Android's default user interface is based on direct manipulation,[48]
using touch inputs that loosely correspond to real-world actions, like
swiping, tapping, pinching, and reverse pinching to manipulate on-screen
objects, along with a virtual keyboard.[48] Game controllers and full size physical keyboards are supported via Bluetooth.[49]
The response to user input is designed to be immediate and provides a
fluid touch interface, often using the vibration capabilities of the
device to provide haptic feedback to the user. Internal hardware, such as accelerometers, gyroscopes and proximity sensors[50]
are used by some applications to respond to additional user actions,
for example adjusting the screen from portrait to landscape depending on
how the device is oriented, or allowing the user to steer a vehicle in a
racing game by rotating the device, simulating control of a steering wheel.[51]
Android devices boot to the homescreen, the primary navigation and
information "hub" on Android devices that is analogous to the desktop found on personal computers. (Android also runs on regular personal computers, as described below). Android homescreens are typically made up of app icons and widgets;
app icons launch the associated app, whereas widgets display live,
auto-updating content, such as the weather forecast, the user's email
inbox, or a news ticker directly on the homescreen.[52]
A homescreen may be made up of several pages, between which the user
can swipe back and forth, though Android's homescreen interface is
heavily customisable, allowing users to adjust the look and feel of the
devices to their tastes.[53] Third-party apps available on Google Play and other app stores can extensively re-theme the homescreen, and even mimic the look of other operating systems, such as Windows Phone.[54] Most manufacturers, and some wireless carriers, customise the look and feel of their Android devices to differentiate themselves from their competitors.[55]
Applications that handle interactions with the homescreen are called
"launchers" because they, among other purposes, launch the applications
installed on a device.
Along the top of the screen is a status bar, showing information
about the device and its connectivity. This status bar can be "pulled"
down to reveal a notification screen where apps display important
information or updates, such as a newly received email or SMS text, in a
way that does not immediately interrupt or inconvenience the user.[56]
Notifications are persistent until read (by tapping, which opens the
relevant app) or dismissed by sliding it off the screen. Beginning on
Android 4.1, "expanded notifications" can display expanded details or
additional functionality; for instance, a music player can display
playback controls, and a "missed call" notification provides buttons for
calling back or sending the caller an SMS message.[57]
Android provides the ability to run applications that change the
default launcher, and hence the appearance and externally visible
behaviour of Android. These appearance changes include a multi-page dock
or no dock, and many more changes to fundamental features of the user
interface.[58]
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