Google is expected to introduce a “Predictive Back” function for the three-button navigation mode in the upcoming Android 16 system to further enhance the user experience.
The “Predicted return” feature was originally introduced as a developer option in Android 13 and enabled by default in Android 15. This function allows the user to preview the target page after the return before fully executing the return operation, so as to decide whether to continue the return operation or stay on the current page, which can significantly reduce the case of misapplication. However, previously, “Predicted Return” only supported gesture navigation, and users using three-button navigation could not enjoy this convenient feature.
As a classic navigation method of Android system, three-button navigation is still favored by many users because of its simple operation and rapid response. To meet the needs of this segment of users, Google may expand the “predictive return” feature in Android 16 to make it compatible with three-button navigation mode. AndroidAuthority activated this feature in the second developer preview of Android 16 in a few ways, allowing users to preview the page they are about to jump to when they long press the back key in three-button navigation mode. This feature has been initially implemented in applications that support “predictive return” (such as Google Calendar), but it is not yet possible to preview the effect of returning to the home screen. The developers speculate that this may be due to incomplete features or bugs, which are expected to be fixed when the official version is released.
Igeekphone notes that in addition to the “predictive return” feature, Android 16 brings other upgrades for three-button navigation users. For example, a new corner swipe gesture can quickly call out the default assistant, while users can also customize the order of the back key and the recent task key.
Android 16 is expected to be officially released in the second quarter of this year, and the “predicted return” feature may make an early debut in the first beta this month.