There are lots of goodies coming with Android N, like a split-view mode for apps and a refreshed notification shade. Now another unannounced feature that might launch with Android N has leaked.
According to a new report, Google may refresh Android’s on-screen navigation buttons with Android N. The buttons will reportedly be a solid white color, with red, green, yellow, and blue touches surrounding the circular Home button. Android Police’s source suggests that this colorful home button will animate when long-pressed, which currently activates Google Now on Tap. Note that the leaked image above is not an original image or screenshot, but a recreation.
You can see what the on-screen navigation buttons currently look like in Android Marshmallow below.
It’s unclear how widely these new on-screen buttons might be rolled out, like if it’ll only be on Nexus devices running Android N, if it’ll only be on the new HTC Sailfish and Marlin, or if it’ll be available to all Android N devices. Because Android N is still in beta and HTC’s new Nexus devices are unannounced, it’s possible that Google could make changes to these leaked buttons before they’re released to the public.
While still unofficial, it’s certainly possible that Google could add these on-screen buttons to Android N. We’ve seen Google change up the on-screen buttons in the past, and so it could very well make the buttons opaque in Android N. When it comes to the colorful accents on the Home buttons, they could be used as a subtle way to remind you that Google Now on Tap is there, waiting to provide you information whenever you want it.
