What's this "drawer" in the task switcher and how to configure it?

Question

I just upgraded my Samsung Galaxy S9+ to Android 9 and was wondering about this new UI element that shows up when opening the task switcher (the ||| button).



In the below screenshot you can see the task switcher and five icons which are similar to the app drawer that lives on the bottom of the home screen (highlighted by the red frame). However, this selection of apps is not the same as in my actual app drawer. Also, I don't really use ES Explorer that often such that the frequency of the app usage would seem relevant here for its appearance (all other apps appear to be system apps). For example I have not even opened it once since the system upgrade.



Screenshot from the Samsung Galaxy S9+ showing the drawer about which this question is




  • What is this new UI element called? (relevant for web searches)

  • How can I configure the apps appearing in this UI element?


— 0xC0000022L | Sources

Answer

That section is showing predicted apps. This feature was introduced in Android 9, along with their changes to the recent apps screen. I'm not sure if there's a common name for that UI element, but I found relevant info when searching for "predicted app drawer" and "app suggestions".


AFAIK, you can't customize this - the apps that appear are predicted by the system based on your usage, so over time it will learn and (hopefully!) get better at showing you apps that you're likely to want to use soon.


I don't have access to a Samsung phone to test with, but you can turn it completely off in stock Android 9. You can see screenshots here.



  1. Long-press on the home screen

  2. Tapping "Home Settings", then "Suggestions"

  3. Toggle "Apps" off


— user812786 | Sources

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