Android Q Beta 1: Notifications can only be swiped away to the right, actions show to left

Ben Schoon | Mar 13 2019 - 2:21 pm PT

Every time a new beta version of Android comes out, it usually introduces something fun, and some annoying tweak we’ll have to get used to. In Android Q beta 1, Google has changed notifications to where they can only swiped away to the right.

Notifications in Android have traditionally only required a single swipe in either direction to be dismissed. In Android Q beta 1, notifications can only be dismissed when you swipe them to the right side of the display. If you swipe them to the left, the notification won’t go away and you’ll only be left with notification actions instead (snooze and priority).

In previous versions of Android, those same actions were accessible with a slower swipe in either direction. Personally, I can see where Google is coming from with this change. The slow swipe was easy to mess up and, in turn, swipe the notification away completely. However, the current implementation is going to take a lot of getting used to. That’s especially true if you’re like our own Kyle Bradshaw who says he’s accustomed to swiping his notifications away to the left.

Hopefully, Google will include a setting to reverse this direction by the time Android Q gets its final release.