Android 17: Google Finally Brought This Useful Trick to Every App

Multitasking on your phone is about to get a whole lot smoother. Google’s latest Android 17 Beta has finally expanded its powerful “bubble” feature to almost every app, potentially changing how you work and play on the go.

With Google I/O set for May, the search giant continues to introduce impressive new features with Android 17. It has just released the third beta, which also marks the first installment in the platform stability stage. While it includes a set of tweaks and enhancements, the one that is most noteworthy is the expanded support for bubble apps, which now covers almost every application.

The bubble app is a productivity feature that has been around for many years. However, natively on Android, it has traditionally been limited to select categories, such as messaging and social media. In contrast, skinned versions of Android like HyperOS have supported many more app categories for a while.

Now, Google seems to be taking a page from these manufacturers to improve the multitasking experience.

Multitasking Using Floating Bubbles

The big change in the latest Android 17 Beta 3 is that users can now enable the bubble format for every app, as seen in the screenshots from Android Police. This was first spotted in Beta 2 and is now live in the latest version. It appears that it works with all apps that can be pinned to the home screen.

The enhanced bubble feature can be activated by simply long-pressing an app icon on the home screen and then tapping the bubble button. The app will appear in a floating bubble, and tapping it expands it into a mini window. Dismissing the window or moving it to the sideline is done by tapping on the empty space outside the app window.

Setting up multiple bubble apps is also supported. This will display a row of recent bubbles where you can manage the active app and others. The group of bubble icons can be dragged anywhere on the screen, adding flexibility, especially for large-screen devices, although the feature is equally handy on smartphones as well.

Which Devices Will Get Full Bubble App Multitasking?

Besides the stock Android, Samsung will likely adopt this within One UI. This gives users wider options for choosing their preferred multitasking method. It also serves as a slick complement to the new desktop or DeX mode on Galaxy tablets and foldable smartphones.

Google is shipping Android 17 Beta 3 to testers, and it is compatible with the Pixel 10 all the way down to the Pixel 6 series, as well as the Pixel Fold and Pixel Tablet. We could see a few more betas before the final version of Android 17 is released, likely sometime in June.

Is this the productivity boost you’ve been waiting for? Let us know if you’ll be using bubbles for all your apps!