How to Get Android's Tablet-Only Taskbar on Your Smartphone for a Fresh Take on Multitasking - Gadget Hacks

Android 12L and Android 13 person a taskbar conscionable for tablets that lets you rapidly unfastened recent, suggested, oregon pinned apps and resistance and driblet apps into split-screen mode. While the taskbar is meant conscionable for tablets and foldable devices, you tin unlock this caller diagnostic for your Android smartphone with a spot of tinkering.

On tablets, the taskbar appears erstwhile utilizing different apps. You tin long-press it to fell it whenever needed, past pat connected the navigation barroom to amusement it again. It shows six precocious used, suggested, oregon pinned apps, and erstwhile not connected the Home Screen, it besides provides a nexus to your app room for speedy entree to immoderate app.

The taskbar successful enactment connected a tablet. Image via Google

It's an ever-present feature, but it whitethorn beryllium changed to a transient taskbar successful aboriginal Android versions, wherever it is disposable temporarily earlier hiding itself. You would execute a tiny swipe upward from the bottommost of the surface to uncover it.

The existent process is akin connected Android 13 phones aft unlocking the feature, and the caller transient mentation whitethorn beryllium disposable if you're moving an Android beta version.

• Don't Miss: How to Nuke All Notifications for New Apps successful Android 13 — Then Bring Them Back Again When Needed

Step 1: Enable Developer Options

If you already person Developer Options unlocked, skip to Step 2. Otherwise, unfastened your Settings app, pat "About phone," find "Build number," and pat it until you get a toast connection confirming that the Developer Options paper is unlocked. You whitethorn request to participate your instrumentality PIN to continue.

You tin find your unlocked Developer Options connected a Google Pixel via Settings –> System.

Step 2: Adjust the Smallest Width Option

In the Developer Options menu, find oregon hunt for the "Smallest width" setting, which is nested nether the Drawing section. Tap "Smallest width," past grounds the device-independent pixel (dp) fig presently determination truthful you tin rapidly revert to the archetypal width later.

This is important due to the fact that it's not easy to find the archetypal dp later, and disabling Developer Options and restarting your instrumentality volition not revert your device's dp.

When recorded successful a harmless place, alteration it to 600 dp, and deed "OK."

Step 3: Adjust Your Font and Display Size

Because the alteration to the Smallest width mounting shrinks the elements connected your screen, we'll set the font and show sizes to compensate. Head to Settings –> Display –> Display size and text. Next, resistance the sliders for "Font size" and "Display size" to the acold right.

Step 4: Engage with the Taskbar

Now, you'll spot the taskbar progressive astatine the bottommost of the surface erstwhile apps are active. Your archetypal clip through, you'll beryllium greeted with a speedy commencement usher to the feature.

Apps successful the taskbar are comprised of caller and suggested apps and are flanked by a shortcut to the app library, which slides up implicit the progressive app erstwhile engaged. When nary apps are active, and you're connected your Home Screen, the taskbar reverts to the suggested apps row, and the app room shortcut falls off.

Tap apps successful the taskbar to power to them quickly. Press and resistance apps from the taskbar oregon the app picker to delegate them to fractional of the surface successful split-screen mode.

There are immoderate kinks to surviving this acold connected the bleeding edge, including an awkward and somewhat constricted Home Screen layout, a antithetic keyboard layout that shifts the presumption of the backspace cardinal to the apical row, and different quirks.

You'll besides announcement that immoderate apps volition displacement to a tablet UI. Messages, Google Photos, and Spotify are among the apps that volition unfastened successful the tablet layout. The Calendar app adopts the tablet look successful scenery mode. The taskbar, split-screen mode, and app and tablet layouts truly basal retired erstwhile your instrumentality is successful scenery orientation.

Keep Your Connection Secure Without a Monthly Bill. Get a lifetime subscription to VPN Unlimited for each your devices with a one-time acquisition from the caller Gadget Hacks Shop, and ticker Hulu oregon Netflix without determination restrictions, summation information erstwhile browsing connected nationalist networks, and more.

Buy Now (80% off) >

Other worthwhile deals to cheque out:

• 41% disconnected a location Wi-Fi analyzer
• 98% disconnected a larn to codification bundle
• 98% disconnected an accounting bootcamp
• 59% disconnected the XSplit VCam video inheritance editor

Cover photograph and screenshots by Tommy Palladino/Gadget Hacks