In short, the vertical 'stacked' scrolling view of Recent Apps has been changed to a side by side horizontal view. Does anyone know how to change it back? I can't seem to find any menu or option which allows you to alter the view. Many thanks!
Recent Apps view has altered following Pie update - how do I change it back?
- Thread starter moz_1983
- Start date
Jesus Delgadillo
Well-known member
- Oct 21, 2013
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Lmao it's part of the update. There's no way to "change it back" unless you flash back to Oreo. Silly question.
Gayle Lynn
Well-known member
- Jun 20, 2016
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Well it's not particularly silly if they've removed a simple yet effective function for no good reason. Others have raised this elsewhere -
"Another undesired change in Google’s latest multitasking view is that you basically only see your current app in it, with only vertical slivers of the two neighboring apps. In previous versions of Android, you’d get a vertical stack of apps, letting you tap to access older apps more quickly."
Thanks for the input, I guess.
"Another undesired change in Google’s latest multitasking view is that you basically only see your current app in it, with only vertical slivers of the two neighboring apps. In previous versions of Android, you’d get a vertical stack of apps, letting you tap to access older apps more quickly."
Thanks for the input, I guess.
I can appreciate change, that I have no issue with. But with this horizontal view you have limited visibility of the other apps open on your phone, whereas the horizontal listing allowed you to see much more.
Sigh, never mind
methodman89
Well-known member
- Feb 5, 2018
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Download 'Goodlock' from the Samsung Galaxy Apps . You'll be able to choose a few ways to scroll through the recent apps, along with other tweaks.
Last edited:
bbgpsuser
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- Jul 26, 2015
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You want the "Goodlock" from the Samsung store (Galaxy apps) NOT the one from the Google play store.
methodman89
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- Feb 5, 2018
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Change for the sake of change is not inherently good.
Calling a spade a spade here. Change, in and of itself, needs to be called out when it makes the product inferior. Google and Apple are two prime examples.
It seems to me that Samsung had a utility in Android 8 to change the vertical stack to the side by side. There's no reason they couldn't do the same thing here in reverse. And maybe they should.
Gayle Lynn
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- Jun 20, 2016
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I agree that Google and Samsung make idiotic choices, as has Apple and Microsoft.
The iOS ification of Mac OS X, why Windows 10 is worse on Surface tablet than 8.1 RT was. Or that BlackBerry recents choices were superior. But other than feedback during beta, unless there's an uproar, it falls in the hands of 3rd party launchers to improve upon.
Companies seem to get worse as they get get bigger, driven by marketing types. Not tech people. And the dumbing down of user interface experience.
I think most Windows users would still prefer Windows 7 but forced to update.
All I get for my consternation is fight the inevitable and be upset or learn to live with it after 40+ years with all these system 'upgrades.'
The iOS ification of Mac OS X, why Windows 10 is worse on Surface tablet than 8.1 RT was. Or that BlackBerry recents choices were superior. But other than feedback during beta, unless there's an uproar, it falls in the hands of 3rd party launchers to improve upon.
Companies seem to get worse as they get get bigger, driven by marketing types. Not tech people. And the dumbing down of user interface experience.
I think most Windows users would still prefer Windows 7 but forced to update.
All I get for my consternation is fight the inevitable and be upset or learn to live with it after 40+ years with all these system 'upgrades.'
Life Line
New member
- Mar 27, 2019
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hey there everyone!
i was also mad at it. finding ways back to vertical scroll for background apps.
Recently on my nokia 6.1 plus (android 9) suddenly from nowhere while pressing that square app button for background apps , instead of horizontal scroll , i saw old view of vertical scroll(exactly as in old android devices) . but it was there for just few seconds , it sounds quite weird but after few seconds it was not there. i dont know how . i am using no third party app. in short it means there is a way to switch to vertical scroll. but i guess android people themselves dont know how. it is a ghost setting.
hope they come up with clear solution.
i was also mad at it. finding ways back to vertical scroll for background apps.
Recently on my nokia 6.1 plus (android 9) suddenly from nowhere while pressing that square app button for background apps , instead of horizontal scroll , i saw old view of vertical scroll(exactly as in old android devices) . but it was there for just few seconds , it sounds quite weird but after few seconds it was not there. i dont know how . i am using no third party app. in short it means there is a way to switch to vertical scroll. but i guess android people themselves dont know how. it is a ghost setting.
hope they come up with clear solution.
Rukbat
Retired Moderator
- Feb 12, 2012
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If you run multiple apps on the screen (like something that has to be logged into and your password app), horizontal is easier - just tap the icon at the top of the app showing in recents, choose to split the screen, then choose the other app from recents on the bottom of the screen. Much faster. Vertical scrolling on half a screen is kind of cramped.
Thanks for the reminder! It has also been updated, not as good as before, but better than the new stock google one.
Ultrabenosaurus
New member
- Apr 1, 2019
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Not 100% sure the package name will be the same, as I have a Note 8, but you can remove the new recent apps screen and get back to the Oreo version by installing a 3rd party launcher and removing the default Samsung Experience Home package via ADB. Samsung's launcher is in the Play Store so you can reinstall it easy enough so long as your phone doesn't brick. Obviously do this at your own risk, it worked for me but I'm just some stranger on the Internet.
Admittedly it hasn't been a day since I did this myself, but there are threads all over the Internet of people using this trick to uninstall various branded default launchers to restore a usable recent apps screen since Pie dropped for Pixel handsets last year. I have rebooted a couple times and my phone isn't bricked, everything seems to behave as normal. Should be fine
EDIT:
The "--user 0" part of that command is important, and required if you want to do this without rooting. It makes the command run as the main/default user that phone normally boots into, meaning the package has been disassociated rather than actually uninstalled, making it possible to re-enable via ADB as well. The app's data and settings are also preserved this way.
- Install a 3rd party launcher of your choice. I recommend Nova or t-ui (Linux CLI Launcher).
- Set the new launcher as default.
- Download your flavour of ADB.
- Follow the first 12 steps of this guide to get USB debugging and ADB connected to your phone.
- Optionally, use step 13 from that guide to check the exact package name of Samsung's launcher on your phone.
- Run this command: pm uninstall --user 0 com.sec.android.app.launcher
- Check your recent apps screen and rejoice.
Admittedly it hasn't been a day since I did this myself, but there are threads all over the Internet of people using this trick to uninstall various branded default launchers to restore a usable recent apps screen since Pie dropped for Pixel handsets last year. I have rebooted a couple times and my phone isn't bricked, everything seems to behave as normal. Should be fine
EDIT:
The "--user 0" part of that command is important, and required if you want to do this without rooting. It makes the command run as the main/default user that phone normally boots into, meaning the package has been disassociated rather than actually uninstalled, making it possible to re-enable via ADB as well. The app's data and settings are also preserved this way.
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Similar to Oakami, I felt the need to create an account just to answer the "resistance is futile" / "all changes are good" crowd.
Saying that the horizontal-scrolling view is better is like saying that standard hard drives are better than solid state drives, that single-tasking DOS is better than Windows, or that tape storage is faster than disk. The "random access" part of RAM is important for a reason. If you have to make more relatively slow movements to get where you are going, then you are going to be slower. If you use your phone as a tool rather than a toy, you switch tasks a lot. Multi-tasking operating systems like macOS and Windows have converged around the taskbar metaphor for a reason: it provides random access of sight to all running apps. Since you could typically see 4-5 titles and partial screenshots of apps in the previous version of Android's task switcher at once, it was superior in this regard.
Change for the sake of change is also not necessarily good. Habits are important in productivity: tasks becoming automatic is how we become more capable and efficient. It's not merely a matter of weakness that people dislike or resist change. It's a matter of practicality.
At least Samsung's Good Lock app (available through Samsung Essentials) plus its Task Changer module provide some configurability. That's what I'm using until Nova Launcher hopefully makes an offering...
Android / Google / Samsung should at least provide the option of choosing how the recent apps screen will be laid out -- no one should settle for less than to have choices and control over their own devices. Simplification is bad if it also removes choice (attn: Microsoft, Apple).
</soapbox>
Saying that the horizontal-scrolling view is better is like saying that standard hard drives are better than solid state drives, that single-tasking DOS is better than Windows, or that tape storage is faster than disk. The "random access" part of RAM is important for a reason. If you have to make more relatively slow movements to get where you are going, then you are going to be slower. If you use your phone as a tool rather than a toy, you switch tasks a lot. Multi-tasking operating systems like macOS and Windows have converged around the taskbar metaphor for a reason: it provides random access of sight to all running apps. Since you could typically see 4-5 titles and partial screenshots of apps in the previous version of Android's task switcher at once, it was superior in this regard.
Change for the sake of change is also not necessarily good. Habits are important in productivity: tasks becoming automatic is how we become more capable and efficient. It's not merely a matter of weakness that people dislike or resist change. It's a matter of practicality.
At least Samsung's Good Lock app (available through Samsung Essentials) plus its Task Changer module provide some configurability. That's what I'm using until Nova Launcher hopefully makes an offering...
Android / Google / Samsung should at least provide the option of choosing how the recent apps screen will be laid out -- no one should settle for less than to have choices and control over their own devices. Simplification is bad if it also removes choice (attn: Microsoft, Apple).
</soapbox>
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