Threads app now supports predictive back gestures on Android
What's the story
The latest update for the Threads app on Android has integrated support for Android's predictive back gesture, a feature aimed at enhancing user navigation.
This new addition allows users to preview the screen they will return to, thereby improving their understanding of their location within the interface.
The predictive back gesture was first introduced with Android 13 but is not widely prevalent in Android 14.
Upcoming changes
Android 15 to enable predictive back gesture by default
The predictive back gesture, while not widely used in Android 14, will be enabled by default in the upcoming Android 15, as revealed by the ongoing beta phase.
However, not many applications currently support this feature.
To integrate it, developers must use the OnBackPressedDispatcher and OnBackPressedCallback classes as outlined in Google's support documents for Android 13 and higher.
Availability
The update is already rolling out
Meta's Threads is one of the newest apps to integrate the predictive back gesture feature.
This is a significant change given its status as one of the world's fastest growing social platforms, and its ranking in the "Top 20" free applications on the Play Store.
The update, Threads v332.0.0.34.109, was rolled out over the past few days via the Google Play Store and includes this interface animation feature.
User experience
Predictive back gesture enhances navigation
The predictive back gesture feature currently works only on gadgets running the Android 15 Beta or those that have enabled the Developer option toggle in Android 13 and higher.
This enhancement simplifies navigation through posts on the platform, allowing users to easily pick up where they left off.
It turns an already smooth app feel even slicker, improving the overall user experience.