Greetings friends! One of the most prominent features of Windows is the taskbar. Which is located at the bottom of the screen by default. Unfortunately, this useful bar never existed on Android phones. However, for an easier browsing experience on tablets, Google added the taskbar in Android 13. Although this feature is not dedicated to phones, a trick can enable it on anyone running this version of Android. In this post, we’ll show you how to activate the new Android 13 taskbar. Don’t have Android 13 or higher on your phone? Don’t worry, we will also show you another alternative way to add a taskbar on your Android device that works on most phones with older versions of the operating system.
Activate the new Android 13 taskbar
In case you have a Tablet with Android 13. The chances are that the taskbar is already activated by default. But if your goal is to have this feature on your phone and you have a phone with Android 13. You can force its activation by following the steps below:
First step
Initially, you must enable the Developer Options. Go to Settings>About phone.
Second step
Then tap 5 times on “build number” until the message “you are now a developer” appears.
Third step
After that, go back to Settings and go to System>Developer options.
Fourth step
Next, swipe down until you find the “Drawing” section and select the “Smallest width” option.
Fifth step
Before continuing, save the smallest width value somewhere because you will need it later to restore the original interface, in case you don’t like the taskbar.
Sixth step
Finally, change the default value to 600 dp (or higher) and click “OK”.
Once this is done, the contents of the screen will change (usually everything will shrink) and the Android 13 taskbar will appear at the bottom edge. The apps that appear in the bar by default are Calls, Messages, Play Store, Chrome, Camera, and App Drawer. However, the bar will generally display the most recent apps.
It should be noted that due to each manufacturer’s customized versions of Android. This method may not work on devices from brands such as OnePlus, Realme, OPPO, Xiaomi etc.
How to undo previously made changes
Not convinced by the result? To remove it, go back to “Developer options” on your phone and select “Smallest width”. Enter the initial value for this section that you should have saved before. It is usually a value between 350 and 550 dp. Changing the “Smallest width” to less than 600 dp will remove the taskbar completely.
How to add a taskbar on any Android
You probably noticed the disadvantage of the official method of adding a taskbar on Android. It is that it only works with devices running Android 13 or later. Luckily, there is an application called Taskbar that allows you to have a taskbar on any version of Android (from Android 6.3).
Moreover, it is a free open-source app with no ads you can download it from the following link:
Conclusion
The new Android 13 taskbar is a very useful feature to improve productivity and multitasking on devices with large screens. Such as tablets or foldable. This bar allows you to quickly access the most important applications, drag them to the split screen, or hide them when they are not needed. In addition, it adapts to the custom Material You theme and the language of each application. So it’s not a bad idea to try this feature on your phone. Thanks for reading us, bye!
