Android 15 is on the cards, and with an official release approaching fast, we are already getting a peep at what to expect when Android 16 rolls in.
One of the most thrilling things witnessed regarding Android 16 is the potential for an increase in Bubbles API: a multitasking tool that Google first presented in 2020, with Android 11. The Bubbles API currently functions mostly for messaging applications. However, soon enough, a user might be able to "bubble" any application, making the experience much more exciting about having multiple things working at the same time.
What is the Bubbles API?
Introduced with Android 11, Bubbles API lets users view conversations from messaging apps as bubbles floating over other applications. As Phone Arena reports, the floating bubble can then be used to see or respond to messages without having to leave the app you're working on. Once done responding, it minimizes into a small floating icon which you can then tap on later to reopen the conversation.
This provides a nice way to handle messages, but the current deployment has been to what could be traditionally thought of as conversation notifications. Most top apps don't currently support the Bubbles API, and users are required to fully open those apps to see their conversations.
Android 16: Making the Bubbles API Available in All Apps
According to Android Authority, based on leaked information, Google is apparently expanding the Bubbles API functionality in Android 16. What this means is that soon, maybe at this time, users can "bubble" any app and no longer be restricted to messaging applications only. The new function was first mentioned in the initial Quarterly Platform Release (QPR) for Android 15.
A beta build of Android 15 from Android Authority managed to activate the feature. Whenever this new function is activated, you then find the added option of a "bubble" option that is supposed to be displayed on the context menu, given you click and hold any app icon on your Pixel Launcher.
That, if added to Android 16, would greatly extend multitasking capabilities- at least for bigger devices like tablets. Now users can minimize apps into floating icons and get back into apps quickly without having to leave the screen they were currently on.
The 'Bubble Bar' Feature
Now, aside from the new and extended Bubbles API, there's also a whisper that Google is secretly working on a new "bubble bar." Not much information is available yet, but this may take multitasking to a new level, especially in tablets with more smoother management of multiple floating bubbles.
Do We See This Feature on Android 16?
All of this is exciting, of course, but it's worth keeping in perspective that features you find in beta versions are not guaranteed to ship in the final version.
The Bubbles API expansion was really only just announced yesterday and it probably had too little time for much overhauling, but Android 16 may be different entirely.
Of course, the feature has a lot of potential, and if Google's forward trend continues, the whole way of doing things could hit Android by opening up a whole new way to multitask across devices.
Why Google Must Bring This into Android 16
The Bubbles API should be expanded to include all of the apps, and this makes multitasking on Android easier. It will save so much time for users rather than switching from one app to another to get things done. Whether it is a reply to a message or checking a notification, and even productivity applications, the handling of apps in floating windows proves to be practical and useful.
