Android 15 DP2is officially out, giving us an early glimpse into Android 15 ahead of its stable release this fall. On top of the minor changes bundled with the new update, such as satellite connectivity improvements, Google could also provide a better user experience for tablet and foldable smartphone users by improving the Taskbar experience.
Android 15: Availability, timeline, and what’s new in Google’s latest software release
Now available on Pixel 6 and newer
Android expert Mishaal Rahman (viaAndroid Authority) found that Android 15 DP2 has an option to either make the taskbar persistent, i.e., continue to appear, or make it only temporarily available in a floating pill-shaped box at the bottom of the screen.
For some background, Google debuted the persistent taskbar withAndroid 12Lfor large-screen devices, but it was replaced by the aforementioned temporary floating bar withAndroid 13 QPR2 Beta 1andmade the default with Android 13 QPR2 Beta 2last year.
Then with Android 14 Beta 3 last year,Google offered a toggleto switch between the temporary and persistent taskbar experiences. This led us to believe at the time that the feature would appear when Android 14 went stable, but that didn’t happen. Instead, it looks like Android 15 may be the version that finally gives tablet and foldable owners the option to switch between either version of the taskbar.
The Always show Taskbar toggle in Android 14 Beta 3 (left); The updated version in Android 15 DP2 (right)
When widely available, the toggle will pop up when long pressing an empty area in the taskbar, as shown above. Comparing last year’s implementation and the new version of this toggle highlights the absence of theChange navigation modeoption found in Android 14 Beta 3. But since we’re still in the nascent phase of Android 15, it’s hard to tell if it’s gone for good.
Another foldable-related change could be coming with Android 15
In addition to this taskbar pinning functionality for large-screen devices, Google is also adding some new functionality for thePixel Fold, particularly the addition of a newSwipe up to continuesetting that gives users better control over which apps should shift over to the outer screen (when folded). You can see how this works on Google’s foldable in the video above. This is a feature right out of OnePlus' bag of tricks, with theOnePlus Openoffering a similar solution since last year.
