When activated, the “Kids Mode” turns on the 3-icon navigation method instead of gestures. And it turns off the recent apps button. In place of the circle and triangle or chevron-shaped home and back buttons, new icons are shown. Namely, a backward-facing arrow and a house-shaped icon.
The new icons appear to be tablet-only, at least in this Android 13 preview
Additionally, even when activated, the new navigation bar and its throwback icons only seem to work on tablet-sized screens. And while it’s only presumed that they are intended for a dedicated “Kids Mode,” that hasn’t been confirmed. The removal of the recent apps button would make sense in that context. Effectively locking kids into apps rather than letting them access all recent ones. And it closely mimics the UI in Google’s Kids Space too. Simultaneously, there aren’t any other new details about the navigation mode either. So it can’t be said for certain that Android 13, beyond the preview, will sport these new icons at all.
— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) March 17, 2022
