First Google app supports new smart back gesture

The new back gesture of Android 13 wasn’t a revolution after all, but it can make everyday life easier. The first Google app now supports the new gesture and demonstrates it in everyday life for the first time.

Currently, you still have to activate the new back gesture in the Android 13 developer settings or developer options. Then compatible apps can show what the back gesture will actually do. As a rule, there will be two options: jump back to a menu item in the app or take you directly to the start screen. The improved gesture including new animations shows you what will actually happen.

Google is redesigning the back gesture for future versions of Android

But this new feature must also be supported on the app side. A new app version 5.57 from Google News should now support this gesture and its animations. This also works if you would switch back to the start screen with the back gesture, for example. The open app is optically reduced in size. This allows the user to see what will happen and could still cancel the gesture.

The new intelligent back gesture will probably not come until next year

Google rolled out the new gesture with Android 13 but hasn’t rolled it out across the board yet. Therefore, the final rollout could be postponed to Android 14 (2023). After all, Android 13 is currently in the last beta and so far the gesture has only appeared in two Google apps.

At the moment, the gesture doesn’t seem finished with its animations during use either. Google would have to make visual improvements here and maybe rely on more than just this barely visible arrow. In my opinion, other UIs do this a little better, for example, those from OnePlus.

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