Navigation gestures are everywhere on Android … except at Samsung. But that could finally change with a new option identified in a future update.
When you light a new Android smartphone, one of the first decisions concerns the navigation system: conventional buttons or touch gestures? On most brands, this question is set up from the configuration. But so far Samsung was an exception. The manufacturer imposed the three buttons by default, forcing users to manually modify this setting after the initial installation. A step often neglected or forgotten, especially by uninformed people.
According to information identified by the Sammyguru site, this could soon change. Samsung would test a new option in One UI 8.5 allowing you to choose your navigation mode from the first start of the device. This novelty is not yet active in the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7, released with One UI 8, but it could appear with the launch of the Galaxy S26 in early 2026. The choice would be made via a dedicated screen during the initial configuration of the phone, as is already the case at Google Pixel or OnePlus.
Samsung will soon test an option to choose between gestures or buttons from the configuration
If this novelty is confirmed, it will mark a change expected for a long time by Android users. Google and other manufacturers have adopted gesture navigation for several years as a default system. More fluid, more modern, this mode allows you to free up space on the screen. But at Samsung, you always had to dive into the settings to activate it manually. For example, on a Galaxy S25, you have to go to Settings> Display> Navigation bar To make the change. Many users never do it, out of ignorance or for lack of time.
The idea is not to delete the buttons, but to leave the choice to the user from the start. Those who prefer the classic system will be able to continue to use it, while gestures will no longer have to reconfigure their phone. This change could also improve the adoption of gestures on consumer models. This novelty shows that Samsung gradually aligns with modern Android standardswhile respecting everyone’s preferences.