Android: Allow Apps to Display Over Other Apps

Chat heads, floating pop-ups and screen-recording overlays all depend on one permission: Display over other apps. Android groups this control under Special app access, separate from the regular per-app permissions for camera, location or notifications.

When the toggle is off for an app, the app still runs and still sends notifications, but it cannot draw a window on top of whatever you are currently looking at. That is why a chat bubble from a messaging app can vanish completely while the notification itself still appears normally in the status bar.

To check or change it, go to Tap on Settings ➔ Tap on Apps ➔ Tap on Special app access ➔ Tap on Display over other apps. From the list, use Choose an App and switch on or off Allow display over other apps for that specific app.

Turn this permission on only for apps you actually want floating on top, such as a messenger or a call screen. Leaving it enabled for many unused apps increases the risk of overlay-based phishing attempts, since a malicious overlay can imitate a login screen. If an app crashes instead of showing its overlay, check for a pending app update first before assuming the permission setting is at fault.