Twitter shakes up Android app in light of bigger phones
Twitter’s Android app is getting a small redesign. The company has confirmed that it is moving the app’s navigation bar from the top of the screen to the bottom, which should make it easier to get around the app in today’s massive smart phones.
The announcement (via Android Police) came in a Tweet from Twitter’s support account, and follows similar moves from other app developers.
We’re launching a new bottom navigation bar on Twitter for Android. With this update, you’ll be able to quickly navigate between all of your tabs with ease!
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) July 12, 2018
It’s not a massive change, but the news will be welcomed by anyone who’s grown tired of having to stretch their thumbs over the massive screens that adorn most modern smart phones.
Of course, this brings an end to the historic divide between the iOS and Android versions of the Twitter app. Android has always had the nav bar at the top, and iOS has always had it at the bottom. That’s just the way things ought to be, and now everything is different.
Designing for today’s phones
As phones change in size and shape we’re likely to see more app design changes like this. Phones are not only bigger now, but they’re increasingly adopting more widescreen aspect ratios such as 18:9 rather than 16:9.
But the biggest changes are likely to come as the long-rumoured foldable handsets start to finally appear as consumer products. Developers will need to work out how to design an experience that makes sense on a single screen, while then seamlessly scaling up to work on a massive display.
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It’s not yet clear how developers are going to approach this new era, but there are certainly big changes in store.
Which other aspects of Twitter’s app do you think need a redesign? Let us know @TrustedReviews.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
