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wtf is silhouette-sidebar?

nanlan886/silhouette-sidebar — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-05-18

17Audience · generalComplexity · 1/5Setup · easy

TL;DR

An Android app that adds a floating sidebar panel to phones and tablets that lack a built-in one. Tap a small edge trigger from any app to open a panel of app shortcuts and switch instantly without returning to the home screen.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((Silhouette-Sidebar))
    What it does
      Floating sidebar
      Quick app switching
      Edge trigger
    Features
      Custom app shortcuts
      Multiple presets
      Always accessible
    Target devices
      Xiaomi tablets
      Redmi tablets
      Stock Android phones
    Design goals
      Minimal screen space
      No home screen needed

Code map

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Why would anyone build with this?

REASON 1

Add a floating sidebar to any Android phone or tablet that lacks a built-in one, so you can switch apps without going back to the home screen.

REASON 2

Set up multiple sidebar presets with different app shortcuts for different situations, such as one layout for work and another for media.

REASON 3

Switch instantly between frequently used apps like a browser, messaging app, or file manager from any screen with a single swipe or tap.

What's in the stack?

Android

How it stacks up

nanlan886/silhouette-sidebar0petru/sentimo0xblackash/cve-2026-46333
Stars171717
LanguagePythonC
Setup difficultyeasymoderatemoderate
Complexity1/53/54/5
Audiencegeneraldeveloperresearcher

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you spin it up?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

Wtf does this do

Silhouette-Sidebar (also called Side Shadow) is a lightweight Android app that adds a floating sidebar to phones and tablets that do not have one built in. It is specifically aimed at Xiaomi and Redmi tablet users and people running stock Android on devices like Google Pixels, where there is no system-level sidebar feature. On those devices, switching between apps means going back to the home screen or app drawer each time, which adds up quickly when you are multitasking. The way it works is straightforward. A small floating trigger sits at the edge of your screen at all times. Swipe or tap it from any app and a panel opens with shortcuts to apps you have added there. You can switch to a messaging app, a browser, a file manager, a music player, or any other frequently used app without ever leaving the screen you are on. When you are done, the panel closes and you return to whatever you were doing. You can configure which apps appear in the sidebar and arrange shortcuts to match your habits. The app also supports preset shortcut combinations for different use cases, such as one layout for work and another for media consumption. The design goal is to stay out of the way. The trigger takes up very little screen space and the panel only appears when you call for it, so it does not cover your content or slow the device down. The app supports both Chinese and English. No details about permissions or system requirements are specified in the README beyond the Android target.

Yoink these prompts

Prompt 1
I installed Silhouette-Sidebar on my Pixel phone but I cannot see the edge trigger. How do I enable it and set which edge of the screen it appears on?
Prompt 2
I want different sidebar app shortcuts depending on whether I am working or watching media. How do I create multiple presets in Silhouette-Sidebar and switch between them?
Prompt 3
The Silhouette-Sidebar panel opens a bit slowly on my device. Are there settings to reduce the delay or make the animation faster?

Frequently asked questions

wtf is silhouette-sidebar?

An Android app that adds a floating sidebar panel to phones and tablets that lack a built-in one. Tap a small edge trigger from any app to open a panel of app shortcuts and switch instantly without returning to the home screen.

How hard is silhouette-sidebar to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 5min to a first successful run.

Who is silhouette-sidebar for?

Mainly general.

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