Android’s multitasking story is finally catching up with the hardware it runs on, and the next wave of changes looks less like a tweak and more like a reset. Between new system features, aggressive experiments on tablets, and custom interfaces from Samsung, the way people juggle apps on phones, foldables, and slates is on the verge of a major overhaul. The stakes are simple: if Google gets this right, Android could move from “good enough” to genuinely best-in-class for productivity.
Why Android multitasking is under pressure to evolve
For years, Android has offered split screen, picture-in-picture, and floating windows, yet the experience has often felt like a bolt-on rather than a core part of the system. On tablets in particular, multitasking has lagged behind what power users expect from laptops or even from rival platforms, with clunky gestures and rigid layouts that make it harder than it should be to keep Gmail, Chrome, and a note-taking app open at once. I see that gap as the main reason Google is now treating multitasking as a headline feature instead of a background option.
The latest platform roadmap reflects that shift, with Android Version 16 described as the latest release as of 2025 and explicitly framed as focusing on enhancing multitask, accessibility, user privacy, performance, and device compatibility, a priority that is spelled out in detail for Android Version 16. That emphasis lines up with what I hear from users who increasingly treat their phones and foldables as primary work machines, expecting to drag content between apps, keep messaging threads floating on top of documents, and resize windows with the same freedom they have on a desktop.
Tablets and the “bubble anything” experiment
The clearest sign that Google is rethinking multitasking from the ground up is a tablet feature that effectively lets users turn almost any app into a floating bubble. Instead of being locked into rigid side-by-side panes, people can drag an app into a small, movable overlay that behaves more like a chat head than a traditional window, which is why early coverage described it as a “bubble anything” capability. When I imagine working on a large Android tablet with a document in full view and a compact Spotify or Slack bubble hovering in the corner, it is obvious how much more fluid that feels than the current split-screen grid.
Reporting on this feature explains that when it first surfaced, it was framed as a big multitasking upgrade for Android tablets, with a drag-to-bubble gesture that could transform how people keep secondary apps handy without cluttering the main canvas, a shift detailed in coverage of When this drag-based interaction was first spotted. The idea is simple but powerful: instead of forcing users to choose between full screen and a rigid split, Android would let them promote any app into a bubble that can be summoned, moved, or dismissed in a couple of taps, which is exactly the kind of low-friction control that makes multitasking feel natural rather than like a chore.
Google’s push to fix tablet multitasking pain points
Even with features like split screen and bubbles, multitasking on Android tablets has not lived up to the potential of big screens, and that shortfall has been called out explicitly. Analysts have noted that, still, multitasking on Android tablets is nowhere near as good as it should be, a blunt assessment that matches what I hear from people who try to use a Pixel Tablet or Galaxy Tab as a laptop replacement and quickly run into awkward gestures or inconsistent app behavior. That criticism matters because it sets the bar for what any new overhaul has to clear.
Thankfully, Google appears to recognize the problem and is working on ways to make multitasking on Android tablets easier, including the ability to quickly turn an app into a floating bubble and improvements to how windows are arranged and recalled, as described in detail in coverage of how Still clunky tablet workflows are being addressed. I see this as Google finally treating tablets as first-class citizens rather than oversized phones, which means designing multitasking around stylus use, keyboard shortcuts, and docked setups where people expect to keep multiple apps visible for long stretches of time.
Android 16 turns multitasking into a headline feature
On the core platform side, Android 16 is being positioned as a release that treats multitasking as a central pillar rather than a side feature. The official feature list highlights new multitasking tools designed to enhance productivity, which is a notable shift in tone from earlier versions that focused more on visual refreshes or under-the-hood changes. When a platform owner starts talking about multitasking in the same breath as privacy and performance, it signals that window management and app juggling are now seen as strategic differentiators.
The documentation for Android 16 spells this out by describing how Multitasking tools are meant to Enhance your productivity, with Android 16 introducing multitasking features to boost your productivity and specific mentions of improvements like a new taskbar overflow feature that makes it easier to access more apps at once, all of which are laid out in the official overview of how Multitasking is being elevated. I read that as Google acknowledging that users are no longer satisfied with simply switching between full-screen apps, they want a system that helps them keep context across tasks, whether that is editing a Google Docs file while referencing a PDF or monitoring a video call while updating a spreadsheet.
Split screen gets more flexible with extreme ratios
One of the most concrete changes in the pipeline is a more flexible split-screen system that lets one app take up almost the entire display while another sits in a narrow strip. Early builds in Android’s experimental track have already showcased a new ratio that allows a primary app to occupy roughly 90 percent of the screen while a secondary app lives in the remaining sliver, which is a big departure from the more balanced splits that have dominated until now. For people who want to keep a messaging app or a live stats feed visible without sacrificing their main workspace, that kind of extreme ratio is exactly what has been missing.
Feedback from Android’s first Canary release highlights this shift, with users noting that Android’s first Canary release brings a major upgrade to split-screen multitasking in the form of a new 90/10 ratio, a detail that is spelled out in discussion of how Android Canary builds are experimenting with layout. I see this as Android finally embracing the reality that not all apps deserve equal space, and that a calculator, chat window, or music controller can be incredibly useful even when it only occupies 10 percent of the screen area.
Fixing Android’s most annoying split-screen behavior
Alongside new ratios and bubbles, Android 16 is also tackling some long-standing frustrations that have made multitasking feel fragile. One of the most common complaints has been that split-screen setups do not “stick,” with apps bouncing back to full screen or losing their paired configuration when users switch tasks or rotate the device. That kind of unpredictability makes people reluctant to rely on split screen for serious work, because they never know when their carefully arranged workspace will collapse.
Recent coverage of Android 16 has zeroed in on this issue, explaining that Android 16 finally fixes its most annoying multitasking behavior by addressing the way split screen has a history of only allowing certain combinations and sometimes bouncing back again and again to a single app view, a pattern that is dissected in a detailed look at how Aug builds change the experience. From my perspective, making split screen persistent and predictable is just as important as adding new layouts, because professionals will only embrace advanced multitasking if they can trust that their workspace will be there when they return from a notification or a quick camera check.
Samsung’s One UI 8 shows where Android can go next
While Google refines the core platform, Samsung is already pushing multitasking to the next level on its own devices, and that provides a useful preview of what a more ambitious Android experience can look like. In One UI 8, Multi-Window mode is being upgraded to make it easier to use and switch between apps, with a focus on letting people snap and resize windows in more intuitive ways. I see this as Samsung trying to turn its Galaxy phones, tablets, and foldables into true multitasking workhorses, especially for users who already live in DeX or similar desktop-style modes.
Reports on One UI 8 explain that Multi Window mode in One UI 8 will make it easier to use and switch between apps, and that earlier this month the Android 16 Q builds it is based on introduced the ability to set windows to different ratios, including layouts where one app can shrink down to as little as 10 percent of the screen area, a capability described in detail in coverage of how Multi Window is evolving. When I look at that, I see a clear convergence between what Google is building into Android 16 and what Samsung is layering on top, which suggests that extreme flexibility in window sizing is about to become a standard expectation rather than a niche perk.
Foldables turn multitasking into a must-have, not a bonus
Foldable phones and tablets are where Android’s multitasking ambitions are being tested most aggressively, because these devices practically demand that users run multiple apps at once. A Galaxy Z Fold 5, for example, feels wasted if it is only showing a single full-screen app on its inner display, which is why Samsung has been quick to optimize its software for side-by-side and floating windows. As more people buy foldables as premium productivity devices, the pressure on Android to deliver a polished multitasking experience only increases.
Samsung’s rollout of One UI 8 based on Android 16 to devices like the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Flip 5 underscores that trend, with the update including enhanced AI features, refined multitasking capabilities tailored for foldables, and security patches that address vulnerabilities that have plagued Android ecosystems, all of which are detailed in reports on how Samsung is rolling out its software. I interpret that as a sign that for foldable owners, multitasking is no longer a nice-to-have experiment, it is a core part of the value proposition, and that reality is likely to shape how Google prioritizes features in future Android releases.
Signals from Threads and the broader Android community
Beyond official documentation and OEM roadmaps, the broader Android community is also treating multitasking as a front-line issue, and that sentiment is visible in social posts and early feature teases. When a prominent tech commentator describes big news for Android tablet multitasking and notes that Google is working on a major upgrade that could revolutionize workflow, it reflects a growing expectation that tablets should handle complex, multi-app sessions with the same ease as a Chromebook or Windows laptop. I see that kind of language as both a vote of confidence and a challenge for Google to deliver.
One widely shared Threads post framed this shift by declaring Big news for Android tablet multitasking and pointing to how Google is working on a major upgrade, even quoting the internal label “Goo” as shorthand for the company’s own experiments, a detail captured in discussion of how Big changes are coming. When I put that alongside the technical details of Android 16, the drag-to-bubble gesture, and Samsung’s Multi Window push, the pattern is clear: the Android ecosystem is aligning around a future where multitasking is not just a checkbox feature but a defining part of how people experience their devices.
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