How To Enable Soft Keys On Your Android Device Without Rooting

Every modern android device brings an on-screen navigation bar except for the Samsung Galaxy smartphones. If perhaps the hardware button on your android device is giving you the "blues", then performing tasks such as minimization can be a tedious work. Before now, enabling an on-screen navigation buttons on your android phone requires a rooted user, but since developers are not relenting on there duties, things such as rooted android device will no longer be a hindrance for you to get a soft key on your android phone.

Also Read: How To Get Android Nougat New Navigation Keys On your Android Device.

The good news however is that a developer by name "Daxia" has created an app that enables a soft key or on-screen navigation buttons on your android phone without requiring a root access. The app is simple, easy to use and brings a lollipop look-alike on-screen navigation buttons on your android device. Thus if you've got your device ready, let's quickly show you how to tinker with Virtual Softkeys.

Install Virtual Softkeys

To begin with, navigate to the Google play store and install Virtual SoftKeys (no root). The app is completely free and moreover it's stable.

Enable Accessibility Service

Open Virtual Softkeys and you'll be prompted to grant some necessary permissions. The "Draw Over Other App" permission should be enabled by default for most users, however if it isn't, simply follow the prompts by navigating to Settings->Apps->Advanced->Draw over other apps and enable the service.

Now hit "Go to Settings" from the popup that will appear when you open Virtual Softkeys app. Then locate and select Virtual Softkeys from the accessibility menu, from the next window simply enable the service by toggling the switch at the top of the screen. Then press "Ok" from the popup message that will appear.

Tinkering Virtual Softkeys

Now once you've enabled the service, head over to the virtual Softkeys app and this time around, a popup will appear briefing you on how to use the app. Tap the "I Know"button to get into the main tweaking. From here you'll notice a semi-transparent red bar at the bottom of the screen, that is the touch area that you can use to call out the Softkeys once you swipe up and once you swipe down, it disappears.

If perhaps you want to enlarge the touch area, you can simply use the "Gesture Height" slider to perform this task. Aside from this, there are lots of tinkering to do but the most important one I'd recommend is for you to tick the "Smart hidden" function. This aid to automatically hide the permanent Softkeys bar when the keyboard is open thus providing more space on your device screen.

Use Your Soft Keys Bar

Once you've got everything tinkered to your preference, then you can navigate through your android device by using the new on-screen navigation bar. All you need to do is swipe up from the bottom of the screen to bring out the Softkeys and if you want to hide it, simply swipe down from the screen and the Softkeys will disappear or perhaps fade away.

Final Words

So it's as simple as that. The virtual Softkeys is something you'd like to give a try. With over 100,000 downloads, the app uphelds a reputable so high and speaks for itself. If your device hardware button is broken or you want to feel a Softkeys on your android device, then simply use the above mentioned tutorials to get things going....