Order the King of Android! Get your Galaxy S25 Ultra today! Follow us on Google news!

SamMobile has affiliate and sponsored partnerships. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn a commission.

News For You
News For You
Notifications

How to navigate your Galaxy S22 with gestures instead of those outdated buttons

Tips & Tricks
By 

Last updated: April 19th, 2022 at 23:53 UTC+02:00

The Galaxy S22 has a highly customizable UI, from Material You color themes and Smart Widgets to different navigation methods. Today we're expanding on the latter, and we'll show you how to switch to gestures and gain more screen real-estate by disabling the outdated (but arguably tried and tested) “recents,” “home,” and “back” on-screen buttons.

Why switch from the old method to the newer navigation-based UI, you ask? As mentioned before, the gesture based UI offers a more bezel-less experience because it can use the entirety of the screen, as you can see in the screenshots below. It makes the Galaxy S22 experience a little bit more immersive. And once you get used to gestures, you can sometimes navigate the UI faster.

Besides, there's nothing stopping Galaxy smartphone users from changing back to the old formula if navigation gestures aren't to their liking. All you need is a willingness to experiment with a different UI design, and you're in for a bit of fun.

How to enable navigation gestures on the Galaxy S22:

The Navigation bar menu on the Galaxy S22 can be found in the Settings app, under Display. Once there, you can choose between “Buttons” and “Swipe gestures” for navigation.

Each of these methods has its own set of specific options. For example, even the button-based navigation bar has two templates (each of which switches the location of the back and Recents buttons).

There are two different ways to use UI navigation gestures on a Galaxy S22

To switch from the classic navigation button bar to navigation gestures, first, you'll have to enable the Swipe gestures option.

Next, tapping the More options button reveals two (very) different ways of using navigations on the Galaxy S22 and in One UI in general, which we'll explain below.

‘Swipe from bottom' navigation gestures

The Swipe from bottom option is essentially copying the button-based layout, except it requires gestures instead of taps. The buttons are squished into thinner tabs (which you can hide). Pulling up on these tabs will perform the classic “recents,” “home,” and “back” functions.

This method offers a few additional tweaks: for example, you can swap the position of the “recents” and “back” gesture tabs, or “hints,” as Samsung calls them. You can also choose to hide the keyboard button in portrait mode.

‘Swipe from bottom and sides' navigation gestures

This navigation method is based purely on gestures. Swiping up from the bottom of the screen performs a “home” function, whereas swiping up and holding opens up the “recents” screen. The “back” gesture is performed by swiping sideways from the left or right edges of the screen.

A couple of extra tips for gesture-based navigation

A case with a thicker bezel can get in the way, so if you're having trouble reaching the edges of the screen to perform these swipe navigation gestures, try changing the sensitivity area. Tap More options and drag the slider to the right. It's worth trying out different sensitivity levels even without a case.

Last but not least, one of the best things about navigating your Galaxy S22 UI using gestures is that they offer the fastest way to switch between recent apps. Just swipe the lower area of the screen sideways or up and to the side. Try it out and feel free to share your thoughts on these UI navigation methods in the comment section below. Which method do you prefer?

Join SamMobile’s Telegram group and subscribe to our YouTube channel to get instant news updates and in-depth reviews of Samsung devices. You can also subscribe to get updates from us on Google News and follow us on Twitter.

PhoneTips & Tricks Android 12Galaxy S22Galaxy S22 PlusGalaxy S22 UltraOne UIOne UI 4.1
Galaxy AI summarized

Scroll for more related content
News For You

You might also like

Galaxy S25 camera’s AI Filter may come to these phones with One UI 7

Galaxy S25 camera’s AI Filter may come to these phones with One UI 7

The Galaxy S25 series brings many new camera software features. One of them is AI Filters. Powered by Galaxy AI, this feature allows you to create custom filters so that you can do something unique with your pictures to make them more stylish. Samsung expanded this feature to the Galaxy S24 series with the fourth […]

  • By Abid Iqbal Shaik
  • 3 days ago
JioHotstar app now available on Samsung TVs in India

JioHotstar app now available on Samsung TVs in India

In November 2024, Walt Disney and Reliance Industries merged their Indian media assets (Disney+ Hotstar and JioCinema). Now, after three months, the effect of the merger has finally taken place. The two companies have merged their separate apps for various platforms into JioHotstar, and it is now available on Samsung TVs (Tizen OS) as well. […]

  • By Abid Iqbal Shaik
  • 1 week ago
We’re the closest we’ve ever been to official One UI 7 release

We’re the closest we’ve ever been to official One UI 7 release

With the Galaxy S25 going on sale on February 7, One UI 7 should soon start rolling out to older Galaxy devices.

  • By Abhijeet Mishra
  • 2 weeks ago
Samsung monthly updates: February 2025 security patch detailed

Samsung monthly updates: February 2025 security patch detailed

A lot of Galaxy devices still haven't received their first security update of 2025, but Samsung is already plowing ahead with preparations for the second one. The company has released details of the security fixes that are coming to Galaxy devices with the February 2025 security patch. As always, the latest patch brings fixes from […]

  • By Abhijeet Mishra
  • 3 weeks ago
Galaxy S22 getting January 2025 security update more widely

Galaxy S22 getting January 2025 security update more widely

A few days ago, Samsung released the latest security update to the Galaxy S22 series. However, the update was limited to the USA. Now, the same update is being released in several countries across Europe. Galaxy S22 gets January 2025 security update in Europe The Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22+, and Galaxy S22 Ultra have started […]

  • By Asif Iqbal Shaik
  • 3 weeks ago
Samsung starts releasing One UI to affordable TVs

Samsung starts releasing One UI to affordable TVs

In October 2024, Samsung released One UI for its TVs, which brought a new user interface and new features. Initially, the company made the update available for its flagship models, including the S90C, S95C, S90D, and S95D. Now, the brand seems to be releasing the update for more affordable models. On Reddit, a user reports […]

  • By Abid Iqbal Shaik
  • 4 weeks ago