When was the last time you disabled the navigation buttons on your Android phone?
For me, it was when Google introduced full gesture navigation with Android 10 in 2019, and I haven’t looked back since.
However, I’ve returned to the classic three-button navigation mode thanks to a nifty app that added a desktop-style taskbar to my Android phone.
While it took me a few days to stop instinctively swiping to navigate around my phone, I’ve found that I’m now quite content with the Dsk Mode app.
It’s still in early access, but despite the bugs, I’ve been enjoying the increased versatility of my Android phone.
Dsk Mode brings the versatility of your desktop to your phone
The taskbar feature Android desperately needs
Dsk Mode adds a desktop-style taskbar to the bottom of your phone.
If you’ve used an Android tablet in recent years, this idea may not sound new, as larger Android devices offer a convenient taskbar to switch between apps.
There were also rumblings of a taskbar for Android phones in early 2025, but this idea has yet to come to fruition.
Dsk Mode’s taskbar thus arrives at a time when we’re eager to see this feature on our phones.
After you install and enable Dsk Mode with three-button navigation enabled (I’ll discuss later how gesture navigation works, or more accurately, doesn’t work), a slim taskbar will appear at the bottom of your screen.
On the right are the Android navigation buttons, and on the left are active apps and a mini app launcher.
The mini app launcher opens a cut-down version of the app drawer. You can favorite apps, sort in alphabetical or recently used order, and search for apps.
One of the more interesting features of Dsk Mode is that, despite appearances, it doesn’t show your recently used apps in the taskbar. Instead, it shows the most recently used apps that are still running in the background.
Stop an app from running, and it will disappear from the taskbar.
Dsk Mode makes using large phones easier
It makes switching apps more comfortable and convenient
I yearn for the days of smaller phones. Sure, watching YouTube videos is nice on a 6.3-inch display, but a smaller phone is more useful and comfortable.
Since installing Dsk Mode, I’ve found myself reaching across my phone far less than usual, thanks to the nifty combination of three-button navigation and app drawer.
One reason I disliked the default three-button navigation was the amount of wasted space.
Shoving the three buttons into the corner makes room for Dsk Mode’s active apps and app drawer, which is a far better use of space.
I can switch between my apps, send text messages, browse the internet, and indeed, most of my everyday actions on my phone now require much less thumb stretching.
Displaying active apps instead of recently used apps is a great touch. It means that if I dismiss an app from the app carousel, it doesn’t awkwardly remain as a shortcut.
Instead, only the apps I’m actively using and switching between show up.
It’s a small touch, but perhaps the most significant feature of the app.
There are still frustrating bugs that disrupt the experience
Gesture navigation is almost completely broken
Dsk Mode is designed for gesture and three-button navigation. If you use gesture navigation, you can double-tap the gesture bar to open the Dsk Mode taskbar.
Unfortunately, Dsk Mode crashed every single time I tried to use gesture navigation. It’s a serious bug that needs to be fixed.
I have numerous other small gripes about the app.
Packing the navigation buttons into the corner saves space, but I found it slightly uncomfortable to access.
The app’s customization options should let you switch the three elements of the taskbar (app launcher, active apps, and navigation buttons) around to suit your preferences, especially if you use the free version of the app.
Like the rest of IJP’s apps, you can upgrade the app to remove ads and include more features for a one-time fee.
With the free version of the app, you can only use three apps at a time from the taskbar. I found this to be a reasonable limitation, but it meant there was a large chunk of wasted space that could have been filled by expanded navigation buttons.
Also locked behind the paywall are recent apps in the mini-launcher and the ability to pin apps to the taskbar.
I’m holding off on the premium version until the gesture navigation bugs are fixed, but for now I’m perfectly happy with the free version.
Increased versatility is what I want from my Android phone
While Google has done a great job in upgrading the UI of our Android phones, I feel like the implementation of practical upgrades has fallen by the wayside.
It’s why I’ve been seeking out apps like Dsk Mode, which add the functionality I feel that Android is missing.
Dsk Mode is still in early access, so like me, you may encounter frequent bugs.
Nevertheless, the free version is still capable of making Android navigation more comfortable and convenient.
