How to Use Bubbles Feature on Android 17

There's no denying that multitasking on Android is miles ahead of iPhones, and it just got even better with the Android 17 update. Among all the Android 17 features that have rolled out so far, one of them is the Bubble feature. As the name suggests, it lets users minimise apps inside bubbles that appear prominently, floating on the home screen. Here's how to enable and use the Bubbles feature.

Create and Use Bubbles on Android 17

The Bubbles is one of the best Android 17 features and is enabled by default. We tested it out on the Pixel 10 and it's rolling out to all Android 17-eligible devices. It can be invoked easily to minimise apps into tiny bubbles on the homescreen for a more effective and seamless multitasking experience. Here's how to use it:

1. On your Android home screen, long-press on an app icon to open its overflow menu.
2. Here, tap on Bubble. In some scenarios, you'll see a minimised Bubble icon beside the hourglass icon instead.

3. This will directly open your app in a window overlay with the app icon bubble hovering on your screen.
4. Do the same for other apps you want to launch as Bubbles.

Interacting with Android 17 App Bubbles

Now that you have app bubbles on your screen, here's how to manage them easily to make multitasking a breeze. 

• Expand and Collapse: Tap on any floating bubble to instantly open the app in a smaller interactive window overlay. To minimise the app, tap anywhere outside the window.
• Move them around: You can tap and drag any bubble to snap it to the left or right edge of the screen. This keeps the centre of your display clear while you focus on other tasks.

• Add more apps: Tapping on the + icon will show you a list of apps that you bubbled before. This eliminates the need for finding the app, long-pressing on it to turn on Bubbles.

• Use the Bubble bar: Bubbling multiple apps at once organises all apps in a Bubble Bar. Tapping on this reveals all your minimised apps in a neat overflow menu, preventing your screen from getting cluttered.
• Dismissing a bubble: When you're finished using a bubbled app, drag the app icon to the "X" button to dismiss it. Alternatively, you can tap on Manage at the bottom and tap on Dismiss bubble.

And that's how you can use the Bubbles feature on Android and manage apps with ease. The feature finally gives Android users a PC-like windowing experience. It's easily one of the biggest features for power users and makes juggling between tasks and copying text between apps much faster and more efficient.