Recently, Google introduced a feature called “predictive back gesture” (predictive return gesture?) for the Android 13 system, which will be integrated into the upcoming Android 14 system by default.
This function is mainly to preview the screen or result that stays after returning before the user performs the returning operation. In this way, the user can choose to continue to return or stay in the current screen after knowing the return.
Google’s official introduction to this feature is as follows:
“Android 13 (API level 33) introduces predictive back gestures for Android devices such as phones, large-screen devices, and foldable devices. The release process of this feature will span many years; Before a return gesture, you can preview the destination or other results after the gesture is completed, so that the user can decide whether to continue to complete the gesture or stay in the current view.
For example, use the back gesture to display an animated preview of the home screen behind the app, as shown in the mockup in Figure 1. Starting with Android 13, you can test this back-to-home animation by enabling a developer option (described on this page). “
The operation mode of previewing and returning to the interface in advance is more in line with the daily habits of users, which not only adds more choices, but also reduces the possibility of accidental touch. After subsequent adaptation of multiple applications, you can also directly know which page you will jump to after performing the “return” operation.
Google said that in the Android 14 system, the return operation is like swiping in the app. Only the default or custom gesture animation is needed to let the user know which interface to return to when returning.
If you want to experience this feature as early as possible, you can start it through the developer options in the Android 13 system. It is worth mentioning that only Google Phone and Google TV apps support “predictive back gesture” in the Android 13 system.