It’s been a month when Google launched Android P developer preview with a number of new features for developers and apps to take advantage of, while there is a multitude of system-level changes. Android also gains a new design, especially for notifications, the drawer, and quick settings.
Google is yet to reveal many features of Android P but there is some major change in the notification bar is on the way. Also, Home button is coming with the pill-like button. Google revealed this accidentally while writing information about DNS over TLS support in Android P Developer Preview.
In fact above link is updated one which doesn’t have the notification bar but if we see the cached copy of the page, this has the Apple-like notification bar and pill-like home button. Soon after the blog was posted, the image was cropped and posted without notification bar.
Tech website 9to5Google reports that Google is testing a new navigation bar that’s similar to the iPhone X, with a swipe up gesture that reveals the multitasking UI. It’s not clear if the pill-like button, that looks similar to the one found on a leaked Moto X5 image, still works as a button, or is simply an identifier to swipe up for home like the iPhone X. Google appears to still be including its back button control too, although 9to5Google reports that this only appears in the context when a back button is required.
However, Google is conducting I/O conference starting from May 8, in Mountain View, California. We can expect more information about Android P in the conference.
Google is only testing this navigation bar right now, and the company has previously tested other navigation bar changes in past Android versions without ever shipping them. Still, Google is fully supporting screen notches like the iPhone X or Essential Phone with its Android P update, and a new gesture-powered navigation bar would certainly make it easier for Android developers to make better use of bezel-less displays.
