Android 11 will allow you to bring back recently closed apps with a swipe

Have you ever closed the wrong app on your Android phone while viewing the recent apps? You started an email draft but swiped it away by mistake? Wanted to write something in that chatbox? It's annoying, I know, but fear not! The next version of Android will sport a nifty little feature that will address such mishaps.

Android Police reports that a new feature in Android 11 DP3 (Developer preview) allows users to bring back the last closed app from the recent apps menu. If you've closed an app by accident, you'll need to swipe down from the top of the screen to bring it back.

It appears that Android 11 keeps the last closed app in the system memory until users leave the Recent menu or close a second app. Swiping down from the top should be easy enough, as it's the opposite gesture of the one people use to close apps in the same menu (swiping up).

 

A change that has been in testing since the early Android 10 (Q) betas is back: the timing to "undo" closing a recent apps page is much longer than before. pic.twitter.com/Ld5sXmaMWs

— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) April 23, 2020

  
The Editor-in-Chief of XDA-Developers Mishaal Rahman was first to spot the new feature. He posted a quick video of the functionality in action on Twitter. Meanwhile, other users report that the feature is still a bit buggy and does not always work.

It’s worth noting that some features don’t necessarily make it out of Developers Preview. Nevertheless, the ability to bring back the last closed app will be a useful addition for all users when Android 11 finally hits phones later this year.