The new Android L is almost here and, along with some smaller tweaks, it’s going to have a host of more dramatic design changes, including with its “recent apps” feature.
If you own an Android phone of any kind and it’s using their Ice Cream Sandwich OS (or higher) you know that tapping on the “recent apps” button reveals thumbnail images of apps that are open on your phone.
Android L will come with a new stacked card setup and recent apps, as well as their content, will be displayed in a larger size on their updated multitasking menu. It’s been hinted that, when it officially launches, Chrome tabs will appear as multitasking cards on the Android L, blending native apps and the web even further than they already are. In fact, both the Android L’s multitasking window and Chrome’s open tab menu look very much the same.
The multitasking window on Android L has an appealing 3-D look to it as well, although it’s mostly just for looks. More than that however, appropriate new tasks are spun off of recent apps with Android L, which is different than what users are used to seeing.
If you check out the original post for this story, you’ll also see a number of excellent comparison graphics between Android L and Chrome that will give you a better idea of the differences, and similarities, between the two.
All in all, the new multitasking menu delivered by Android L is both visually appealing and smarter. Between now and when it’s actually released they should be able to iron out any of the problems now being encountered.
