ISSUE 50 • ANDROID ADVISOR 15HANDS-ONindicate you can always swipe up on it. If you’re Home
or in-app, a short swipe opens the brand new app
switcher view, which is similar to Apple’s on iOS.
You can swipe up on an app to dismiss it from
the switcher (like iOS) or scroll through them to find
the app you want. The pill at the bottom can also be
dragged left or right to scroll through, but it’s a bit
slow and we’d be surprised if Google doesn’t change
how this works in the final build.
It’s notable though that you can no longer
clear all notification – perhaps a sign that Google
knows your phone actually runs better if you don’t
compulsively close every app all the time.
When in app switcher mode, five app icons
are at the foot of your screen as the last five apps
you opened, for even quicker access.
As ever, tap home and everything is
back to normal.
A longer held swipe on the
home screen still opens the app
draw but it’s easy to accidentally
open the app switcher, which is
annoying. There are far more swipes
in P than prodding and tapping, and
while Google no doubt sees this as
more flowing and elegant, it’s a big
jump to get used to, just as it was
for some on iPhone X.
App switcher mode