In Android 4.4 KitKat, Google introduced a new full screen mode dubbed Immersive mode. On devices with an on-screen navigation bar, the feature automatically kicks in in certain apps and games and hides the notification and navigation bar. Users can then reveal either of them by using a simple up/down gesture. 

Sadly, the feature needs to be implemented by developers on their apps and games and while many popular apps/games have already been updated, a majority of them still lack support for KitKat’s Immersive mode. If you use a custom ROM, you can force Immersive mode across the system and apps but then you need to get down and dirty with your Android device.

Fear not though, as you can still enjoy Immersive mode across all your apps without the need to flash a custom ROM or root your device, by using a simple app from the Play Store — Immersive Full-Screen Mode. Made by developer Pieter Pareit, the app will force Immersive mode throughout the system and across all apps on any Android device running KitKat. It does not require any kind of hackery to work: Simply install it and flip the Immersive mode button to On.

The app also contains some handy options like the ability to show the status bar during Immersive mode or only enable Immersive mode for certain apps and games.

There is a catch though. With the Immersive mode enabled, the keyboard might not pop up in certain apps — an unintended side effect of the security in Android. There really is no way to bypass the problem, except perhaps use the whitelist to enable Immersive mode for only selected apps.

Immersive Full-Screen mode can be downloaded from the Play Store for $1.37.