Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google is working to enhance Android telephone multitasking by enabling any app to open in a bubble and making them accessible from a brand new bubble bar.
- The bubble bar, mixed with the “bubble something” characteristic, would permit customers to simply open and swap between greater than two apps, in contrast to the present split-screen mode.
- Google can also be growing totally different classes of bubbles and addressing lifecycle points with apps in bubbles, suggesting continued improvement of this enhanced multitasking characteristic.
Multitasking on most Android telephones could be difficult attributable to their restricted display sizes. Nevertheless, producers deal with this by providing quite a lot of multi-window options. For instance, most Android units have a split-screen mode that enables customers to put two apps side-by-side, and a bubble characteristic that opens sure apps in floating home windows. Whereas each are helpful for switching between two apps, their utility diminishes with three or extra apps. To enhance multitasking on Android telephones, Google is working to allow any app to open in a bubble and to make these apps accessible from a brand new bubble bar.
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Android 11 launched the bubble characteristic to supply messaging apps a standardized strategy to open conversations in floating chat head home windows, a characteristic popularized by Fb Messenger. Since its introduction, nevertheless, just a few high messaging apps use the bubbles API. Theoretically, most Android apps ought to perform nicely inside a bubble, because it merely acts as a container for the app’s exercise. Presently, although, the characteristic doesn’t permit this.
Final 12 months, we discovered proof that Google was growing a “bubble something” characteristic to permit any app to be positioned in a floating bubble. This characteristic’s utility is evident: customers may place a number of apps in bubbles whereas utilizing one other app after which merely faucet a bubble to increase it and entry its content material.
In our preliminary report, we famous that the upcoming bubble something characteristic could be extra useful on Android tablets, not solely due to their bigger screens but additionally as a result of they’ll use Android’s new bubble bar characteristic, which anchors bubbles to the underside proper nook of the display. The bubble bar, mixed with the bubble something characteristic, would supply a multitasking expertise just like the brand new desktop windowing mode on tablets.
It has been over six months since I first reported on the bubble something characteristic, and there’s nonetheless no signal of its launch in Android 16. Equally, it has been 14 months since my report on the bubble bar, which additionally has not but appeared. I used to be beginning to marvel if Google had deserted these options, however I’m happy to report that it hasn’t. Whereas digging by Android 16 Beta 4, I found that Google is working to convey the bubble bar to telephones, a major improvement because it’s a serious multitasking enchancment over the present two-app split-screen mode.
Right here’s a brief video demonstrating the capabilities of the bubble bar mixed with the bubble something characteristic on telephones:
Because the video exhibits, I can simply open and swap between greater than two apps on a smartphone, one thing that isn’t as easy with split-screen mode. At one level within the video, I’ve Google Chrome and Individuals — a demo messaging app — open on high of Google Preserve, which is three apps open concurrently. I may have saved going within the video and launched extra apps in bubbles, however issues acquired a bit buggy after I opened sure apps like Google Calendar. The expanded bubble bar solely exhibits the 5 most just lately opened bubbles in any case, although the bubble overflow menu does checklist different, beforehand opened bubbles.
Since tablets have already got desktop windowing mode, this functionality isn’t as essential for them. Telephones, however, lack adequate display area for desktop windowing. If Google releases this characteristic in a future Android model, it can considerably improve the present multitasking capabilities of telephones.
Along with bringing the bubble bar to cell units, I additionally discovered proof that Google is growing totally different classes of bubbles: chat, notice, app, or shortcut. These classes will decide whether or not an app badge is displayed. Although a minor change, this means Google’s continued work on the characteristic. Moreover, I discovered that Google continues to be addressing lifecycle points with apps in bubbles. As soon as these points are resolved, I anticipate it to launch this enhanced bubble-based multitasking characteristic.
