One of the best things about tablets and foldable phones is the taskbar at the bottom of the folding screen, which houses your most-used apps. But did you know you can have something just like it on regular non-folding phones?
Whenever I set up a new Samsung or Motorola phone, this is the first thing I enable and customize, and it is probably my most-used Android feature. In fact, the side panel — Sidebar, Edge Panel, or whatever you want to call it — is a very common Android feature available across various OEMs, although it's still surprisingly missing from Pixel smartphones.
An app taskbar you can access from anywhere
The side panel on Android phones acts as a sort of taskbar on non-folding phones. When activated, it hides on the side of your display, identifiable by a small bar. When you swipe inwards on the bar, you get access to a customizable set of apps, as well as some recently opened apps and/or (in Samsung's case), a dedicated set of AI apps.
What's great about this is that it's accessible from nearly every screen. If you're already in an app, you can open the side panel to access another frequently used app in an instant or your full app drawer.
It's also a good option for multitasking. Frankly, I find that activating split screen mode can be a pain, but with the side panel, you can drag an app to one side of the screen or open it in freeform over another open app.
Samsung also offers a set of additional side panels you can activate that are more than just apps. You can access your clipboard, favorite contacts, weather, navigation tools, and more. The side panel can essentially become a one-stop shop if you use it right.
How to enable the side panel on a Galaxy phone
1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap Display.
3. Toggle on Edge panels and tap the option to enter the Edge Panels menu.
4. Tap Panels and select the panels you want to add.
5. Tap Edit under the Apps panel, then tap the apps you want to add to the panel. Do the same with the People panel if you wish to add it.
6. Optional: Tap the three-dot icon in the top right corner and toggle on split screen, Galaxy AI, Show recent apps, and Show app names.
7. On the Edge panels menu, tap Handle.
8. Choose the position of the screen you want the handle to be on, the color, transparency, size, and width.
9. Hold and drag the handle to your preferred position so it's easy to access.
Download Good Lock for even more goodies
Now, you can swipe from the bar on nearly any screen to access your favorite and most-used apps or functions! But if you want to customize your panel even more, you can do so by Installing Samsung's Good Lock app from the Play Store or Galaxy Store. Once downloaded, scroll through the plugins and install the Home Up module.
Once installed, open Home Up and toggle on Edge panel. Here, you will find additional settings you can apply to the panel, such as the ability to integrate multiple types of panels into a single panel so you can access apps, contacts, and shortcuts, the ability to scroll through the recent apps section, and an expanded view that adds columns of apps.
One user on Android 17 has demonstrated that the upcoming One UI 9 update will enable even more customization for the Edge Panel. An update to the Home Up module will let users add backgrounds and colors, change the corner radius, and even adjust the blur effect.
Keep in mind that Samsung has not yet officially released Android 17/One UI 9, so unless you're on the beta, you'll have to wait a bit longer for this functionality.
Pixel is missing out
As I noted, it's not just Samsung that has a side panel for easy access to apps. It's also available on Motorola phones. You can access it by navigating to Settings > Gestures > Sidebar, then toggle the feature on. Then, tap the Settings icon to add apps, tools, and contacts to the bar. It basically combines three of Samsung's panels into one.
For OnePlus, the feature is buried in a less obvious spot. Navigate to Settings > Accessibility & convenience > Smart Sidebar, then toggle the feature on. There, you can edit its position, functions, and more. Then open the Sidebar and tap Edit to add and change the apps you want.
I wish I could tell you how to enable this feature on Pixel smartphones, but for some reason, Google refuses to add it to the Pixel lineup. There are a number of things I don't like about the Pixel UI, but the fact that Google won't give me an app sidebar is one of the main reasons I don't like using it. There are third-party apps that can add similar functionality, such as Panels, but I would rather use a built-in feature that doesn't have a paywall.
The closest the Pixel comes is the new App Bubbles, which lets you easily multitask across multiple apps with floating bubbles, but it's not really comparable to having a dedicated sidebar. With any luck, Google will add this in future OS updates or Pixel Drops.
