Android Authority has released a report stating that Android N, the next version of the mobile OS, will kill off one of it’s most distinctive features; the app drawer. The site claims to get this information from two different sources who have supposedly gotten confirmation that current prerelease builds of Android 7.0 do not include such a way of navigation.
Google is reportedly planning on removing the app drawer from the Android N release. While there is still a long way to go until the public release of Android 7.0 in late 2016, Android Authority has now received word from two separate sources that pre-release Android N builds currently do not include an app drawer.
Such a move will definitely define the public’s interest in the next update for Android. The app drawer has always been a huge part in the reason why Android is different than iOS. I can’t really say the same thing for Windows Phone, as a simple swipe to the left will bring up a vertical-scrolling list of installed apps. But Google would never try to differ from a failing OS like that, so Windows Phone is out of the question at hand.
The app drawer could make it back to Android N before the official developer betas are released this summer as the builds Android Authority mentions are very early, but if it doesn’t, we can expect a very similar experience on our Android phones when compared to an iPhone. You’ll need to swipe between your different home screens to find the app you’re looking for, however Google will probably implement an app search tool built into the search bar at the top of the home screen like on iOS. However, you can still expect to see widgets and folders still available as your customization tools.
But why would Google want to make Android more like iOS? Well, one reason might be for an easy transition when moving users from iOS to Android. Forever-iPhone users no doubt have a little trouble adapting to the different functions and ways of maneuvering around the OS due to iOS being as simple and straightforward as it is. So in a motion of bringing people over to their platform, Google may be trying to make Android look and feel more appealing.
But however that would be a great method of gaining more users, it might be hard for current users to say goodbye to the beloved app drawer, which could backfire on Google’s end with users leaving the platform due to the lack of such a feature, however that seems pretty unlikely.
Whatever way you look at it, this could either be a good or bad motion for Google to make with Android N.
Would you be okay with no app drawer in the next version of Android? Let us know in the comments!
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