The Android vice president of engineering has confirmed that the Clear All button on the Recents feature is coming to Android P in a future update.
Previously, users of Android P beta noticed the missing button, which should have been present since the first developer preview.
Android VP Confirms Return Of Clear All Button
The beta is the second developer preview of Android P, which Google released at the I/O event. Although it introduced Recents, it took away some minor features, including the Clear All button.
A Twitter user noted this change, to which Dave Burke replied that it is indeed coming back.
"Coming to a Beta near you soon," the caption of a photo showcasing the feature reads.
He did not specify whether it is the next beta or the one in the summer that will bring the feature back.
Why Android Removed It And Why Users Want It Back
The Clear All button gets rid of all the apps in the multitasking or Recents menu. Many think this can also make the phone go faster and more smoothly, but in reality, it does nothing but declutters the menu. Android has built-in tools that manage background apps, so users did not need to swipe away apps at all.
The new side-scrolling apps list feature would have also rendered the button useless, and so the team decided to ditch it. Even so, users know just how much time it saves from a multitasking point of view. Clearing the apps can allow easier access to only the apps that are used frequently.
Android P Beta Available To Many Android Brands
Android P's first beta is now available for Pixel and Pixel 2 owners. Google is also making it available to other smartphone manufacturers through the beta program, including Xiaomi, Sony, OnePlus, Nokia, and others.
Allowing many users to experience the beta allows Google to gather more helpful feedback on the changes, such as the loss of the Clear All button. This then allows the company to adjust according to the users' experiences.
There are many other features that users did not like about the Android P beta, but Google has the final say on what goes into the final product. It is entirely possible that other minor changes will also not appear in the final build.
The Android P Developer Preview 3, which may or may not have the requested button, is coming sometime in June. Developer Preview 4 should arrive in July before the stable version comes around in August.
