AEP guideline: Predictive Back

Adopt the predictive back-to-home gesture to provide a smoother, more predictable navigation experience. By opting into the ahead-of-time back navigation model, your app will automatically support system animations that make transitions feel more fluid and intuitive, helping users navigate with confidence.

Required implementation

To qualify for AEP, your app must support the back-to-home gesture from your main activities. To achieve this, keep back-to-home Predictive Back system animations enabled by:

  • Ensuring android:enableOnBackInvokedCallback="true" in your AndroidManifest.xml for launcher activities.
  • Allowing the system to execute the back-to-home animation. If your launcher activity intercepts back events, use OnBackInvokedDispatcher with the PRIORITY_SYSTEM_NAVIGATION_OBSERVER to observe the events without blocking the animation.

Guideline applicability

This guideline applies to all apps on the phone, tablet, foldable, and Wear form factors.

Exemptions

There are no exemptions for this guideline.

Feature documentation and resources

The following resources provide implementation guidance and technical details on the Predictive Background feature. These resources are for your reference only and don't contain additional program requirements.