Some Google Pixel users reporting buggy Android 11 gestures, temporary workaround inside

Gesture navigation has become a staple feature on all smartphones these days. Almost all OEMs agree upon a universal way of gestures. Swipe up to access homescreen, swipe and hold for recents and swipe from edges to go back.

This feature may appear cumbersome for some, but like it or hate it, gestures are here to stay. Nonetheless, almost all OEMs still include the classic 3 button navigation if that’s what you are used to.

That being said, Pixel users are facing some issues pertaining to the Android 11 gestures. There have been a slew of complaints on the official Google Pixel forums by them:

Confirming that a reboot did fix the issue as well another regarding the clock being frozen. Let’s hope this is a permanent fix.
Source

If you are one of the users facing the same problem as mentioned above, then a simple reboot seems to fix the problem for most.

However, if the problem persists even after a reboot then make sure that you are swiping up from above the search bar and not the gesture pill itself.

Another bug faced by Pixel users is the inaccessibility of the recents screen:

It breaks periodically. I’ve rebooted three times now to fix this.
Source

The above issue has been addressed and fixed. If you still face this issue, then update your software to the latest version, since a fix has been pushed along already with the October security patch.

Lastly, a few users are facing issues with gestures when using third-party launchers:

Had this same issue with Nova Launcher after upgrade to Android 11.
* settings (pixel, not nova)
* default applications
* Home
* select Pixel Home
* touch home button
* swipe up
* back to settings (already open)
* switch to Nova Launcher
* 🙂
Source

If you are one of them, then the bad news is that using third-party launchers messes up gestures.

The only workaround for this is using the default Pixel launcher until Google does something about it.

So, these are the issues being faced by the users till now. If none of the above workarounds seem to do the job for you, then your best bet will be to switch to the rock-stable, classic 3-button navigation mode.

Gestures may be fun to use, but they barely beat the intuitiveness of the 3 button navigation system.

Or, you can wait for updates. Android 11 may be stable and out of beta, but it still might be rough around the edges given its very recent release.

Google releases monthly updates with the latest security patches and the fixes might be bundled along with them.

If you are facing other bugs that you cannot seem to find a solution to, chances are it has been covered in our dedicated Android 11 bug tracker.

Let us know in the comments below if you faced the above issues and if the workarounds actually worked for you.

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