Free Panels app beats Samsung Edge Panels on Galaxy S26, says Android Authority writer
An Android Authority writer says the free Panels app replaced Samsung's Edge Panels on his Galaxy S26, offering more customization and better one-handed use.
Panels is a free sidebar launcher, the report explains. Users swipe in from the screen edge to open a panel with three default pages: a mini app drawer with a favorites tab, a shortcuts panel for apps, contacts, quick settings and websites, and a widget page. Additional pages can be added if users need more space. The author, who stumbled onto the app from a Reddit thread months ago, uses it over the Galaxy S26's built-in Edge Panels because Panels goes further in usability. For example, it can open any app in windowed mode, launch app pairs in split-screen, and provide website shortcuts that save several taps. Other shortcuts include sound mode, mobile data, brightness, location, screenshots, direct dialing to his wife, WhatsApp shortcuts for specific chats, one-tap directions home, and triggers for his favorite routines.
The report says Panels gives users full control over customization. In the settings menu, users can add new panels, move pages to the left edge or bottom of the screen, increase panel width and row count, reposition the trigger point along the edge, and resize panel height. The author keeps his trigger point on the lower half for easy one-handed reach and has adjusted the panel size to fit more shortcuts. Icon style, size, font and color scheme can also be changed to match the phone's theme, though the default setup is fine for those who do not want to tweak anything.
According to the article, Panels has solved two problems for the writer: he visits the home screen and app drawer much less, and one-handed use is easier. With Panels, he can check earbud battery, peek at a calendar, or skim recent WhatsApp chats from any screen. He has placed the trigger point on the side he naturally holds his phone, so everything is near his thumb. The app has become muscle memory within a few months.
The piece also acknowledges that Panels is not flawless, although it does not detail major issues. Despite the imperfections, the author says the app is something he cannot live without.