GoKawiilPanels app offers deeper sidebar features than Samsung's Edge Panel
An Android Authority writer describes switching from Samsung's built-in Edge Panels to a free third-party app called Panels, which adds a customizable sidebar launcher accessible via a swipe from the screen's edge. The sidebar includes three swipeable sections for apps, shortcuts like contacts and quick settings, and interactive widgets, with the option to add more pages as needed.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The comparison highlights how manufacturer-built features like Samsung's Edge Panels can still lag behind independent developer apps in flexibility and depth. For users, it's a reminder that some of the most useful productivity tools on Android come from outside the preinstalled software, often for free.
- Panels is a free app that replaces Samsung's Edge Panels with a more flexible sidebar launcher.
- It offers three customizable pages for apps, shortcuts, and widgets, plus support for additional pages.
- The app also supports windowed mode and split-screen app pairs, extending beyond basic launching.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra — If sidebar launchers like Panels or Samsung's Edge Panels are your thing, the Galaxy S25 Ultra gives you the big, gorgeous canvas that makes them genuinely useful for one-handed reach. It runs One UI with Edge Panels built in, so you can compare the stock experience against third-party apps like Panels right away.
See Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: androidauthority.com, 2026-09-03
Published there as: “I replaced Samsung Edge Panels with this free app — and I’m not going back”
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