Download Article
Learn to use Android apps in pop-ups at the same time
Download Article
Did you know that "floating windows" have been an option since Android 7? It's easier to use floating windows on Samsung phones and tablets, but there are also workarounds to get floating windows on other Android models. Read on to learn how to use default multi-windows, floating windows, pop-up windows, and other window options on your Android.
How do you enable floating windows on Android?
On Samsung and other Android devices, tap an app's icon in Recently Used Apps and select Open in pop-up view . For phones that don't support pop-up view, go to Settings > Developer options and enable "freeform" windows. Pixel phones do not support this feature.
Steps
-
Open the app you want to make a floating window. This will make that app (like Facebook) appear on top of any other apps you open. That way, you can still browse an app (or watch a YouTube video) while you browse the Internet or use other apps..
- You can't use this option on Google Pixel phones. [1] X Research source
- Not all apps have this functionality either. More popular apps, like Facebook and Instagram, support opening in a pop-up window or opening in Multi-view.
- Make sure that you have "Draw over other apps" allowed in Permissions for that app so it can float above other apps. To manage this setting, go to Settings > Apps > select the app > Permissions > Enable "Draw over other apps".
-
Open your Recently Used. Do this by pressing the three-line icon at the bottom of your screen. All the apps that you have recently used will show.Advertisement
-
Tap and hold on the app you want to open in a pop-up window. Alternatively, you can tap the app icon centered over the app's thumbnail.
- Select Open in pop-up view if you tapped the app's icon.
-
Drag the app to the middle of your screen. You'll see "Drop here for pop-up view." You can also edit the app view if you like:
- Drag the edges to make the app window bigger or smaller.
- Drag the handle (it's a thicker line at the top of the pop-up app) to reposition it.
- Tap the handle to create a floating icon on your screen that immediately opens the app to your current view; return the app to full-screen; close the app completely.
- If you drag the app from Recents to either the top or bottom window, you've opened it with multi-view instead. You'll still be able to view multiple windows at once, but you won't be able to move them around like a pop-up window.
Advertisement
-
Enable Developer Mode. You'll need Developer Options to find the "free-floating windows" option. This only works for Android 10+. Here's what you need to do to enable Developer Mode:
- Open Settings and go to About Phone
- Tap "Build number" 7 times.
- Return to Settings (navigate back once)
-
Tap Developer options . It'll appear once Developer Mode is enabled.
-
Tap the toggles next to "Force activities to be resizable" and "Enable freeform windows". In addition, you can also enable the toggle next to "Multi window for all apps" if you have a Samsung and want to see a specific app in multi-window, which doesn't automatically work for all apps. [2] X Research source
-
Restart your phone. Many larger changes require the phone to restart to work properly. To restart your phone, press the side and "Volume Down" buttons at the same time to see the Power menu. Select Restart twice to restart your phone or tablet.
Advertisement
-
Enable Developer Mode. You're not out of luck if you have an older Android. Here's the process for enabling Developer Mode:
- Open Settings and go to About Phone .
- Tap "Build Number" 7 times.
- Return to the main Settings menu (press the nav back button once).
-
Tap Developer options . It's the last option on the menu once Developer Mode is enabled.
-
Enable the toggles for "Force resize activities" and "USB Debugging". Once you enable those toggles, you need to restart your phone.
-
Install ADB on your computer. Here are ways you can do this:
- Windows:
- Download the Android SDK Platform Tools ZIP .
- Unzip the package to a location that you can get to easily.
- Navigate to this folder in File Explorer and right-click an empty space.
- Select Open in Terminal/PowerShell
- Mac:
- Download the Android SDK Platform Tools Zip file for macOS .
- Extract the ZIP to a location you can easily get to (like the desktop).
- Open Terminal.
- Navigate to the location with the Android ADB file.
- Enter "cd /path/to/extracted/folder/" – replace path/to/extracted/folder with your filepath.
- Windows:
-
Connect your device to your computer. The cable that came with your phone/tablet or a charging cable will work for this as long as it transfers data.
-
Enter the following command into Terminal on your computer: adb devices . This command makes sure that the tool on your computer is working with your phone or tablet.
- If you see a prompt on your Android asking for permission to connect, allow it.
-
Enter the following command into Terminal on your computer: adb shell settings put global enable_freeform_support 1 .
- Restart your device after entering the command.
- It's safe to remove your Android from your computer and close Terminal.
Advertisement
Expert Q&A
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
Advertisement
Video
Tips
Submit a Tip
All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
Name
Please provide your name and last initial
Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
References
About This Article
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 106,718 times.
Advertisement
