Top 7 Fixes for Chat Bubbles in Android 11 Not Working

Chat bubbles are one of the features of Android 11 that got me excited. You can reply to messages without opening a messaging app and while scrolling through other apps. It sounds like a godsend feature. Unfortunately, many Android 11 users cannot use chat bubbles. Don’t chat bubbles or chat heads also work on your phone? Do not worry. We have found 7 working solutions to fix chat bubbles not working in Android 11 phones.

When it comes to chat bubbles, I’m sure you’ll think of Facebook Messenger first. This is because Facebook Messenger was the first app to officially use chat heads. The feature has been available in FB Messenger for years now.

With Android 11, you can enjoy the same functionality with other messaging apps. Let’s see that you can make chat bubbles work for other apps on Android 11. But before that, you should know a bit more about chat bubbles.

What are chat bubbles

Traditionally, when you tap a notification, the app opens in full screen mode. Thus, you move away from the application that you were actually using.

Chat bubbles allow you to multitask as they float above the app you are currently using. Whenever you receive a message notification, you can choose to open the notification in the chat bubble and continue using the existing app. When you do, a floating app window opens. When you are done sending SMS, the app’s floating window will minimize and the bubble will appear. Tap the bubble to reopen the chat screen.

Now let’s check various fixes.

1. Check the software version

Before you start troubleshooting, we recommend that you check the software version of your Android phone. Chat bubbles require at least Android 11 to work. So if your phone is running Android 9 or 10, you won’t get this feature.

To check the software version of your phone, go to Settings> About. You will notice a number listed under the Android version label. And if it’s Android 11, then you need to check if your phone has any pending updates.

2. Restart the phone

If you just installed Android 11 and haven’t seen the chat bubbles yet, you need to restart your phone properly.

3. Update applications

After updating your phone software, make sure to update all apps on your phone, especially messaging apps. To update all apps, launch Google Play Store and open the left sidebar. Tap My apps & games. Tap Update all apps.

4. Apps that support chat bubbles

You should note that the chat bubble feature mainly works with messaging apps, like Telegram, Android Messages, Facebook Messenger, etc. Application developers must first implement support for the chat bubble feature, and only then can you use it.

As of this writing, only a handful of apps support the feature and that will change soon. These apps include Telegram, Facebook Messenger, and Android Messages (this too only in the beta version). WhatsApp does not yet support this feature.

Point: If you want chat bubbles for the Android Messages app, download the beta version of the app from Play Store.

5. Activate the chat bubble feature

To use chat bubbles, you need to enable a global setting and then enable it in individual apps, as shown in the following solution. Here we will tell you how to activate the chat bubble feature on Android 11.

Step 1: Open the settings on your Android 11 phone. Go to Apps & notifications.

2nd step: Tap Notifications. You will find the Bubbles setting. Tap on it.

Step 3: Activate the toggle next to “Allow applications to display balloons”.

6. Activate chat bubbles in the application settings

You must also enable the feature in the respective apps. Here are the steps:

Step 1: Open settings on your phone and go to apps.

2nd step: Under All apps, tap the app for which you want to enable chat bubbles. Let’s say Telegram. Press Telegram.

Step 3: Tap Notifications in Telegram. Then tap Bubbles.

Step 4: Make sure “All conversations can bubble” is selected.

Note: If you set the notification as a priority notification, chat bubbles are automatically enabled for that conversation.

7. Use chat bubbles appropriately

Once you’ve enabled the chat bubbles setting, it’s time to use them. For this, you need to open the notification panel when you receive a notification from a messaging app. You will find the chat bubble icon in the lower right corner of the notification. Tap on it to open the floating chat window.

If you can’t find the icon, tap the small arrow on the notification. Then tap on the chat bubble icon.

Point: Find out how to add custom shortcuts to the Android notification drawer.

When the bubble is on, all new messages you receive in this app will appear as bubble notifications. Tap the bubble to open the message in the floating window. Tap anywhere outside the window to minimize the window.

Tap Manage at the bottom of the floating window to close the bubble or to stop chat bubbles for the current conversation.

Chat Bubbles Forever

Now that you know how to fix the issue when chat bubbles are not working for messaging apps, you can choose which ones to use. Although they are extremely convenient for multitasking, you can also conduct conversations discreetly.

If you have a Samsung phone, you can use floating chat heads without Android 11. Samsung phones come with a native feature of its smart pop-up view. To enable it, go to Settings> Advanced features> Smart pop-up display. Then activate the apps to use the feature. You can also use chat heads for WhatsApp using the smart pop-up view.