How Google should have done on-screen buttons (pic included)

**6tr6tr** · 01-16-2013, 12:03 PM

It should have been off-screen by default and a screen-edge swipe brings it up when needed.

**jgreeson25** · 01-16-2013, 12:12 PM

I like the idea, but I think it would get to be a bit testing to always have to swipe up to quickly go back a page/screen. When I first opened the box, I was surprised by the amount of bezel above and below the actual screen. Hopefully, in future iterations of the nexus line, this precious real-estate will be maximized and filled in with more screen space. Thereby, increasing the actual screen size while keeping the same or roughly the same form factor overall. I only mention this since it seems as though your concern is primarily based on wasted screen space due to the on screen buttons.

**6tr6tr** · 01-16-2013, 12:22 PM

Originally Posted by jgreeson25

I like the idea, but I think it would get to be a bit testing to always have to swipe up to quickly go back a page/screen.

They could fix that by using the upside-down-backwards "L" swipe that blackberry has. So if you swipe up from the bottom and then continue swiping to the left (in one quick up-and-left swipe) it would simulate the back button.

**DevSteven** · 01-16-2013, 12:24 PM

That means that the OS would be gesture based like the new BB10 and Playbook software.

**S-Doo-1965** · 01-16-2013, 12:35 PM

Or like WebOS, may it rest in piece

Run, do NOT walk, and get a Nexus 7. You can thank me later.

**DirkBelig** · 01-16-2013, 12:45 PM

Swiping up from the bottom is dedicated to bringing up Google Now.

What they should've done is either use the real estate under the screen for capacitive buttons - like the GS3, but w/o the stupid HW button - or halved the height of the on-screen buttons, making them the same height as the notification bar up top. We can hit that target (i.e. 24 px tall) easily, so there's no need to waste 48 px on the bottom. They can do the same double-height-on-touch action as the notification bar has, but just having that huge block at the bottom effectively makes our screens smaller than GS3 users' screens.

**AbuYazeedUK** · 01-16-2013, 02:04 PM

Ubuntu comes to mind. I agree with them being under the screen like the GS3.

**Dr0me** · 01-16-2013, 02:20 PM

Originally Posted by AbuYazeedUK

Ubuntu comes to mind. I agree with them being under the screen like the GS3.

yes, ubuntu does it properly. You shouldnt need to swipe up, that just makes it harder to use the buttons. i dont mind that the on screen buttons take up space but would like to see the bezel smaller either way.

**6tr6tr** · 01-16-2013, 02:47 PM

Originally Posted by Dr0me

yes, ubuntu does it properly. You shouldnt need to swipe up, that just makes it harder to use the buttons. i dont mind that the on screen buttons take up space but would like to see the bezel smaller either way.

Ubuntu has a swipe up for the menu/action bar just like my example.

- - - Updated - - -

Originally Posted by DirkBelig

Swiping up from the bottom is dedicated to bringing up Google Now.

No, that's a swipe up from the home button, but they could always change that.

**Nonymous666** · 01-16-2013, 03:13 PM

Originally Posted by 6tr6tr

It should have been off-screen by default and a screen-edge swipe brings it up when needed.

I like the idea, but I think it should be configurable as to whether the buttons auto-hide or not. Personally, I wouldn't want to have to first swipe up every fricking time I want to hit the back button or switch to another running app.

**6tr6tr** · 01-16-2013, 03:48 PM

Originally Posted by Nonymous666

I like the idea, but I think it should be configurable as to whether the buttons auto-hide or not. Personally, I wouldn't have to first swipe up every fricking time I want to hit the back button or switch to another running app.

They could do smart swipes like blackberry 10:

1. Swipe up and to the left = back button press
2. Swipe up and to the right = multitask button

**josegb2011** · 01-16-2013, 07:08 PM

what i would do is make the home and back buttons moveable like the icons in the home screen and be able to customize it to your liking thus giving full screen support for anything..(apps,games etc)

**XChrisX** · 01-16-2013, 07:55 PM

Originally Posted by 6tr6tr

They could do smart swipes like blackberry 10:

1. Swipe up and to the left = back button press
2. Swipe up and to the right = multitask button

The only problem is those gestures aren't all that natural, and intuitive. It sounds nice on paper, but having to swipe up, and to the left or right just isn't a natural way of doing things on a smartphone.

**6tr6tr** · 01-16-2013, 08:56 PM

Originally Posted by ChrisXe

The only problem is those gestures aren't all that natural, and intuitive. It sounds nice on paper, but having to swipe up, and to the left or right just isn't a natural way of doing things on a smartphone.

Neither was pinch-to-zoom when the first touchscreen smartphone arrived. (or two-finger swipe down in notification bar for Android 4.2) People learn these gestures very quickly.

**FYourProblems** · 01-16-2013, 09:28 PM

IMO these buttons are too widely used for that. Next time you're on your phone pay attention to how much use the navigation bar gets, having to swipe to bring it up every single time would get old quick.

**badbrad17** · 01-17-2013, 11:03 AM

I think it's just a matter of using the real estate that is available on the phone. If you look at the DNA compared to the Nexus 4 you can see there such a huge amount of space that's wasted. The DNA has literally the same amount of space plus all the space that the Nexus 4 uses for the buttons and even more space. There's no good reason why they designed it this way.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Android Central Forums

**wunderbar** · 01-17-2013, 11:15 AM

Personally, I like the on screen buttons. They could have put less bezel on the bottom of the phone and made the screen a bit longer, but then that would have caused it to be a really odd screen resolution that would have given the developers yet another screen to design around (especially for video apps that hide the buttons).

Personally what I'd like to see more of is apps that do hide the buttons when displaying full screen content, like a lot of the video apps do, as opposed to just making the buttons the dim little dots. my two favorite examples of this are Google Play books and Pocket. When I'm reading full screen on either app I really the button bar would disappear entirely. if you tap the screen it brings up all sorts of controls for either app right now anyway. So why not do the same for the button bar at the bottom? Hide it most of the time but when you tap the screen to bring up the controls, bring up the buttons.

If more apps would do this it would alleviate a lot of the problems people do have with the buttons.

**XChrisX** · 01-17-2013, 11:45 AM

Originally Posted by 6tr6tr

Neither was pinch-to-zoom when the first touchscreen smartphone arrived. (or two-finger swipe down in notification bar for Android 4.2) People learn these gestures very quickly.

You can train your brain to learn anything if you truly want to, but it's just not as natural, and intuitive as pinch to zoom, and double tap to zoom as debuted on the original iPhone. I'm sorry, but I'm not a big fan of BB10, nothing all that fresh, and new here honestly.

**KwietStorm** · 01-17-2013, 12:17 PM

I'm fine with it as it is, and I definitely do not want capacitive buttons. The bezel could be smaller, but that's something I've said about all phones, especially in the wake of the huge screen love fest.

**palitsyn** · 01-17-2013, 04:33 PM

Originally Posted by FYourProblems

IMO these buttons are too widely used for that. Next time you're on your phone pay attention to how much use the navigation bar gets, having to swipe to bring it up every single time would get old quick.

I totally agree. I would hate if if I had to swipe up to get to the basic controls I probably use the most on the phone.