Many Android phones, including Samsung and Motorola devices, offer a "side panel" feature that functions like a taskbar for quick app access, a functionality notably absent on Google's Pixel phones. This feature, often called Edge Panel on Samsung devices, slides out from the side of the screen, providing access to frequently used or recently opened applications. It also enables easier multitasking, allowing users to drag apps into split-screen or freeform windows, and can be customized with additional panels for clipboards, contacts, or weather.

Samsung's implementation is particularly deep, with options to customize the panel's handle, integrate various panel types, and even add AI features. Further customization is available through the Good Lock app and its Home Up module. Future updates to Samsung's One UI are expected to bring even more visual tweaks, such as background colors and blur effects, to the Edge Panels.

While Motorola and OnePlus also offer similar sidebar functionalities, Google's continued omission of this feature on Pixel phones is a point of frustration for users like Derrek Lee, managing editor at Android Central. Despite the availability of third-party apps, the preference remains for a native, integrated solution rather than a paid alternative. This persistent gap leaves Pixel users without a common convenience found across much of the Android ecosystem.