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Android Tip: Hide the On Screen Buttons (Immersive Mode) without Rooting your Phone.


Android's Chrome Web Browser in "Immersive Mode" on my Nexus 7.
Since their introduction in Android 4.0 "Ice Cream Sandwich", on screen buttons are a dividing point among many Android enthusiasts.   The pro's usually mean less bezel on your device, less hardware that could go bad, and button standardization.   The con is a very simple one.  It eats into your available screen space, making your screen seem smaller than it really is, and getting in the way of your content.

Android's Chrome Web Browser in normal view on my Nexus 7.

In reading and web browsing, they really do take up a lot of screen space, especially when you add things like tabs, the status bar, etc.  With the release of Android 4.4 "Kit Kat", Google attempted to remedy this issue with the release of "Immersive Mode" for Android.  What this mode does is hide all elements from your screen, EXCEPT for your content.  This means a lot more room to read, game, watch videos, etc.  With a downward swipe of your finger, you can make your buttons and status bar reappear temporarily while you're in your app.  The problem is that this mode has to be "activated" by the app developer, and even Google themselves have not implemented it in all of their apps.  To this day, the Chrome web browser (pictured above in standard mode and in the main picture (immersive mode) for this article), still does not have immersive mode turned on for some mysterious reason.   Neither do Google music, Hangouts (unless viewing a picture), Google+, Gmail, Google Voice (which is WAY overdue for a overhaul), etc.

All in One Gestures has a large number of options, and is very customizable.
Enter "All in One Gestures", by developer Phoenix Studios.  Without having to root your device, you can use this free app to force immersive mode in any app by using gestures.  In most apps that I used, this worked very well.  Pulse News Reader for example is so much more enjoyable with this mode turned on.  Classic gaming on Retroarch is so much better, there is more screen in Adobe Photoshop Touch, etc.  Web browsing with Chrome is a lot more enjoyable.   There is a catch with Chrome (and web browsing) however.  When in "immersive mode", you cannot use the on screen keyboard.  You can simply use a gesture to turn the mode off and type what you need, then reactivate, or use a bluetooth keyboard,  so it should not be a huge issue for most.

The App is free, with ads, and no in app purchases.

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