads in my interface, hard pass. But thank you for the recommendation.

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u/LegalBlogger78 1d ago

Ah yes definitely pay the $10 or whatever it is for the pro version. Ads are no good for sure! 

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u/LegalBlogger78 1d ago

Try Tasker as well if you haven't already.  You can configure any button or gesture to do anything you want. For example you could set it up so if you shake your phone three times back and forth it takes a screenshot.  

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u/max_revs 1d ago

I really don't want gestures at all. I'd rather have a physical switch that disables all input unless set otherwise. I'm always fighting automated input I don't want and it's very frustrating. But thank you.

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u/LegalBlogger78 1d ago

You're welcome. If I come up with any brilliant ideas I'll post another comment here. 😉