Back button?

[annatmlh]

Just got my new Xperia 5 upgraded to Android 10. Where is the back button gone? It's my fifth Xperia phone so I'm very familiar using them, but how the heck do I go back to previous pages without a back button? The Home button is also gone, but that is kind of replaced so you instead swipe up for the app menu so that any a big problem. Please help!

[MikkoK]

You need to swipe from left side of screen to right, those are new Android 10 gestures.

[Jonas · Accepted solution]

Hi @annatmlh, welcome to our forum!

In Android 10, you have a feature to only navigate the device using gestures called "Gesture navigation", on top of the 2-button navigation and 3-button navigation.

When navigating the device only using gestures, you swipe from the right or the left at the edge of the screen to go back, instead of having a button for it.

If you prefer to have a back button, but you still want to be able to swipe up to get the home screen and so forth, the 2-button navigation is the best one for you to use. If you go to Settings > System > Gestures, you can freely choose if you want gestures only, gestures with a back button or the old school way of doing it with a back, home and recent apps button.

I hope that helps!

[annatmlh]

THANK YOU!!! Back to normal now, I almost threw the phone away 🤣😂

[Jonas]

@annatmlh, you're very welcome and I'm glad I was able to stop you from throwing the device away, haha!

Let me know if you have any other questions regarding Android 10 and the functionality and have a great day!

[ForzaDan]

• I hate the fact that the Back button can't be moved to the right hand side of the display.  This is a major fail when most folk are right handed they can't reach the back button with it being on the left side of the display. Makes this narrow phone a two handed phone. Samsung and LG have the ability to change it please Sony add this. 

[EMS_MO72]

Yes true Samsung and LG could have this option, but as I'm a right handed person as well , i don't feel any struggle with having the back button on the left side myself. I mean smartphones these days are more tall and thin shaped that makes you able to reach most of the sides of the phone with only one hand.

[ForzaDan]

Hi you must have big hands then. My other phone is easier to use than this Sony and it's a Samsung note 9 which is much bigger. I see this a major flaw in not having the option of changing the buttons after all why go for the slimmer profile if not to try make it a more compact one handed phone? The other option they give is definitely not intuitive to use either. Hopefully Sony will fix this and low light performance on the camera with software updates.

[Strampke]

You might want to try One-handed mode.

You will find it in the manual.

Besides, there are many features that users are often not aware of.

Search for example for split screen, smart call handling, ending a call by pushing the power button and more.

Enjoy your device more by wandering through the manual.

Easy access to the manual is in the Support app on your device.

[ForzaDan]

• Hi did you read what I said? The other option i.e the one handed option is rubbish and very annoying to use. I have spoken to several people that sent the phone back for this very reason. This is why Samsung and LG have the option to change the back button to either side.  Sony will not grow in the phone market when they don't make simple options like this available and poor automatic camera app. It's almost like they want to be a niche product.