A taskbar will make it easier to quickly switch between apps on Android. It should make multitasking more enjoyable and convenient.
Despite Google's many efforts over the years, Android smartphones are still far from offering the most convincing multitasking experience. The limited display space on this type of format restricts the possibilities, but there are undoubtedly easier ways to switch between apps on the fly.
Tablets and foldable devices have access to a version of Android optimized for large screens. This has included a taskbar for several generations now. It is positioned at the bottom of the screen, can be configured to display permanently or temporarily, and offers quick access to the most used apps, as well as the application manager.
A mini-taskbar for Android smartphones
Google is working on integrating such an element into the main version of Android. According to Android Authority, it's called the mini taskbar internally. Unsurprisingly, it broadly mirrors the look and feel of the taskbar for foldable phones and tablets, but with a smaller size. However, it does have one twist. A button has been added. It displays a carousel showing the six most recently opened apps. As you can see in the screenshot below, arrows allow you to navigate left and right to navigate within this carousel.
The taskbar and carousel can be useful for users who want to switch between apps more quickly, but who are not very comfortable with gesture navigation. It's not certain that the latter will be less effective than these new features for multitasking, but it does require some dexterity to use it and really save time with it.
The feature still seems far from being completed and still requires development time. It's likely that it won't be ready for the release of Android 16, at least not for its first stable version.
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