Ryan Whitwam / Android Authority
TL;DR
- The Android taskbar could quickly have the ability to present the 2 most not too long ago used apps.
- At the moment, the taskbar exhibits as much as 6 pinned apps and a couple of steered apps.
- Code within the newest Android 15 QPR1 beta replaces app strategies with current apps.
Android tablets are normally massive sufficient to comfortably match a number of apps on display, which is why the Android taskbar was launched a number of years again to hurry up the method of launching new apps or switching between them. Google now desires to make multitasking even sooner on Android tablets by upgrading the taskbar to point out not too long ago used apps.
Google first launched a taskbar in 2022’s Android 12L launch. The unique taskbar was initially a big bar that sat persistently on the backside and spanned the whole width of the display. To make it take up much less house on book-style foldables, Google hid the taskbar by default beginning in 2023’s Android 13 QPR2. The newer taskbar is quickly revealed by swiping up on the gesture navigation deal with, incomes it the identify “transient taskbar.” With the discharge of Android 15, Google added a option to swap between the older “persistent” taskbar and the newer “transient” taskbar, optimizing the expertise for each book-style foldables and tablets.
Each variations of the taskbar are a part of the system launcher app, which is why the apps it exhibits are synced with the house display dock. On Pixel gadgets, the Android taskbar presently exhibits as much as 6 apps pinned to the dock in addition to 2 steered apps. Though the apps that the Pixel Launcher suggests are based mostly in your not too long ago used apps, they’re additionally based mostly on these you most regularly use, in addition to your “routines.” Thus, the taskbar could not all the time present your most not too long ago used apps, which might power you to open the app drawer, open the recents display, or swipe proper on the navigation deal with to change to them.
Whereas digging by way of Android 15 QPR1 Beta 2, although, I discovered code for a brand new function that swaps the app strategies on the taskbar with not too long ago used apps. Particularly, the two steered apps are changed with the two most not too long ago used apps, as demonstrated within the video embedded beneath:
Google hasn’t enabled this function but, and I don’t know if the corporate ever plans to. Nevertheless, I hope it does, as I feel displaying not too long ago used apps within the taskbar is extra helpful than displaying steered apps. A number of Android producers like OnePlus and Samsung already spotlight not too long ago used apps within the taskbar, however Google bringing this alteration to AOSP will profit tablets and book-style foldables from different Android producers that haven’t carried out this alteration on their very own.
