I hate Samsung for removing its navigation gesture system in One UI 6.1

Samsung is notorious for loading its Android smartphones with in-house versions of some Google apps, essentially giving users two apps for doing the same thing. Some call these Samsung apps bloatware, but there’s no denying the fact that Samsung’s versions of those apps often offer more functionality and flexibility.

The same goes for features built into the user interface. Navigation gestures are one example of those. Samsung introduced navigation gestures to all Galaxy devices with Android 9 (following a limited release for some devices running Android 8) and the first version of One UI, and the company kept its version of navigation gestures as an option even after Google introduced navigation gestures to the core operating system with Android 10.

Unfortunately, the choice between the two gesture navigation systems is no more. Starting with One UI 6.1, Galaxy smartphone and tablet users can either use Android’s default gestures or stick to the traditional on-screen navigation buttons, and I hate this change with a passion.

That’s because Samsung’s gestures, which let you access the home screen, go back, and view recent apps by swiping up from the bottom of the screen, are an excellent middle ground between on-screen buttons and Android’s default gestures. They were essentially designed to allow users to hide the buttons and have more usable screen space while still keeping navigation simple.

Google’s gestures, which are similar to those on Apple’s iOS, are the opposite of simple. The gesture for viewing recent apps is especially inconvenient, and while I could get used to it over time, I don’t like the idea of being forced to do so, which is what Samsung is doing by adopting Android’s gestures as the only gesture navigation option on its devices.

That’s not all: Samsung has also removed the option to hide the gesture hint, which is a thin tab/handle that is shown at the bottom of the screen when gestures are enabled. This is presumably because of the Circle to Search feature, which requires long-pressing that handle when you’re using gestures, and it’s another nuisance that you have to make do with on One UI 6.1.

These changes are an example of how Samsung never seems to stick to its convictions or maintain consistency across different versions of the user interface. One UI 6.0’s redesigned Quick Panel is a hot mess for a user interface that was designed with the principles of easy one-handed use in mind, and One UI 6.1’s navigation gestures-related limitations show how Samsung sometimes changes things just for the sake of change.

Could Samsung bring its gestures and the option to hide the gesture hint back with a software update in the future? Probably not, especially if it removed them at the behest of Google when the two companies were collaborating to bring some of the latter’s AI features to the Galaxy S24 series, so be prepared for a learning curve if you’re buying the new flagship and were using Samsung’s gesture navigation system on your previous device.

Samsung is notorious for loading its Android smartphones with in-house versions of some Google apps, essentially giving users two apps for doing the same thing. Some call these Samsung apps bloatware, but there’s no denying the fact that Samsung’s versions of those apps often offer more functionality and flexibility.

The same goes for features built into the user interface. Navigation gestures are one example of those. Samsung introduced navigation gestures to all Galaxy devices with Android 9 (following a limited release for some devices running Android 8) and the first version of One UI, and the company kept its version of navigation gestures as an option even after Google introduced navigation gestures to the core operating system with Android 10.

Unfortunately, the choice between the two gesture navigation systems is no more. Starting with One UI 6.1, Galaxy smartphone and tablet users can either use Android’s default gestures or stick to the traditional on-screen navigation buttons, and I hate this change with a passion.

That’s because Samsung’s gestures, which let you access the home screen, go back, and view recent apps by swiping up from the bottom of the screen, are an excellent middle ground between on-screen buttons and Android’s default gestures. They were essentially designed to allow users to hide the buttons and have more usable screen space while still keeping navigation simple.

Google’s gestures, which are similar to those on Apple’s iOS, are the opposite of simple. The gesture for viewing recent apps is especially inconvenient, and while I could get used to it over time, I don’t like the idea of being forced to do so, which is what Samsung is doing by adopting Android’s gestures as the only gesture navigation option on its devices.

That’s not all: Samsung has also removed the option to hide the gesture hint, which is a thin tab/handle that is shown at the bottom of the screen when gestures are enabled. This is presumably because of the Circle to Search feature, which requires long-pressing that handle when you’re using gestures, and it’s another nuisance that you have to make do with on One UI 6.1.

These changes are an example of how Samsung never seems to stick to its convictions or maintain consistency across different versions of the user interface. One UI 6.0’s redesigned Quick Panel is a hot mess for a user interface that was designed with the principles of easy one-handed use in mind, and One UI 6.1’s navigation gestures-related limitations show how Samsung sometimes changes things just for the sake of change.

Could Samsung bring its gestures and the option to hide the gesture hint back with a software update in the future? Probably not, especially if it removed them at the behest of Google when the two companies were collaborating to bring some of the latter’s AI features to the Galaxy S24 series, so be prepared for a learning curve if you’re buying the new flagship and were using Samsung’s gesture navigation system on your previous device.