Smartphones are growing not only in terms of features but also in size as well. Though the experience of media consumption on such taller devices is nice, it becomes difficult to use one-handed. Google may be onto a solution for this because the latest report suggests that it is working on One-Hand mode for Android 12.
OEMs like Samsung and ASUS have already introduced one-hand mode. In fact, Samsung’s custom UI, the One UI, is based around making the one-hand operation much easier for users.
Good thing is that Google will soon join the bandwagon in providing easy one-hand mode with Android 12. Google has always a bit behind in implementing new features. Take the native screen recording and scrolling screenshot features, for example.
On one hand, where OEMs already implemented a screen recording feature on their own UI long back, Google recently introduced it with Android 11.
Coming back to Google’s one-hand mode, XDA reports that Google is working on a one-hand mode feature to be included in the AOSP. FYI, AOSP is the open-source version of Android.
What does this mean? Well, the one-hand mode on AOSP means that it will be available for access for any smartphone maker. Moreover, OEMs that do not have a one-hand mode of their own can benefit from Google’s version of the software.
It is unclear if Google plans to include one-hand mode on all Android 12 devices
At the moment, there is not much clarity if Google plans to bring one-hand mode on all Android 12 devices. Moreover, we also don’t know how Google plans to implement this new feature.
Google may take inspiration from Samsung’s implementation of one-hand mode or take some cue from ASUS’s implementation of shrinking the entire screen to one corner.
However, folks at XDA state Google may introduce one-hand mode for Android 12 by shrinking the screen size by 40% of its max size. So, it is ASUS’s method that they may be going after.
Besides, users will be able to trigger this new mode under the Settings menu. Notably, the one-hand mode on Android 12 will be added to Settings > System > Gesture > One-Handed.
Currently, there is no working image of the new one-hand mode for Android 12 available. This makes it hard to understand and demonstrate how it works.
We expect Google to introduce this new feature with the first Developer Preview of Android 12, which is due to debut later this month. Note that there is also no info if Google will implement this feature with any of its Developer Previews, future Beta, or even stable releases.