Sidebar Mod Updated Jun 2026

With the rise of massive smartphones (the "phablet" era), reaching the top of a 6.7-inch screen became a thumb-stretching hazard. This gave rise to the Android sidebar mods—apps like "SwipePad" or various Xposed framework modules that injected floating sidebars into the operating system.

/* Forces the sidebar to always remain open */ #sidebar-box { width: 250px !important; position: relative !important; } sidebar mod

Interestingly, the success of sidebar mods is beginning to influence official design. Microsoft Edge now includes a native sidebar for search and tools. Apple’s Safari allows for a vertical tab preview. Vivaldi, a browser built by former Opera developers, made a vertical tab sidebar a flagship feature out of the box. With the rise of massive smartphones (the "phablet"