How to use one-handed mode on Android
2 min read · 6 steps · Updated 3 October 2026
Open Settings, search for One-handed mode and switch on Use One-handed mode. Then swipe down on the bottom edge of the screen, and the top half of the display slides down within reach of your thumb. Tap the empty area above, or swipe up, to return to the full screen.
Phones have grown taller than thumbs. One-handed mode pulls the upper half of the screen down for a moment, so you can reach a back button, a search field or the notifications without a second hand or a risky stretch. It is built into Android 12 and later.
Menu names below are from Google Pixel phones and Google's own apps on a recent Android version. Samsung, Xiaomi and other brands rename some of them.
Step by step
Check the navigation
One-handed mode works with gesture navigation, the style without the three buttons at the bottom. It is set under Settings, System, Navigation mode.
Turn it on
Open Settings and type One-handed mode into the search field, or go to System, Gestures, One-handed mode. Switch on Use One-handed mode.
Choose what the swipe does
Pull screen into reach moves the top half of the screen down. Show notifications opens the notification shade instead. Pick the one you would use more.
Use it
Swipe down on the very bottom edge of the screen, on the thin navigation bar. The content slides down and the upper half is now in the middle of the display.
Go back to normal
Tap the empty area above the lowered content, swipe up from the bottom, or simply wait: it returns by itself after a few seconds or when you switch apps.
Add a shortcut
In the same settings, switch on the One-handed mode shortcut for a floating button, or add the tile to Quick Settings.
Good to know
On Samsung phones it is under Settings, Advanced features, One-handed mode, and it shrinks the whole screen into a corner instead of sliding it down.
The keyboard has its own one-handed layout: in Gboard, touch and hold the comma key and tap the one-handed icon to push the keys to one side.
Related: how to switch to 3-button navigation on Android and how to customise Quick Settings on an Android phone.
In short: Settings, search One-handed mode, switch it on. Swipe down on the bottom edge to pull the top half into reach, tap above to return.
- Android Accessibility Help: Use one-handed mode
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