Gmail gets a smarter backswipe on Android 14

Gmail
Gmail

If you’ve encountered an unwanted shutdown of an app, chances are it was an accidental tap on the wrong side of the screen. Gmail on Android 14 is now available to help you anytime, anywhere, and even on the go! Google is testing a “Predictive Back” feature that shows you details of the next destination before you leave the app and if it proves useful, it’s likely to be added to the product soon.

Imagine you’re getting to the end of an email and you realize you’ve accidentally swiped off the screen. Unlike the traditional action, which would take you back to your home screen, Proactive Back minimizes your inbox so that some of your messages are less visible behind it. This will prevent you from resending the email, as the delete option is displayed by shortcut only when the flag is recognized by the mobile email app.

Implementing such a feature is part of a larger plan by Google to strengthen Android 14 app navigation. However, system-wide use of Predictive Back has not been widely implemented and Google is lauded among the developers who are benefiting from it.

Imagine it as the sliding pane that is common in Apple operating systems, but it is in Android. Once swiping back becomes more purposeful, these accidental intuitive signals are no longer present when you inadvertently close something you’re working on.

The new Backswipe preview is not only good for Gmail, but every IMAP syncing email client. As soon as the event ended, people started adding it to Google Calendar, including YouTube Music while watching a playlist. Users can make their Android devices even more stylish with the new “Dynamic Lock Screen” feature.

So, if you run Android 14 on a Pixel, Samsung, or other comparable device and frequently work with the most frequently used Google apps, consider updating this feature to Predictive Back Mode. Don’t try it, you don’t know how it will end. It could just be some accidental exit.