The topic WhatsApp working on Android notification bubble support instead of Facebook’s wonky… is currently the subject of lively discussion — readers and analysts are keeping a close eye on developments.
This is taking place in a dynamic environment: companies’ decisions and competitors’ reactions can quickly change the picture.
“Bubbles” are an underrated part of Android notifications, with WhatsApp apparently working to add support just like another Meta app already had.
Notification bubbles are often known by another name – “Chat heads.” Meta’s Facebook Messenger app introduced the idea on Android ages ago, with a floating contact photo opening to the full chat, just in an overlay atop whatever else you’re doing on the device. It’s not for everyone, but Google has been improving on this idea by natively integrating it into Android for any app to utilize.
WABetaInfo notes that, in new beta versions, WhatsApp for Android is building out support for notification bubbles. It’s not live yet for end users, but an early preview shows a pretty standard implementation. WhatsApp conversations can be sent to a bubble, with the floating UI letting you swap back and forth between conversations from WhatsApp and other apps.
This isn’t the same as Facebook Messenger’s implementation. Facebook Messenger supports Android’s native bubbles on Pixels, but on other devices, it uses a semi-custom implementation that only works for Messenger. Other Android apps using Bubbles end up showing separately from Facebook’s “Chat heads.” It’s nice to see that WhatsApp doesn’t seem to be creating the same layer of confusion here.
There’s no word on when this might go live for all users, but with Android continuing to enhance bubbles, it’s likely not too far away.