Android users can now turn full applications into floating bubbles, expanding a capability that previously applied only to conversations in Google Messages and Facebook Messenger. The feature arrived as part of the Android 17 rollout, according to ZDNET, and lets users keep as many as five apps hovering above other content on their screens. Google Messages and Facebook Messenger chats were the only apps that could be bubbled before the change.
Bubbling an app keeps it layered on top of everything else displayed on the screen, so it can be reached without navigating away from whatever the user is doing. ZDNET described the approach as a multi-tasking aid for people who rely on a small set of apps frequently, though it noted that each bubble saves only a tap or two per use. Up to five apps can be bubbled at the same time.
The option is appearing first on Google's Pixel devices. ZDNET reported that the app-bubbling capability will reach other manufacturers over time. Samsung devices already offer a comparable function called Smart Pop-Up View, which lets users respond to notifications from selected apps without leaving the app currently in use.
To bubble an app, a user selects it from the app screen or home screen and opens its menu, which presents choices including App info, Add app to home screen, and Pause app. Choosing the Bubble option shrinks the app to an icon. The icon can be moved along the left or right edge of the screen, but it cannot be positioned freely. Multiple bubbled apps travel together as a group.
Samsung users may need to turn on the Multi window for all apps setting before Smart Pop-Up View will work. From there, the path runs through the settings app to Notification Settings, then into advanced settings to Floating Notifications, where Smart Pop-Up View is selected.
The expansion gives Android users a persistent, on-screen shortcut to frequently used apps rather than confining the floating format to messaging. For US consumers, the feature initially applies to Pixel owners, with broader availability across manufacturers expected later.
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