WhatsApp on Android will start supporting “bubbles” – a rare format of system notifications

WhatsApp and Google: new “bubbles” for chats

Google Android added a notification system called “Bubbles” or “Chat heads” in recent updates—a format that is still little known to the general public. The WABetaInfo site noted that the beta version of WhatsApp now supports this feature.

How it works
- When a message arrives, a floating icon with the contact’s photo appears on the screen.
- Tapping it opens the chat in a small window over all running apps.
- The user can quickly switch between messaging and other tasks without closing the window.

History of its appearance
* Facebook Messenger was the first to implement this format many years ago. On Google Pixel devices it uses the system implementation of bubbles; on other phones it uses its own version, even if other apps call Android’s native features.
* Now WhatsApp also gained access to this system in beta, but the feature is not yet available to the wider audience. In the preview you can already see how chat pop‑ups work.

What next?
It is still unknown when WhatsApp will fully roll out “bubbles” into the public version of the app. Nevertheless, the introduction of this feature indicates that Google really wants to give developers the ability to use floating notifications in all messengers and apps.