Let’s face it – technology is a marvel. I came to this conclusion on a random rainy afternoon watching an incredibly boring episode of a teen show where a particular scene caught me by surprise. Imagine this: the lead character driving insanely to save her friends from perpetual doom and using gestures on her android phone – firmly situated on an equally classy hold right next to the steering wheel – to get hold of each of them. Each different gesture was a code for a friend with a simple flick of the hand enabling her phone to dial that particular friend’s number from her contact list. Suffice to say this was a few years ago, now technology has come a long way when it comes to android usage and making life easier for users by introducing the element of gesture technology.
Use Gesture Apps to Control your Android Smartphone
On hindsight, if we closely examine the global village the world has now become, users of android phones are lazy, and/or are mostly in a hurry to get things done quickly via their phones. Simple tasks like saving a screenshot, or opening the camera to take the ever dreaded ‘selfie’ requires pressing at least – on average – three buttons to get the thing done! On the positive side gesture apps on androids actually make life simpler for users with disabilities and the elderly, most of who struggle to use even a basic computer or laptop.
Here I am mentioning a couple of gestures apps that I used personally and there are thousands of apps like these available to download on Play Store, choose whatever fulfills your needs.
SideControl App
This app helped me a lot with a dedicated gesture for various tasks like opening google chrome, accessing games, accessing the photo and video galleries. Moreover through SideControl we can even kill all running apps with a simple gesture and switch off mobile and also enjoy unlocking your smartphone with the thumb impression through this app.
You can download SideControl from HERE.
iGest App
For extensive Android users, particularly branding, web-design, digital managers their phones are basically their office while on-the-go. For them simple gestures like swipe, fling, single tap or scroll can actually enable them to do their job even when not on their desk and out at an event or activity. Most digital leads in high profile organisations often use the iGest app on their androids; it’s a more fun way of personalizing the gesture process.
As you can see from the app details above, every task has been assigned with a personalized gesture in the form of an alphabet. This is particularly useful for branding and digital managers who need to keep certain apps close at hand when not on their desks. A simple gesture of a ‘J’ can open up an important file for them; a gesture of a ‘V’ can open up hootsuite or a relevant twitter page for them. In simple terms this saves time and energy for them.
You can download iGest from HERE.
How Gesture Apps ease the way we use our Android devices
Here I will mention example of my mum, who has poor eyesight and struggles with being on the same page when it comes to any technology particularly related to mobiles. Asking her to text or call someone includes the agonizing process of her taking her massive glasses off, bringing the phone very close to her face and then first looking at the apps then touching the one she needs and then finally typing one alphabet at a time. The process takes a lot longer than I have described here believe me and I for one know how simple and easy life would be for her if she starts using the SideControl app that I mentioned above on her OPPO. Not only can she unlock her phone using her thumb impression but through this app she can have a dedicated gesture for anything she wants.
There also exist slightly more advanced versions of gesture apps which include voice controls other then gestures as well. Just imagine swiping your mobile telling your phone to ‘Call Matt’ and viola – your number for Matt is on automated dial and connecting you to him.
On a more humane level a fact that also needs to be taken into account is how much android phones are in fact not user friendly for people with disabilities, particularly related to hand movement, dyslexia and vision. That segment of the community is often left out and struggle on a day to day basis already so using a mobile also becomes another hurdle for them which they have to overcome. However thanks to technology and the new gesture apps this can now soon be overcome, in fact androids are now the go-to devices for disabled people to readily access their day to day lives.
Simple gestures now lead to better tasks like increasing vision by enlarging texts, using voice notes to identify alphabets, and better screen reading. Alternately there is also the gesture option of motor solutions through which multi-touch gestures can be assigned to flash alerts, mono-audio support and digital head set support as well. Most androids are now equipped with these functions and offer more choice to users who have a physical impairment, each app suits their own needs and makes the operational effort of using an android much easier for them. It’s almost like having a virtual assistant now at hand that can make their daily life a lot easier to navigate through.
Gesture apps have revolutionised the way users’ use androids now, things are a lot swifter, simpler and easier to navigate. The unique thing is that they cater to the masses which is a rarity when it comes to technology especially related to mobiles. Can’t wait to sit back and see what the next state-of-the-art gesture app will offer.
