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Nexus

How to Add Extra Buttons to the Navigation Bar on Your Nexus 5

Jul 6, 2014 05:13 PM
Smartphone screen displaying app icons and network status.

The debate between physical and virtual navigation buttons and their respective benefits has been going on for a few years now. It looks to finally be settled, with the Samsung Galaxy S5 being the only current-generation flagship Android phone that has yet make the switch to on-screen buttons.

The main draw to virtual navigation buttons is their flexibility. When a keyboard is in use, the back button becomes a down-arrow, for instance. And many root apps have been made that can tweak the look and functionality of these buttons.

None have taken the tweaking of these buttons quite as far as Xtended NavBar from FBarrosoApps. The Xposed module lets you add extra "pages" to your navigation bar that can be accessed by a simple swipe gesture from any screen. Much like the manner in which you can swipe between home screens on a launcher, you can now swipe between buttons on the bottom of your screen.

Prerequisites

Install Xtended NavBar

FBarroso's app is available for free on Google Play. Just use your phone's Play Store app to install Xtended NavBar from this link.

Xtended NavBar app icon with options to open or uninstall.

Once installed, you'll see a notification from Xposed letting you know that the module that comes with this app needs to be activated. Just tap Activate and reboot to start using Xtended NavBar.

Notification indicating that an Xposed module is not activated on a device.

Configure Xtended NavBar

Once you're back up, have a look at the Xtended NavBar interface to see the various options.

You can set what items you want to show up on each side of your regular navigation buttons. Tap Left Page or Right Page to set the functionality for each.

Navigation menu on a mobile device showing options for left and right pages, favorite apps, and paired devices.
Navigation menu with options including "Let's chat," "Flight page," "Favorite apps," and "About devices."
Navigation menu on a mobile device showing options for left and right pages, favorite apps, and paired devices.
Navigation menu with options including "Let's chat," "Flight page," "Favorite apps," and "About devices."

From here, you can choose from Quick Settings, which gives you access to your device's toggles, and Music Controls, which will allow you to control music playback on your default player.

Navigation menu options on a mobile device.
Mobile application settings menu with options for media player, quick settings, favorite apps, and home.
Navigation menu options on a mobile device.
Mobile application settings menu with options for media player, quick settings, favorite apps, and home.

A Favorite Apps function allows users who have donated $2 to add up to six apps that can be accessed with the same gesture.

When you're satisfied with your settings, you'll see a toast message informing you that a reboot is needed for the changes to take effect. The app provides a quick button for just this purpose, so tap Reboot Device to bring your changes up to date.

Navigation settings menu with options for favorite apps and device preferences.
Mobile device settings menu with options for navigation, favorite apps, and reboot device.
Navigation settings menu with options for favorite apps and device preferences.
Mobile device settings menu with options for navigation, favorite apps, and reboot device.

Using Xtended NavBar

To see the other "pages" of navigation buttons, simply swipe in from the edge of the screen. The trigger area is roughly comprised of the first half-centimeter of each side.

Mobile phone home screen displaying app icons and notification bar.
How to Add Extra Buttons to the Navigation Bar on Your Nexus 5
Mobile device home screen displaying app icons and a colorful background.
Mobile phone home screen displaying app icons and notification bar.
How to Add Extra Buttons to the Navigation Bar on Your Nexus 5
Mobile device home screen displaying app icons and a colorful background.

The switching animation is very smooth, and since the icons used are system ones, the overall feeling of the functionality is one of system-level integration.

I personally think it's a great module, and hope to see more features added in the future. I've already paid for the full version (via in-app purchase) on two of my devices, and I plan on keeping the app for the foreseeable future. How do you like it? Let us know in the comments section below.

The next big software update for iPhone is coming sometime in April and will include a Food section in Apple News+, an easy-to-miss new Ambient Music app, Priority Notifications thanks to Apple Intelligence, and updates to apps like Mail, Photos, Podcasts, and Safari. See what else is coming to your iPhone with the iOS 18.4 update.

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