What it’s worthwhile to know
- A brand new replace to the Gmail app for Android tablets brings the side-oriented navigation rail to customers.
- Beforehand, the characteristic was obtainable on Android foldable when the primary display screen was opened.
- The navigation rail frees up vertical house within the Gmail app, changing the underside navigation bar.
A server-side replace to the Gmail app has introduced Google’s new navigation rail to Android tablets. The characteristic was first noticed by 9to5Google, beginning with model 2023.11.12.x of the Gmail app. Because of the server-side replace, the navigation rail is out there on most Android tablets now.Â
Google makes use of a backside bar for UI navigation in a number of its cellular apps, like most cellular app builders. That is sometimes an intuitive technique to change views, entry totally different options, and navigate pages. Nonetheless, it is a UI component that works significantly better on smartphones with much less horizontal house obtainable than on widescreen tablets.Â
For some time, Google’s apps for Android tablets have been largely scaled-up variations of the native Android app. However over the previous couple of years — within the lead-up to the discharge of Google’s Pixel Fold and Pixel Pill — there was a larger emphasis positioned on creating apps particularly for larger-screened Android gadgets.Â
Final yr, Google launched a brand new navigation rail on foldable telephones, together with the Pixel Fold. This transfer shifted the standard backside bar over to the left-hand facet of the display screen. Now, the identical change is going on on Android tablets.Â
Within the above instance, you may see the brand new sidebar barely decreases the quantity of house in your inbox record. This will likely be a non-issue on tablets with giant shows, because it’s barely a priority on folding telephones. The previous Gmail app design arguably wasted an excessive amount of house on the inbox record, because it took up almost half of the obtainable display screen house.Â
The navigation rail can maintain as much as 4 icons and can replicate the icons that used to stay within the backside navigation bar. These are Gmail, Chat, Areas, and Meet. The toggles are proper across the middle of your display screen, to the left. It is proper the place your thumb ought to be when holding an Android pill, so it ought to be pretty intuitive and ergonomically sound to press.Â
It’d rely in your gadget’s display screen dimension, however typically, the navigation rail will solely seem in a horizontal orientation. Once you shift your gadget vertically, the underside navigation bar returns.Â
The variety of icons in your navigation menus — and which of them are there — may rely on whether or not you have gotten the Google Chat redesign but. Most gadgets ought to have the UI overhaul by now, however some customers will nonetheless see the previous structure.Â
To see in the event you’ve gotten the brand new navigation bar, ensure that your Gmail app is up-to-date and use your Android pill in a horizontal orientation.
