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Huawei: Manage the Draw Over Other Apps Permission

When Facebook Messenger shows a chat bubble with the sender's photo while you are using another app, that overlay relies on a specific system permission. On EMUI you can grant or block this permission separately for every installed app. Without it, overlay bubbles, floating widgets or in-call popups simply stop appearing.

6 min8 steps
VersionAndroid 10 · EMUI

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Step 1 of 8: Open the **Settings**

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Android 10 · EMUI
Draw Over Other Apps Permission – EMUI: step 1 – Open the Settings
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Huawei

Draw Over Other Apps Permission auf Huawei

Apps that need to display content on top of other apps, such as chat bubbles, screen recorders or floating call widgets, rely on a dedicated Android permission called Draw over other apps. Facebook Messenger is the most common example: when a message arrives, the sender's profile picture appears as a floating bubble over whatever you are currently doing.

On EMUI this permission is managed per app under Special access, not through a single global switch. That means one app can keep showing overlays while another is fully blocked.

To check or change it, follow this path:

Open the SettingsTap on AppsTap on AppsOpen the menuTap on Special accessTap on Draw over other appsChoose an appEnable or disable Draw over other apps

Disabling the permission stops the overlay immediately, but it can also remove features you rely on, like a floating video player or an in-call caller ID popup. If an app misbehaves with intrusive ads or fake system dialogs, revoking this permission is usually the faster fix compared to uninstalling it. If the toggle for a specific app is missing entirely, that app has not requested the permission and no overlay behavior is possible for it.

Frequently asked questions

The chat bubble depends entirely on the Draw over other apps permission. Once you disable it under Special accessDraw over other apps, Messenger can still receive messages but can no longer show the floating profile picture over other apps.