# State of the Navigation Drawer

DevFeed: [State of the Navigation Drawer](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/state-of-the-navigation-drawer-22706.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://medium.com/android-ui-patterns/state-of-the-navigation-drawer-1d2c8253de2a?source=rss----75dfb6474397---4>)

Author: Juhani Lehtimäki

Published: 2019-01-31T07:11:01Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [Android UI Patterns - Medium](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/android-ui-patterns-medium.md>)

Topics: [User interface design](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/ui-design.md>), [navigation](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/navigation.md>), [Android](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/android.md>), [Google](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/google.md>), [Material Design](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/material-design.md>)

Tags: [android](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/android.md>), [bottom-navigation](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/bottom-navigation.md>), [google](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/google.md>), [material-design](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/material-design.md>), [navigation](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/navigation.md>), [navigation-drawer](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/navigation-drawer.md>), [ui-design](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ui-design.md>), [ux](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ux.md>)

## AI overview

This opinion article examines the changing role of the Navigation Drawer in Android UI design. It argues that bottom navigation is replacing the drawer in many modern Google apps because it makes core destinations more visible and discoverable, while the drawer remains useful for secondary or less frequently needed functions and for accommodating more items.

## Source excerpt

UI design patterns evolve. Some come into fashion and some go out of fashion. A pattern, once common, over used, and pervasive has been slowly been turned into background and removed. I'm talking, of course, about the Navigation Drawer. I recently had a discussion with a customer about the Navigation Drawer and its role in the current Android ecosystem. I put forth a claim that it is being phased out where possible.. including most Google's apps. The Navigation Drawer pattern, or hamburger menu, has been receiving fair amount of criticism for quite a long time. Main reasons for the criticism has been the fact that it hides core navigation behind hidden UI. Users won't find new features added to apps or find out about the ones already there. There are a good number of sources and experiences advising against the drawer: Hamburger Menus and Hidden Navigation Hurt UX Metrics Spotify ditches the controversial 'hamburger' menu in iOS app redesign Side Drawer Navigation Could Cost Half Your User Engagement 3 Good Reasons Why You Might Want to Remove that Hamburger Menu from Your Product So is Google actually ditching the pattern in their Android apps? It is still, after all, part of the Material Design guideline. If we take a survey of Google apps that have been updated to the modern design we can find a good number of apps that used to use the drawer but now use bottom navigation as their sole navigation pattern: A selection of Google first party apps that rely on bottom navigation. Finding few Google Android apps without drawer is hardly a proof that the drawer is gone for good. However, it is a clear sign of times changing. The drawer was once something that was present everywhere. The much-more discoverability supporting bottom navigation pattern is replacing the drawer where possible. You can find much more information about the bottom navigation pattern in the Material Design guidelines. Truth is that the drawer still lives on. Even on Google's redesigned apps. A se