Floating memory bubbles on phones running Android 17

Bubbles In Time brings a floating memory layer to phones running Android 17: photos, videos, and saved messages drift over whatever you're doing and open with a tap. Here's how it behaves on Pixel-first Android 17 devices, and how to set it up in minutes.

How it works on phones running Android 17

Bubbles In Time uses Android's standard draw-over-apps permission, which Android 17 exposes in Settings during the app's first-run setup. Grant it once and memory bubbles can drift over your home screen, messaging, and social apps on Pixel-first Android 17 devices — without stealing focus from typing or playback. Appearance frequency is yours to set, from every 30 minutes to every 4 hours, and Android's own minimum-interval rules keep the layer light on battery.

Making it feel native on Android 17

Because the bubble is now Android's own language — Android 17 made floating App Bubbles its headline multitasking feature — a memory bubble on phones running Android 17 feels like part of the system rather than a gimmick. The difference is what's inside: instead of another app icon, it's a photo from this month three years ago, a video of your kid, or a message thread you saved because it mattered. The Mystery Photo option keeps one surprise in the rotation.

Setup in five minutes

Install from Google Play ($2.99, once — no subscription, no ads, no account). Open the app, add your first memories from your photo library, allow the overlay permission when Android 17 asks, choose a frequency, and enable Floating Bubbles. From that moment, phones running Android 17 does something no stock gallery does: it hands your past back to you during ordinary moments, entirely on-device.