Will Android lose the app drawer in its next iteration?

In an exclusive report from Android Authority, it's been stated that Google's upcoming software release, Android N, the iconic app drawer will be no more. Even though Google made changes to the app drawer with Android Marshmallow, the app drawer seems to still be a sore spot for Google.

Obviously this is just a report, so we will have to wait and see until Google's official announcement of Android N to see what changes are coming.

 

[Rob]

I don't think they'll lose the app drawer, but I do think they'll enable a dynamic option that guesses what app(s) you may want to use when you unlock your phone, and display those (instead of a static layout).

 

[El Presidente]

I hope they don't. I've a pretty minimal home screen and I'd hate to have that ruined by all my apps.

I'm not keen on context based/dynamic screens or whatever you want to call them. Have tried a few launchers which are supposed to know what apps I need based on location and time, they're pretty rubbish.

 

[Hadron]

Agreed, it would be a bad move. Who wants screens littered with app icons? And you _can_ do that if you want, heck you can even remove the app drawer button on most launchers if you want the full 1990s-PDA-style experience (as used in iOS). But what would be gained by forcing people to do that?

Predictions: if they do that (a) they will lose customers, (b) third party launchers will still give you the app drawer.

As for contextual app sets, I'm with El Pres: not interested. Forget how cool it sounds in theory, in practice a static arrangement is more efficient because you know where things are. If Google incorporate that as a option in their own launcher though (following various 3rd party launchers and even OEMs) that's their business.

 

[Revenant Ghost]

If Android N loses the App Drawer, it'll be one step closer to imitating its biggest rival: Apple. And that also means fewer options for customization. Hopefully, that will never happen. Besides, I prefer looking at a pretty wallpaper with a few matching icons than apps cluttering the entire screen.

A little off topic: speaking of Apple, wouldn't it be funny if they "introduced" their version of the App Drawer for the next installment of iOS?

 

[badcatz]

A little off topic: speaking of Apple, wouldn't it be funny if they "introduced" their version of the App Drawer for the next installment of iOS?

While claiming they "invented" it!

 

[El Presidente]

I didn't see the announcement but the new G5 apparently doesn't have an app drawer.

 

[KOLIO]

I didn't see the announcement but the new G5 apparently doesn't have an app drawer.

I just read about it from an article in my Google News feed/app.
Curious how that's gonna go over with the GP.
I know I wouldn't like it one bit,my desktop is very minimal.
For most here,it's a non-issue,as long as 3rd party launchers exist,but,as you're aware of,most people don't even realize the option for such exists.

 

[bramkaandorp]

Does this mean they're trying to make Google Now Launcher less useful? I mean, I'd hate to move to another launcher, chiefly because of Google Now integration.

Maybe they should allow other apps to integrate Google Now. It seems like they're not that interested in people using GNL, so why not allow others to do launchers instead?

 

[Hadron]

I didn't see the announcement but the new G5 apparently doesn't have an app drawer.

Indeed. It's apparently quite common in Chinese ROMs (I knew MIUI was like that, but it seems it's not alone).

And the S7 has an option to hide the app drawer.

 

[The_Chief]

The app drawer is a defining feature of Android over iOS. Why on earth Google wants to be more Apple-y is beyond me - if I wanted an iPhone, I'd go get one. I DON'T. As long as Android N doesn't do something super stupid like block third-party launchers, the upgrade will have minimal impact, though.

 

[SavageRobot]

I read the G5 article earlier too, quite disappointed, I like the app draw makes it so much easier and less clustered. I had a play on a friends Huawei and decided there and then I didn't like it, purely because of the no app draw. I also flashed a new ROM on my old Z1 in hopes that would fix a few things and that ROM had no app draw either, sees it is the way some people want to go for some reason.

 

[Hadron]

Actually there's a thread over at XDA which says that the G5 does have an app drawer after all, just not visible by default.

Can't be more specific as I've not watched the video (I generally cannot be bothered with videos).

 

[Talal1]

I already use custom launcher. Don't care what Google is up to next.

 

[Talal1]

Besides it would look ugly.

 

[Jhayzone]

As long as 3rd party is there then I have no problem. App drawer is a big part of my set up since my first android phone and still is. I never really like the ios way of handling its apps. I used an iphone before and it is so cluttered and confusing.

 

[android bugger]

Ah... Sorry not connected to your thread, but my predictions say that the mew android 7.0 "N" could be named as "Nuttela."

 

[horsecharles]

Actually there's a thread over at XDA which says that the G5 does have an app drawer after all, just not visible by default.

Can't be more specific as I've not watched the video (I generally cannot be bothered with videos).

Omg I thought I was the only one... a symptom of old age... and a sign of impending doom.
You sir, have given me my life back!

 

[Hadron]

Omg I thought I was the only one... a symptom of old age... and a sign of impending doom.
You sir, have given me my life back!

I just find them very inefficient for most purposes: I can read faster than the presenter can speak, and can do so without disturbing the people around me. A couple of well chosen and we'll taken photos convey visual information better than freezing frames in a video. And it's very linear, very inefficient to move back and forward through. So while there are a few things for which it has its uses, 95% of the time a written article would be better in every way.

Plus when you are trying to help someone with a problem there is nothing more dispiriting than typing a set of explicit instructions, including commands that can be copied and pasted exactly and warnings of what to watch for in the output, links to the necessary files, and then receive the reply "is there a video?".

 

[Curtis1973]

Sounds like the same idiot/idiots that thought removing sdcard support was a great move are smoking meth again...being allowed to decide what people want again.

 

[AaronRoots24]

I just read about it from an article in my Google News feed/app.
Curious how that's gonna go over with the GP.
I know I wouldn't like it one bit,my desktop is very minimal.
For most here,it's a non-issue,as long as 3rd party launchers exist,but,as you're aware of,most people don't even realize the option for such exists.

i really hope not man. you could always use a third party launcher and to be more efficient use a root app delete program to remove the stock launcher.. But why should we even have to do that man? i really really hope this does not happen!

 

[Phases]

(moved screen issue convo to here and replied)

 

[android bugger]

JEJEJEJEJEJEJEJEJEJE!!!!