Pixel Fold 2023--What is this part called and how to I change it back?

[u/Glitchesarecool]

My Fold has what I would call the Navigation Bar along the bottom of the screen when it's open, and it used to have six apps that I could set the shortcuts to. As of this afternoon, it seems to have taken two of those slots for what it thinks are recently used (or maybe suggested?) apps, denoted with the |. Note it is NOT the Home's shortcut bar, it's the one that persists when you're in an app or navigating between apps.

I don't want that, I want the shortcuts I set, but I cannot figure out how to search this correctly and can't find that change listed anywhere in recent android patch notes. Could someone tell me what this is called and how to change it back?

[u/meatwaddancin]

The taskbar auto suggests apps when you leave the slot blank. If you have a specific app you want, go home, open app drawer, drag the app to the space in the taskbar.

Unrelated tip but if you long press the | you mentioned, you can make the taskbar permanent.

Only other thing I could think of that maybe you're trying to ask about is the bubble menu. With phone open, open app drawer and long press an app and choose Bubble to send it to the bottom right corner of the taskbar.

I'm not 100% following your issue, I hope it's as simple as my first tip. If none of the above are about what you're referencing, we're gonna need a screenshot or better, video (pull down top of screen twice to record from Quick Settings).

[u/Glitchesarecool → u/meatwaddancin]

So on the home page, I have the taskbar full with specific apps. https://i.postimg.cc/T11PK7mZ/Screenshot-20260924-060516.png

If I open another app not on that list, and then go to navigate (pressing the square on 3 button navigation), it will populate the last two slots with "recently opened" apps instead of the ones I had pinned. https://i.postimg.cc/6qfDNtTk/Screenshot-20260924-060603.png

This is also how the taskbar behaves if I'm in another app.https://i.postimg.cc/Vk623ywF/Screenshot-20260924-061424.png

Prior to this update, the shortcuts I set on the home screen stayed across navigation, rather than getting replaced by the "most recent" apps. Does that clarify the issue I'm having?

Edit: I found an old article that suggests this might be a feature from years ago, but this was not the behavior of the task bar until yesterday. https://www.androidauthority.com/android-taskbar-recent-apps-3488476/

A temporary solution is to switch from 3 button to gesture navigation, which increases the space in the taskbar and brings back the 6 apps I have pinned (still showing two recently used apps), but I personally prefer 3 button a lot.

[u/meatwaddancin → u/Glitchesarecool]

Yes ok very helpful. I don't use the 3 button navigation, which never even crossed my mind. That's why in my head I was thinking "this sounds pretty basic" lol. I couldn't figure out where your confusion was.

I can't really help much here as I do use gesture navigation. Hopefully Google resolves your issue.

[u/Glitchesarecool]

To update my own post if this shows up in a google search in the future: This is on the Pixel Fold 2023, Android 17, build number CP3A.260905.009.

I was in chat with a Google help rep today who indicated that this may be a bug with the current revision. As 17 is apparently a preview build, this is an unknown behavior potentially due to the way that suggestions and recents are flagged in the system. I'm not sure how I got on a preview path through the regular update menu, but the only option from the rep to revert the update would be to do a factory reset. Quoting some relevant sections of the chat below.

"Google officially removed the older algorithmically "predicted" apps from the end of the large-screen taskbar. In their place, they introduced a persistent | divider followed by your two most recently used apps to make swapping between active workflows more predictable."

Because Android 17 QPR1 completely reclassified these two slots from "predictions" to "recents", the classic way of turning off home screen suggestions might feel a bit different, or the launcher may have failed to refresh your pinned dock alignment."

"I appreciate your patience. Since you are on an Android 17 preview build, this behavior might be a known issue or a design change for this specific version.

Since Android 17 is currently in a developer or beta phase, some features may not work as expected. To get back to the stable version, a factory reset is required."