Pixel phones just got the biggest multitasking upgrade in years — here’s how to use it

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Ever since the Android 17 beta started rolling out, I’ve been really excited to try out all the new features. Fortunately, I was able to install it on my Google Pixel 10a , and over the past month, I’ve spent quite a bit of time exploring what it can do. Out of everything I’ve tried so far, app bubbles is the one I keep coming back to almost every day.

Using a slab phone does come with its own limitations. Don’t get me wrong, I really like my cute little Pixel 10a, but a smaller screen naturally means there’s less room for multitasking. Thankfully, app bubbles solves that exact problem, making everything feel more fluid and easier to manage.

And the good part is, this is no longer just a beta feature. It is now rolling out to all Android users with the stable Android 17 release . Here is a quick guide to using it on your phone.

Creating app bubbles on your Pixel couldn’t be much simpler. You don’t need to jump through any complicated setup — just make sure you’ve installed the stable Android 17 update , and you’re already halfway there. Once that’s done, follow these steps:

One important thing to keep in mind: you can only have up to five app bubbles at a time. If you try adding more, the new one will simply replace an existing bubble to maintain that limit.

And that’s really all you need to get started with app bubbles on your Pixel. The actual setup process couldn’t be simpler, but if you need a few tips on what to actually do with app bubbles, I have a few suggestions.

Since updating to Android 17, I honestly can’t think of a single day when I haven’t used app bubbles. I’ve kept the setup intentional, too, splitting everything between work and personal use so it actually feels helpful in day-to-day life.