Is This How Google Will Do Floating Windows? I Hope Not..

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[@TheRealTommyLee]

Love the intro! Your pup's thinking, "Fine...just this time tho."

[@michaelbmw1931]

No. He is not thinking so.

[@TheRealTommyLee]

@@michaelbmw1931 No. He is thinking so.

[@hey_bucklebob]

iPad user here. This implementation looks VERY familiar. It looks like Google's take on Apple's Slide Over, which I use heavily (and honestly really like!). But I can totally understand your frustration if you're used to having the freedom of putting the window anywhere you want!

[@fchaabo]

What an intro, Shane! Loved it! Well, this is where I appreciate OneUI, even though it has its fair share of annoying bugs that Samsung still takes forever to fix or just asks you to do the dreadfull phone format which doesn't guarantee a fix. At least I can do so many useful things on OneUI with truly unmatched freedom, such as changing the size and aspect ratio of any floating window or having any app in a split screen and in any orientation (top/bottom/right/left).

[@brce57]

You're so right: I don't understand why they don't just take the window paradigm and put it on Android. No need to spend money thinking about alternatives: there aren't any!

[@carloslara8117]

I love that fact that you love dogs just like me I love dogs and tech

[@jcck]

100% agree with you and this is what we don't want as a "floating window"

[@miroslavsvoboda367]

I don't understand why it is not possible to copy what is already working in UIs of other Android OEMs... But that's Google, not the first time they re-invent the wheel...

[@jeffwoodard]

Your pup is the best. Nothing like them, that's for sure. Please google no more BUBBLES...

[@DavidHyman031]

I would definitely use this! I used to use an app that did that years ago but it's functionality was broken due to Google API changes

[@wakanda4eva]

I have never been a fan of more than 2 apps open. With the floating window thing, long as my movie or video playing can float while having 2 apps open im good. To use the floating window as you do is very useful and understandable as well.

[@dirtydeeks7066]

Please never change. Most other tech youtubers regurgitate the same stuff. You’re the only that actually gets into the more technical details. For example, the video where you compared the multi-tasking of pixel, z fold, and oneplus open is the only video of its kind on youtube right now. You are amazing.

[@scaryifliteral]

Thanks!

[@Jim00000]

Samsung hardware lags but their software is was keeps them on top. And your dog is the best!

[@Tobsen179]

Traded my Fold4 for a Pixel 9 Pro Fold.. great device and awesome aspect ratio screens, but the One Ui is indeed better in most aspects

[@xSoulWind]

Honor Magic V3 makes almost every foldable look like a joke, Pixel 9 pro fold included. The software still needs a little work, but it's not horrendous. Samsung is king of software but their hardware is pathetic.

[@Tobsen179]

@@xSoulWind Designwise the Honor phones are not for me. Other than that, great phone

[@Ex.zed.]

​@@xSoulWindYou're the joke.

[@fraghead9813]

I literally never have any lag on my s24 ultra. I use split screen multitasking with a floating window daily with no issue.

[@jebaker2]

I almost never need a 3rd window but in the off chance I would, this solution would be fine. All I typically do is open a calculator, 1password or calendar for a moment.

[@hilmyakatsuki1665]

I bet many will use it if that's available and apps UI scaling is well down rather than phone UI in a wider window that would make it look like a thicker app lol. This is a case for phone UI apps on tablets

[@nickthaskater]

"Bubbles" is the worst thing about how Samsung does floating windows. It should minimize to the taskbar like in DeX. The fact that they're taking the worst thing from Samsung and somehow making it even worse by not making it resizable is hilarious and exactly what I expect from Google.

[@Danominator]

Dog cameo! We love those. 😁

[@NuttinNyce]

This why I passed on the pixel fold. Multitasking software is lacking. They focused so much on Gemini they neglected the things that make a foldable appealing

[@IkesTechTalk]

I was so excited about finally getting them in some way, I didn't think about it from this standpoint I completely agree. Im hoping it ends up being tied more to what we see with desktop mode personally but more of a hybrid. Because I don't want to launch every app in floating window all the time. It seems like on the desktop mode, it's either on or off, no in-between. Like maybe I want to use my phone like normal but Open just this one app in a floating window

[@scaryifliteral]

Exactly. This is neat, but it doesn't replace floating windows..

[@hilmyakatsuki1665]

Just for reference android still lets you launch apps in freeform windows without desktop mode. So I think they want this bubble to be a separate way to launch multiple apps with full screen, split screen for mobile devices where the screen is small and tablet. This way users don't have to worry about maintaining multiple apps windows on the small screen and apps can show as much information as it can. While for the pro users you basically have desktop mode where you maintain the windows as you want. Now the thing is clearly the floating bubble window UI/UX for phone and tablet are different for example on phone the app icons floating like a bubble while on tablet its showing with the taskbar like UI. So I guess they're still working with it and it's just an early implementation. Also it could be a take on apple slide over windows where you can switch between multiple apps in a stack of windows that shows the UI rendered as phone DPI. There is a possibility of that, but yeah google can still allow users to resize the window and position anywhere they want which is probably not what Google wants to do.

[@scaryifliteral]

"Just for reference android still lets you launch apps in freeform windows without desktop mode." If you're referring to the thing you can enable in Dev Options, that's 90% broken and not worth considering IMO.

[@hilmyakatsuki1665]

@@scaryifliteral yes but google can make it work with proper window scaling. That's the same thing they are allowing in the desktop mode. All resizable windows in android with scaling using freeform windows. Behind the scene that's the window and UI management google is using for bubble, desktop mode etc. so my point was google can allow that by fixing some of the bugs related to disappearing suddenly etc

[@waywardwest]

The software implementation is the main reason why I chose the ZFold6 over the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. I really wanted to try a Pixel as I'm tired of Samsung devices and their lack of real updates. But when I compared the UIs however the Samsung is just way better than the Pixel.

[@troycampbell1781]

Goggle is lacking behind in that function

[@vukasika]

So Google is working on Stsge Manager version Dex for Pixel. Is the subtitle for this amazing innovation the "worst of the best" by any chance?

[@KrisRogos]

This would be interesting as an alternative to quick app switching, not to floating windows.

[@scaryifliteral]

Exactly

[@mner9826]

I think that Google is ready to do something stupid..., again! We'll just have to wait and see. As a side-note, is it not frustrating (not to say something much worse) that after 15 android versions and their second iteration on a foldable device, they are not supporting floating windows on any of their folds?

[@XLessThanZ]

Popups is fine already. I only wish I could launch into it instead of launching, then selecting popup from a menu (too many steps).

[@Unan1mouz]

I'm still hoping they will do the windowed apps right... They need to add a damn minimize button! lol

[@philsaitta8820]

Desktop mode is cool, but not a feature many would use. Bubbling on the other hand might be. I don't think they're related. I think one is a work in progress and the other is a next great idea. Might Google pass one off as a temporary solution... Yeah. But there is very little that bubbles can do to emulate desktop. It would be a major bait and switch. I think... Desktop mode comes ONLY when it's really useful. It will come as part of the core pixel. Bubbles come with new feature release... Something cute, but most won't use.

[@NedalHanna]

This is not new btw, this was during I think Android 13 beta if I'm not mistaken... I enjoyed it A LOT. It sounds like it'll be the same feature, so I physically cannot wait 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩 Edit after finishing the video: true this is different than floating windows, but compared to nothing, I'd be satisfied with this on PHONES

[@ALionlikeMane]

Hate it. Why can't Google just be normal 😂

[@a1000island]

The whole stock Android pixel experience is BORING My 180 dollar redmi note 12 has more functions then my pixel 8 Love the cameras but I'll never purchase a brand new pixel again

[@scaryifliteral]

I'm going to nitpick and say Pixels don't run stock Android lol. AOSP is stock and Pixels have tons of stuff built on top. At any rate, it comes down to what you use in the end. Lots of phones have more overall features, but no phone I've used yet has more features I actually use. No phone even approaches the look and feel of Pixels for me. Just a preference thing at the end of the day! It's great there are so many options out there for people.

[@christopherkinslow5432]

This is why i wouldnt pay almost 2 grand for this phone

[@CaptainPhlyer-c8q]

I'm running GrapheneOS on my pixel 6 at the moment, the experimental floating windows/freeform feature doesn't look like this at all... And that's part of AOSP, so will be part of the Pixel's OS when it's released, I'm guessing. On my device it looks like the windows in the desktop mode we've seen on the pixel tablet.

[@bad65dad]

Yes it is I've done it on my Pixel Fold running Android 15 beta last week.

[@scaryifliteral]

Yes what is?

[@andyhailey4271]

The pixel fold and the pixel fold 9 pro fold DO HAVE FLOATING WINDOWS AND ALWAYS HAVE HAD. You just need to enable freeform windows in developer mode

[@scaryifliteral]

Notice how that's literally what the thumbnail of the video is? lol. It's terrible and unfinished.

[@Cinccinatti_C3]

I like the pixel 9 pro fold and would entertain having this phone, but the multifunction is not great versus the OnePlus open and it’s multi function. I think the size of the pixel 9 pro fold is a great and it looks awesome. It just seems to lack some of the things that the OnePlus open and Samsung Z-fold offer. Do you think they will make changes in OS updates to allow for multi function like the Z-fold and OnePlus open have. Which phone do you think is the best option?

[@Ronnet]

This video demonstrates that, as far as we can know, they're going in a different direction with floating Windows than OPO and SGZF6. I don't think Google actually understands the appeal and use-cases for the floating Windows. So hopefully this demo will result in backslash and a change of plans. But as it stands I keep seeing the GP9PF as an inferior OPO. Even the crease visible in the opening shots of this video seem much worse to me.

[@marcusraiyat]

Boxing bag or mic 🎤 - you know you asked this 😂

[@owlstarvideos]

I watch your videos on Pixel items but I don't have one, Don't want one, I'll stick with OnePlus open devices and to celebrate my birthday tomorrow the 11th I bought a pixel fold tablet and I got the gray one, Happy birthday to me, all's good until I realized that I'll be 69,😢

[@scaryifliteral]

I just turned 35 last month and that one bummed me out a little bit lol. Happy birthday!

[@Fosterjuice25]

Im not quite understanding what would be wrong with apps that bubble. I cant see whats behind it. If the window is open u cant see behind it anyway. The floating window would be a great way to just pop in and out between apps. Have both apps open in multi window then app bubble for quck pop in and outs of sonething. I think it wowuld be great. Insonagree the current fliating window is trash on pixel.

[@scaryifliteral]

Floating windows can be resized and moved. Bubbled apps are more just a quick way to swap between apps, not a way to have two apps on screen at once.

[@cheesytoot7607]

hey Shane, do all your foldables fold flat?

[@scaryifliteral]

Open, Fold 6 and 9 Pro Fold do usually without extra force.

[@cheesytoot7607]

@@scaryifliteral is it normal that my zf6 doesn't open flat without extra effort?

[@localblackman427]

This is basically an apple side app launcher clone. Very unfortunate to see them copy the worst from ipad

[@joeyjoey7972]

they should just make it like samsungs app pop out!

[@OntoBunny]

A little off topic, but I sincerely hope the doj is seriously considering breaking up google and separating them from Android. I think Android os would ultimately be better off separated from Google.