How to Hide the Status Bar in Android Apps
There are a few programs that allow you to use Immersive Mode in any app. One free option is the Fullscreen Immersive app from PhotoSafe.
How to Turn Immersive Mode on and off for Specific Apps
It’s also possible to set Immersive Mode preferences for individual apps.
What Is Immersive Mode?
Immersive Mode, also known as full screen mode on Android, hides the status and navigation bars while using certain apps. Immersive Mode on Android is only enabled in certain apps by default, but there are ways to turn full screen mode on and off at will without rooting your device. Unfortunately, there’s one major limitation: You can’t disable Immersive Mode for apps that use it by default.
Tap it once to display both the status and navigation bars.Tap it again to display only the status bar.Tap it again to hide both the status and navigation bars.Tap it once more to return to the default settings.
The status bar displays the time, notifications, and other important information at the top of the screen. Some Android devices also have a navigation bar at the bottom of the screen that houses the Back, Home, and Multitasking buttons. To view these features while in Immersive Mode, you must swipe up from the bottom of the screen, or swipe down from the top of the screen.
Pros and Cons of Immersive Mode
The benefit of Immersive Mode is you can see more of the app interface. The downsides are you might miss important notifications, lose track of time, or neglect the battery life until it’s too late. When you swipe the screen to reveal the status bar, you might accidentally tap icons on the app interface, which can be particularly annoying while playing a game. On some devices, Immersive Mode mode can cause conflicts with the on-screen keyboard, which is why many developers eschew this design choice.
