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Two very important missing gestures are coming to OxygenOS on OnePlus 6T
- There are two missing gestures in the Android 9 Pie version of OxygenOS for the OnePlus 6.
- The two missing gestures are a way to easily switch back-and-forth between apps, and a Google Assistant shortcut.
- In a recent online Q&A, OnePlus confirmed those two shortcuts will come along with the OnePlus 6T (and, presumably, other OnePlus devices).
The stable rollout of Android 9 Pie arrived on the OnePlus 6 a few weeks ago. Themed over with OxygenOS, the latest version of Android features a new, gesture-based navigation system that OnePlus 6 owners either love or loathe.
Unlike the stock/Pixel version of Android 9 Pie, there is no “pill” navigation button and the gestures are slightly different. In fact, the gestures are so different that two are notably missing.
Those two gestures include a way to easily swap back-and-forth between your two most-recent apps, and a simple way to easily launch Google Assistant. How these two gestures didn’t make it into the stable version of Android 9 Pie is anyone’s guess.
However, two leads with the OxygenOS team took to the OnePlus forums to answer some questions about upcoming changes to the popular Android skin. In this Q&A, the team confirmed the two missing gestures will debut with the upcoming OnePlus 6T. Presumably, the missing gestures would then make their way to other OnePlus devices.
According to the Q&A, the new gesture for swapping apps will be “flicking” from the bottom of your screen to the right of the screen. This will pull up the most-recent app, and a repeat gesture will go back to the app you were on originally.
The new shortcut for launching Google Assistant won’t be a gesture at all, but rather a long-press on the power button for about half-a-second. It’s not clear whether you’ll have to time it just right to launch Assistant instead of restarting the device, or if it will launch Assistant first and then — if you’re still holding the button — launch the power/restart options. We’ll have to wait to see how that works.
Also in the Q&A, the team said OxygenOS on the OnePlus 6T will look different from the current build on the OnePlus 6, with “a whole new UI” which “you will have to experience for yourself to really understand.” Sounds intriguing.
You can read the full interview by clicking the button below.