Google could be bringing this massive multitasking feature to Android 16

Android 15 is proving to be an interesting update as more information about this milestone update appears online. Previous reports suggested that chat bubbles could soon appear in a mini multitasking dock on tablets. However, there is now news of a hidden development that will allow both smartphone and tablet users to use any app in a floating window. While this may seem small, it has the potential to change the way we use the Recents screen and improve the multitasking experience on smartphones.

Android Authority has reported on a feature currently hidden in the first quarterly platform release of Android 15. Mishaal Rahman, known for revealing numerous upcoming Android updates, has discovered references to a “bubble Anything” feature in the beta 2 release of this version .

When activating the feature, Rahman claims that the Pixel Launcher will add a new ‘bubble’ button in the context menu, which will appear when you long-press an app on the home screen. Selecting this ‘bubble’ option launched the selected app in a floating bubble (or a floating window).

Rahman points out that a discovered earlier bubble bar feature, which brings all the bubbling chat conversations into a small dock (on tablets only), can turn this newly discovered feature into an improved multitasking experience on Android devices.

Many Chinese smartphone brands already offer the ability to run apps in floating windows, making Google’s recent discovery of support for this feature less exciting for Android users in the East. Software on Chinese devices like OnePlus and Realme even allows users to share content directly from an app in a floating window, which can be closed or minimized after interaction. Depending on the device, users can typically only open one or two apps at a time in this floating window mode.

Either way, it’s nice to see Google adding support for this to the resource. It will be interesting to see how it changes the way we use bubbles on Android, as it could potentially replace the current Recents screen used to switch between apps open in the background on smartphones and tablets. App bubbles (rather than chat bubbles) clearly add an extra layer of multitasking to smartphones, so it can get a bit confusing to use. The source also claims that since this is a significant change, Google could reserve it for Android 16, instead of launching it with Android 15. We’ll have to wait to find out what Google has in store for us.