TL;DR
- Once you press Alt+Tab on a keyboard linked to a pill working Android 14, a small row of apps seems close to the highest that you may cycle by.
- This app strip exhibits you six of your most up-to-date apps.
- Urgent Alt+Tab on earlier variations of Android would merely deliver up the complete recents display, which doesn’t have a visible cue exhibiting which app is chosen.
Over the previous couple of years, Google has been exhausting at work enhancing the expertise of utilizing Android on large-screen gadgets. It launched its first tablet-oriented OS replace in years, Android 12L, in early 2022, and each new OS replace since has included incremental enhancements to the large-screen expertise. Final 12 months’s Android 14 launch was no completely different, including options like an improved taskbar and the power to drive apps to undertake a selected side ratio. Though these two modifications had been added in quarterly characteristic updates to Android 14, there was one change launched in Android 14’s preliminary launch that slipped below the radar till now: a revamped Alt+Tab expertise.
In Android 13 and earlier, urgent Alt+Tab on a Bluetooth or USB keyboard linked to an Android pill or different large-screen gadget would merely deliver up Android’s recents display. Whilst you might cycle by apps by urgent the Tab key whereas persevering with to carry down Alt, there wasn’t a visible cue that confirmed you which of them app you chose. Moreover, shortly urgent Alt+Tab wouldn’t change to probably the most not too long ago used app; as a substitute, it will briefly flash the recents display after which return to the present app. In comparison with desktop working techniques, the way in which Android dealt with Alt+Tab presses made for a clunky multitasking expertise.
Thankfully, Android has considerably revamped the way in which it handles Alt+Tab in Android 14. Once you press Alt+Tab on a bodily keyboard linked to a pill (or different large-screen gadget) working Android 14, a small horizontal strip of apps seems close to the highest. A most of six apps seems on this strip that you may cycle by by urgent Tab whereas holding down Alt. The at the moment chosen app is highlighted with a grey line round its preview. You can too shortly change to the final used app by urgent after which shortly letting go of Alt+Tab, not like earlier than. Lastly, if you wish to see the complete recents display, you’ll be able to preserve urgent Tab whereas holding down Alt till you attain the “present X extra apps” card on the finish of the strip. Letting go of Tab whereas highlighting this card will deliver up the complete recents display.
Developer Huy Minh first seen the brand new UI whereas testing an Android 14 QPR2-based customized ROM for his or her Raspberry Pi 5. They then found that this new UI additionally seems in Android 14 QPR1, and with the assistance of developer Maxr1998, we will verify that this UI additionally seems within the preliminary Android 14 launch. One way or the other, this modification slipped below everybody’s radar till as we speak, which suggests there aren’t plenty of of us on the market utilizing a bodily keyboard with their Pixel Pill. That might change quickly, although, since Google is rumored to be relaunching its Pixel Pill alongside a brand new pen and keyboard accent. The way in which Android 14 handles Alt+Tab is a dramatic enchancment over Android 13 and comes proper in time for the relaunch of Google’s pill.
