Google is bringing in a new recents menu UI in Android Go, though it doesn’t look completely different from what’s currently being used with the other versions of the Android operating system. Announced during Google’s I/O 2017 developer conference earlier this week, Android Go will be a lower-powered version of Android that is designed for devices that have less memory to use for tasks, and that’s the aim of the new recents menu UI in Android Go as it was designed to use up less RAM so the device has more to devote to other tasks. It’s new design should also help it operate at a faster pace, allowing users to switch between recently opened applications quicker.
Part of this will be implemented by the use of near-full screen cards for the displaying apps, which also allow for what will likely be a quicker ability to glance at the app cards. Users will still be able to see the tops and bottoms of the next and previous card in the list, and they can easily swipe between them to get to a different app and switch if they desire, but choosing not to stagger them on top of each other has allowed for the use of less RAM.
It’s unclear exactly what all of the things are Google will be doing with Android Go to help with entry-level devices having a smoother user experience, or if there will be any more UI changes in different parts of the system other than the recents menu that will also work to help the device use up less RAM. For those wondering why Google decided to change up the look for the recents menu with Android Go, Google says that it’s apparently because 95 percent of entry-level device users don’t do a lot of switching between applications, and tend to stick to the four most recently used apps that show up in the menu. With so few apps being switched to, having a recents menu with a staggered card design makes less sense as Google wouldn’t need to make the most of the space that’s available to fit everything in.