Control your phone with gestures on the edges of the screen: get the most out of your Android

  • Gestures at the edges allow for faster navigation, save screen space, and reduce the risk of burn-in on OLED panels.
  • Edge Gestures offers advanced control: different configurable gestures and actions on each side and at the bottom.
  • Android integrates accessibility gestures and air gestures to control the mobile phone without touching the screen, also useful for reduced mobility.

control the mobile phone with gestures on the edges of the screen

When control large screen mobiles, gestures are a great alternative to make our life easier. We teach you to Control your mobile phone with gestures on the edges of the screen You can now take advantage of all the options that Android offers to handle the device more comfortably, quickly and accessibly, even without touching it.

Gestures: one of the future solutions for large screens

Los smartphone They're growing. They've never stopped, but it's more noticeable now than ever before. It's not just the Plus versions anymore, but the screens without frames They are indicative of a reality that has accompanied mobile phones since their inception: we have increasingly more usable screen space and fewer physical buttons. What was novel with the Galaxy Note now seems almost tame. However, what has remained more or less constant are the interfaces and how to use them.

With launchers like Nova Launcher we can configure gestures on the desktop, but the idea goes much further: what if we could program gestures on the left and right edges of the screen? And in the lower area, taking advantage of every millimeter of the panel to execute quick actions without having to search for specific icons or buttons?

This trend is not just about comfort. gesture navigation It also helps prevent problems like burn-in on OLED panels, as it reduces the time the navigation buttons remain fixed on the screen. This makes better use of space and extends the panel's lifespan, while also resulting in smoother and visually cleaner interaction.

Today, in most Android skins it is possible to choose between the classic navigation bar (Home, Back, and Recent) or a system of landslides from the edgesA gesture from the bottom takes you to the home screen, a long gesture opens recent apps, and a swipe from either side acts as a back screen, which fits perfectly with the philosophy of controlling the phone with gestures on the edges of the screen.

control the mobile with gestures

Edge Gestures, or how to control your mobile with gestures like a pro

Edge Gestures is a payment application of the Play Store Its price is justified by having enough features and innovations for advanced users. It's not just that it offers gesture control, but that the same gesture can have different functions on each side of our mobile phone, which multiplies the possibilities for customization and productivity.

We're talking about tapping once, twice, three times; sliding up, down, left and right; holding down… Each gesture can be assigned to a different action in each zone, using three main areas: left, right, and bottom. This allows, for example, a short slide from the left edge to open multitaskingwhile the same gesture on the right edge activates a specific application.

Also, you can control the size of each sideIn addition to choosing whether to enable any of them, you can also select gestures only on the bottom or only on the sides. The settings screen allows you to go side by side, choosing what each option does, with a very high level of detail.

You can choose simple functions like going to Start or expanding the notification panel, but you can also be more resourcefulFor example, you can make the gesture of pressing and holding and dragging towards the center open the brightness leveler, which you control by moving your finger up or down, or make a quick double tap launch your camera app so as not to miss a moment.

This philosophy complements standard Android gestures very well (swipe to go back, swipe up to return to home, hold for recent apps), as Edge Gestures focuses on Additional actions and advanced shortcuts from the edges, without necessarily replacing what the system already offers as standard.

mobile gesture settings

Furthermore, Edge Gestures fits very well in scenarios where edges are used intensively: large phones, curved screens, or users who want minimize the use of physical buttonsIt can even help people with slight difficulties in finger mobility by allowing them to concentrate important actions on specific and easy-to-remember areas.

You can buy Edge Gestures for 1,39 euros at the Play Store:

Installation:

Edge Gestures
Edge Gestures
Developer: Total_Apps
Price: 1,99 €

Advantages of controlling your mobile phone with gestures on the edges of the screen

Gestures have become one of the improved features to enhance user experience When we're looking for speed and convenience, swiping from an edge feels much more natural than reaching for a small icon or a button that's out of reach, especially on large screens.

Among the clearest advantages are the full use of available space of the screen (without fixed navigation bars), the reduction of the risk of burns OLED panels and faster, smoother interaction with multiple applications. All of this fits with the trend towards thinner, more compact, borderless phones.

Gestures are not limited to basic navigation. Many manufacturers allow the use of gestures. quick gestures for everyday tasks: swipe with three fingers to take a screenshotShake the phone to turn on the flashlight, twist your wrist twice to open the camera, use the volume buttons to change music tracks, or swipe on the fingerprint sensor to see notifications.

On large screens, these gesture-based shortcuts make navigating menus, social media, or very long lists much easier. faster than pressing buttonsSimply swipe from the edges to go back, open menus, switch tabs, or launch key functions without moving your hand from the position in which you hold the phone.

Advanced gestures and accessibility: control your mobile phone without touching it

Although it may seem like science fiction, it is possible. operate a smartphone without having to touch itsolely through facial gestures or hand movements in the air. This function is primarily intended for people with mobility problemsBut anyone can take advantage of it for certain tasks, such as scrolling through social networks without touching the screen.

Within Android there is a tool called Accessibility with switches (Switch Access) offers “a more accessible way for everyone to experience the digital world.” It can be used with external physical switches, a keyboard, or even the front-facing camera itself for recognition. facial gestures that act as if they were pulses.

When the camera switchIt's possible to assign different facial movements (opening the mouth, smiling, looking left or right, raising the eyebrows, etc.) to actions like search, pause, advance, or select. This way, the user can control the interface without ever touching the screen, which is essential for people with conditions like ALS or severe hand injuries.

The system also allows you to adjust the sensitivity of these gestures so that the response best suits the movements for each person, activate sound signals when a gesture is recognized correctly and even display a floating button to quickly activate or deactivate facial gesture control.

All of this demonstrates that gestures, whether on the edges of the screen or in the air, are not just a matter of fashion: they represent a evolution in the way of interacting with mobile, aimed at gaining speed, making better use of large screens and making devices more inclusive.

The combination of classic navigation gestures, powerful apps like Edge Gestures, and advanced accessibility features transforms any smartphone into a much more comfortable device to use. Leveraging the screen's edges for quick actions, reducing visible buttons, and using facial or air gestures helps the phone adapt to us, not the other way around—a crucial factor in a landscape of increasingly larger screens and users with diverse needs.

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