The LG G5’s announcement was filled with a lot of radical things, however, there was one that didn’t stand out so fabulously with many viewers – the removal of Android’s app drawer in LG’s UX interface. Now, before I get too carried away, it really isn’t that big of a deal. But it does make me fearful for the human race when LG’s surveys users and most essentially say that they want a simpler app arrangement.
Excuse me? How on Earth is Android’s app drawer a complicated concept? Are they just surveying iPhone users, who’ve never used any other method?
I’m trying to be understanding and not rant, but I just keep imagining panel upon panel of scattered apps/folders. Are they going to get rid of folders too? Because that’s what the app drawer essentially is, if you think about it.
My point is that while simplicity is a fine thing, when you start cutting into efficiency, you have to stop and think. I mean, that’s the essence of Android. OEMs shouldn’t be turning Android into iOS, and I think the removal of the app drawer crosses that fine line.
And LG isn’t the only manufacturer dabbling with the idea. On the new Galaxy S7, Samsung put an option in the Settings to remove it. Also, folks noticed that the app drawer is absent in the HTC One X9‘s Sense UI. Some are even reporting reasons to believe that the next version of Android will drop it.
Do you agree that this shouldn’t be happening, or are you indifferent about the app drawer? Sound off down below!
I never use a launcher without a drawer. I hate those ios style launchers. At least samsung are giving the option to disable it
yes, it is a complete iStupidity = Google Android lead incompetent and under-educated “designersů, not real engineers who know something about users
Desktop is for the most used apps
Drawer is for the rest
almost everyone has a lot of apps, therefore iAndroid without drawer = total iDi*tic iMess
So then put the apps you don’t use in a folder on your desktop. Problem solved without the need for pages and pages and pages and pages of bitching and moaning which is bound to occur. The comment section of most websites is where sadness and anger live
I’m not an iDi*t having tons of apps in one folder having to tidy up all the apps to the folder all the time ;)
This makes no sense and I am not sure how iOS app drawers are.
Maybe they did just survey Apple enthusiasts.
I would get by but iOS has folders too so where is the benefit of removing the app drawer?
So thankful for Nova. First app to go on any device I own. Can’t stand having multiple home pages and horizontal scrolling. One home screen and vertical scrolling app drawer is how I roll.
Haven’t seen the implementation yet and how it looks, but at first thought I think it is 100% stupid to take away the app drawer. It’s an Android sin at this point.
My thinking is very simple.
The reason the various companies are ensuring their UI bloatware has options for ‘no app drawer’ is because google are getting rid of it in ‘N’. Why would google do such a stupid thing (other than their track record of doing stupid things)? Well because its difficult to say if an app were installed; that would make it make sense.
So my thought is that google are shifting towards an ‘app caching’ type of idea (cf pebble), where those apps you use frequently are onboard, but those that you haven’t touched in an age are quietly shifted away and out of the device. No great issues (other than bandwidth), just need to backup settings etc. It also then means the gap between ‘Play Store’ and ‘Installed Apps’ blurs – every app is just an app you haven’t met yet.
Lots of benefits from a storage and power usage standpoint.
App drawer is a very important thing in android. it organizes and allows for short cuts to be on screen for repeatedly used apps. also sometimes the short cut dosnt work properly and you have to go into app drawer to the genuine app for it to work. so will apps on home screens be viewed as short cuts or actual apps to the system? something only a rooted user would find out! we need an app drawer. also a differentiating factor btwn us and iPhone people. I love teasing my iPhone buddies about not having an app drawer!
App Drawer make desktop clean. My phone or my PC have clean desktop.
I love it.
If I want to put something on “desktop” or home screen it will be something match the phone theme. Usually I just put some text (icon or widget) on desktop because text is neutral (except I have nice icon to decorate my home screen).
In short, I hate Android UI without drawer, just use third party launcher. At least don’t erase “custom launcher” thing.
:)
Yeah, I can see how single folder on your desktop with the apps you don’t need or use could really ruin your entire day
A UI without an app drawer is plain stupid. You’re basically forcing everyone to have every app icon on their home screen regardless how often they use the app. My simple rule is, if I use an app at least a couple of times a week then it earns a place on my home screen. Otherwise it’s left in the app drawer.
If I wanted an IOS style device, I would just buy Apple products. This is completely stupid! When will ANDROID OEM’S learn that Android fans like/want ANDROID THINGS and Apple fans like/want APPLE things?!?! Android and apple go together like water and oil. They just DON’T MIX!
There is an option on the LG g5 to enable app drawer. Don’t get your panties in a bunch
Oh dear God but this is going to be comedy gold! People are going to lose their minds over this and this is only just begun. What did these people do throughout their day? They certainly don’t have a job and responsibilities if they have enough time to b**** and moan about this
And you going around and making the same comment over and over is different how?
Fire.
Removing the app drawer from Android is taking four steps backward into iOS country. At least make enabling/disabling it a setting.
The manufacturers can spend all the time and money on this that they want. I’ll keep using Nova Launcher.
I like the app drawer, but it is kind of a power user feature.
I see a lot of users who isn’t technology-focused try to use an android phone have problems understanding the shortcut icon on the desktop and the identical icon in the App Drawer.
They also don’t always understand why they start some apps by swiping left and tapping the bottom of the screen. Miui is much easier to use because they got rid of the app drawer.
App drawers work great for tech-savvy users like us (ahum).
I noticed though that it can be confusing for older people (45+) or people without much affinity with technology.
So from that perspective it MIGHT make sense. I would still hope though the UI developers would give you the choice to create a non-default ‘special shortcut’ in your launcher to host all apps. Everybody happy.
The problem is that the current implementation of the Google’s app drawer sucks. You have to endlessly scroll (or swipe before 6.0) to get to the app you want to run. That’s a sure sign of a poor user experience. It doesn’t mean though that without the app drawer the experience will be any better. We just need a better concept of an app drawer. I, for example, like the CyanogenMod launcher implementation of the app drawer. It allows jumping directly to a specific first letter of the app name which eliminates scrolling entirely.
I love the App Store on my Nexus 6p. Although I think it will be horrifying and debilitating to me once they remove the app drawer I think I’ll be okay after about 180 hours with my therapist. I guess the takeaway here is that there is hope
OH THE HORROR OF IT ALL… GASP!!! My delicate sensibilities can’t handle a single folder on my desktop that contains the apps I don’t use….EEEEEK! Now I will take to social media and cry my heart out. Some of you people truly have way way way too much time on your hands coupled with not having been laid in a long time
For power users, all that is needed is a third party launcher and the app tray is back. Out of us here who actually bothers to read Android news site, who actually used the stock launcher or stock apps? I’m sure most of us just remove/disable/replace them, right?
The important things for me that make Android different from IOS are App drawer and Widget… Bye Android, I’d better go IOS
oh come on guys – just create a folder on your home screen and call it “app drawer”.