How to Use (or Turn Off) Bubble Notifications on Android (2026)

Q: How do I turn off bubbles completely?

Settings → Notifications → Bubbles → set the app (or 'Allow apps to show bubbles') to 'Nothing can bubble'. You can also turn them off per conversation from the chat's notification settings.

Bubbles are Android's answer to floating chat heads — a small conversation icon that floats on top of whatever you're doing, so you can reply without losing your place. Some people love them; others find them cluttered. Here's how to take full control.

What bubbles are

Bubbles are a system feature (since Android 11) that any chat app can use. When a conversation bubbles, its icon appears as a floating circle you can drag, tap to expand, or swipe away. They're separate from normal notifications — a chat can appear both as a bubble and in the shade.

Turn bubbles on

Open the chat you want, then tap its notification's settings / gear → choose Bubble this conversation.
Or globally: Settings → Notifications → Bubbles, allow bubbles for the app, then mark specific chats.
Google Messages and Facebook Messenger support it out of the box; many others don't.

Bubbles are great, but they vanish when you clear the shade. Dingpin keeps the conversations that matter pinned on top so an important thread never gets buried or dismissed by accident.

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Turn bubbles off

All apps: Settings → Notifications → Bubbles → set Nothing can bubble (or toggle off "Allow apps to show bubbles").
One app: in the same Bubbles screen, set that app to Never bubble.
One chat: open the bubble, tap the bubble icon at the bottom, choose Don't bubble this conversation.

Why bubbles don't appear

The app doesn't use the bubble API (try Messenger or Google Messages to test).
Only active, opened conversations bubble — a brand-new chat from someone you've never opened won't.
A battery optimizer is killing the app in the background; add the app to battery-unrestricted.

FAQ

What are bubbles on Android?

Bubbles are floating chat icons that hover over other apps, like Facebook Messenger's Chat Heads. They let you read and reply to a conversation without leaving the screen you're on. Android's built-in bubbles work with Messages and other supported chat apps.

How do I turn bubbles on for a chat?

Open the conversation, tap the notification's settings, and choose "Bubble this conversation". Or go to Settings → Notifications → Bubbles and allow bubbles for the app, then pick specific chats to bubble.

How do I turn off bubbles completely?

Settings → Notifications → Bubbles → set the app (or "Allow apps to show bubbles") to "Nothing can bubble". You can also turn them off per conversation from the chat's notification settings.

Why aren't bubbles appearing even though I enabled them?

The app must support Android's bubble API (Messenger and Google Messages do; many don't). Also, bubbles only show for active conversations you've opened, and a battery optimizer can suppress them. Make sure the app isn't battery-restricted.

How to Use (or Turn Off) Bubble Notifications on Android

In this guide