Google Phasing Out the Android Menu Button
Google is giving Android developers a heads up that the Menu button in Android is being phased out.
Interface changes will be largely replacing the feature of the "Menu" button. Google is aiming for fewer buttons and if you really needs those extra features that are provided by a "menu" feature", you will get an "action overflow" menu.
In an article posted to the Android developers blog, Google states that, "as Ice Cream Sandwich rolls out to more devices, it’s important that [developers] begin to migrate [their] designs to the action bar in order to promote a consistent Android user experience." The action will also be streamlined as Google wants Android developers to "stop relying" at a menu button at all. Instead, primary user activities should be directly integrated in the action bar or in other areas of the app. Those activities that do not fit in the action bar or somewhere else will be moved to an "action overflow" menu that is marked with three vertically aligned dots. Legacy apps for Android 2.3 and below will automatically get that overflow menu. Developers who do not need the action bar at all can remove this feature entirely.
To support a consistent graphical user interface, the Android UX team is providing standardized UX buttons that include Refresh, Delete, Attach, Star, and Share. There is also an Icon design guide that assists users in creating their own icons.
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Umm... screw you, Google? I happened to like the Menu button!
Well, still better than one button on the iPhone.
I liked the menu button (capacitive), it was fast to get to the menu.
On my Galaxy Nexus it took me a while to stop hitting the bottom left side to get to the menu.
I got an idea, lets take something that works and everyone is used to, and change it for no particular reason! We can call it, an upgrade...
Sounds vaguely in the right direction, since "menu" on a mobile device is slippery and the way Android menu is more like a shortcut bar we used to on a desktop.
If you can't deliver substantial improvements under the hood, then you tinker with the UI and highlight the skin-deep changes as must-have upgrades.
Wait. So they're replacing 3 buttons with 6? How about NO buttons? Replace them with gestures. Or at least add a gesture that will show/hide the menu bar.
Wow, that's just ... not very smart. One of the good things about Android phones is that you can use a few buttons to take care of obvious shortcuts that are a pain in the ass with a touchscreen. Works way better than Apple's "dummy button."
Seriously, Google -- you were starting to win. Why start to imitate the inferior OS now? Steve Jobs is dead, man.
You shake your phone once to go back 1 page, shake it 3 times to go to home page........ yeah Google nobrainer!
I like it.....................NOT!
I LOVE that button...it's even still a PHYSICAL button on my phone (Original HTC DESIRE)
I use it so much, that that is the only button to show wear...like my "WASD" and the part where my thumb presses "spacebar" ....sigh, i'm such a pc nerd...
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I want my damn menu button. It's so quick 'n easily accessible this way.
We spent years teaching non-geek users to use Menus and now we remove the MENU button.
Yeah, that sounds reasonable. I can use some extra $$ retraining people.
I like my menu button.. why would you want to stop my reliance upon something good..
I also like the menu button. I think they are trying to slowly phase out all buttons, maybe Apple patented buttons?
Maybe someone finally patented the use of buttons.
Never dissapearing statusbar is the thing I hate most in my Android tablet. It's even there when I watch video!!! It sucks, dear google and "oh, but consumer can get lost" argument doesn't stand.
Way to report the news in a timely manner. ICS came out (with no menu button) in MID OCTOBER.
NO NO NO NO NO. This is one of my favorite parts about Android. Ever try to adjust the settings for a program in iOS? Open app, need to change a setting? press home button, open settings, find program, click program, scroll through settings, change settings, hit home button, find program, open program, check to see if settings worked. If not? repeat.
In Android? open app, hit menu, adjust settings.
I understand they're going to try to encourage software menu interaction rather then a hardware button, but now we are dependent on app developers giving us what we need in an easy to find place. Right now its just so simple...
Umm why not have both available.
For manufacturers who want to develop phones with buttons. Let them have buttons.
Those who do not... let them have "soft menu" buttons.
Just have the phone check to see if it has the buttons available and if so .. do not show "soft menu".
and vice-versa
I'm not a programmer.. but I would think there would be a way for them to do this.
I thought people only wanted touchscreen, I never liked it. I love keys. Like the nokia e7
I actually used the Galaxy Nexus at the Verizon store which runs ICS and has the three button layout. It felt really clunky and confusing, but I think(hope) that it was because I wasn't used to the OS. I ran an ICS on my Samsung Fascinate and it was a little buggy, but overall had a ton of GREAT features. The search button also is gone for those who hadn't noticed. A Google search bar is embedded into the top of each home screen. That double rectangle button is used to see all of the recent apps you have open. In my ROM, which doesn't have that button I long press the home key. That button however, is such a great way to switch between multiple apps. You swipe the app to the side and it closes it. Honestly, the features that ICS pack is enough to make me forget all about my lovely menu button. That, and the fact that my fasc. doesn't have a dual-core CPU! :-)
Google, please don't go all Apple on us now.
Reminds me of the trend of developers getting rid of the menu bar in so many programs (IE and Firefox to name a few) for no good reason. Want to edit your preferences? How about print something? Rather than simply clicking on the "Tools" menu or "File" at that nice bar that's always there, why not spend 10 minutes looking for where they moved the button to? Just because something is old doesn't mean it's not good anymore.
@Tesla1483 i agree with that statement, i remembered when they changed from one version to other of firefox the menu bar (my god! Its gone "hit ALT" noooooo, where are my f***ing options! Where are my bookmarks?, Took me 5 find it and the rest of the day to calm my rage at this accesible options rape).
somethings (like menu button) are the way they must be because their desing is so perfect that all you can do is transform it to adecuate to another job, but the principle will remain the same no matter what you do (this is called a golden invention or golden desing), and my example isnthe niddle. Pointy and slim and perfect to puncture anything, whatever you do is never going to change the fact that is used to penetrate tissue, you can only adapte it to other jobs.
NOW I WANT MY MENU BUTTON BACK GOOGLE!!!!!
I got an idea, lets take something that works and everyone is used to, and change it for no particular reason! We can call it, an upgrade...
Steve... is that you?
all i can say to this is : oh ballzz
As someone in Android, all I have to say is "crap". Most of us are still targeting the phones that are widely available. Now we might have to put in special consideration for models after ICS
5 buttons that should ALWAYS be on ANY mobile device are:
1- Power button // Select/play/enter button
2- Volume up
3- Volume Down
4- hold
5- Cancel
Without these 5, any mobile device is incomplete, and defunct.