Android Q May Have Pixel "Pill" Devour Back Button

The Pixel "pill" sits at the bottom of the home screen on every Google Pixel smartphone running Android 9 Pie right this minute. This little object allows the user to navigate throughout the smartphone – to a degree. A bit of software in development right now at Google seems to suggest that the company will keep this little pill in action – and might well allow it to chomp on the back button until it's dead and gone forever.

In a set of what are currently called experimental gestures working in Android Q, in development, we can see a set of ways to run through one's software. Through the operating system, one will navigate, all with the one button. Like we're using the red nubbin on a ThinkPad or a roll-ball on a BlackBerry. What year is it again?

Android Q home Pill gestures:

• Tap once: Home.

• Slide to left: Back.

• Slide to right: Open most recent app.

• Slide to right and hold: Scroll through recent apps.

• Slide up: Open recent apps overview (horizontally).

• Slide up and hold: Open App drawer.

• Back Button: N/A.

Android Pie home Pill gestures:

• Tap once: Home.

• Slide to left: No action.

• Slide to right: Open most recent app.

• Slide to right and hold: Scroll through recent apps.

• Slide up: Open recent apps overview (horizontally).

• Slide up and hold: No action.

• Back Button: Back.

The Android Q developer preview wont likely work with this update – it's of the sort that developers might happen upon but won't come to a full build soon. So far, it would appear that Google is moving closer and closer to an as-simple-as-possible software setup to merge more systems than one.

Remember, if rumors remain correct, Google will one day collapse all software into one, monster operating system. With this one software, Google would take over the world! Or some far less exciting thing. Like releasing different versions of the same brand software that'll still basically be Chrome, Android, and whatever comes next.