Android has always been an open source operating system and a targeted point for aspiring developers. Even though we have seen a lot of customizations been introduced everyday, borrowing one or two things from iOS wouldn't hinder its performance in any way. Following the release of Apple's 2016 MacBook Pro, the company introduced a Touch Bar feature which gives MacBook users an intuitive shortcuts and controls over apps. With the touch bar integrated on Android, it'd give you an immediate access to a quick range of toggles.
The good news however is that an XDA developer (alecot18) has come up with an app that can bring MacBook Pro like touch bar feature on Android. The developer, once stated that TouchBar for Android was actually inspired by the original touch bar for iOS. Installing touch bar on iOS device will require jailbreak, but you can enable touch bar on Android with or without rooting. So to get this one going, here's how to get Mac-like touch bar feature on Android.
Note that we tested TouchBar on Samsung Galaxy S5 running on Android 6.0 marshmallow and everything went fine. So if your Android device is running on 5.0 lollipop and above, then you're go to ride.
Install TouchBar For Android
The elegant and yet powerful bar that gives you access to quick controls is dubbed Touch Bar. So to begin with, head over to XDA labs and download touchbar for Android. Before you install the touchbar app, make sure you have enabled "Unknown Source" from your device's settings. To do this, go to Settings -> Security and tick to enable the option.
Grant Permissions
Once you are done installing the app, locate and open it from your device's app drawer. On the initial launch, you will be presented with a simple user interface, with "Special Access" that needs to be granted before the activation of the app . So to get this one over and done with, tick to enable these 3 options; Overlay Screen, Write System Settings and Do not Disturb Access. Under "TouchBar Settings", toggle ON the option "Activate TouchBar". Then swipe up from the bottom of your device's screen just about the navigation bar, and you will see touchbar in action.
Enjoy Mac-like TouchBar On Android
As we said earlier on, TouchBar offers quick control to handy options such as WiFi, ring mode, bluetooth, auto rotation, music level and even brightness. The app also unveils a Google search icon, which opens Google app when long clicked. There is also a text field that allows for quick search and also music controls. You can also add a shortcut on the home screen to quickly start touchbar. You can even choose the "handle height" and you can even select your preferred music player between stock music app or spotify.
If you want to hide touchbar, simply swipe down from the handle, and there's also an Auto hide option in the app's Settings that helps to control the delay time in which this operation takes place. Overall TouchBar is a very handy app that offers essential features and it's lightly customizable. The developer has promised to improve the settings in the nearest future, and this will include more functions for a better experience.
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