SOLVED: How To Disable Popup Text Window on Android Text Messages

If you have an android device you have likely noticed that new inbound text messages have a round head icon appear on top of any program you are currently running, and that when you click that head icon it pops up a small texting window.

Here is a video explanation and demonstration of the problem and fix:

For many people this texting “enhancement” is frustratingly small and so they want to turn it off.  This is easy to do but it is not in the obvious location.  We expected to turn on / off popup text windows in the “Messaging” app but found it was not there.

Instead, you have to make the change in the Android system settings like this:

  1. Swipe down from the top
  2. Click the cog icon to go into settings
  3. Click ADVANCED SETTINGS
  4. Click SMART POPUP VIEW
  5. Click MESSAGES to OFF

Bingo!  You do not need to restart or make any other changes.  Now your texts will come in like they used to.

View Comments

  • I don't have an Advanced Settings on my Motorola android, but there is an Advanced in blue, with Messages Settings in black underneath, and when I click on that, there is no Popup option. There is an auto-delete OTPS after 24 hours option, but no idea what that means. There is a Bubbles option, and I clicked on Nothing Can Bubble, but it didn't get rid of the annoying Hi there! Message+ will be shutting down effective 11/7/24. How do I get rid of it? It seems to stay at the top of my text screen forever.

  • Go to your text message app (usually the built in android app)

    Select your profile picture in the top right.

    Select message settings

    Then find bubbles. Click the x to the right to remove anyone you do not want as a pop up to the top screen.

    That worked for me, pixel with android 14

  • I have an android phone and a text message box is on my home screen i tried everything to get rid of it but i cant how can i delete it

  • I have an S21 and have tried your directions and also tried the search for "smart pop up view". I get nothing. Makes me want to take a hammer to the phone. Any other suggestions? I do have Advanced features but smart pip up view isn't on it. Thanks much

  • Thanks for the info, the only problem I have doing this is that I no longer here the little bleeps when I get a text message even thought all my sounds are on. I have a pixel 4a.

  • My phone updated and now the smart pop up view is not in my advance settings. I had it turned off previously, but after the update it came back on.

  • Maybe it does depend on the phone model. I couldn't find "Advanced Settings" on mine (Motorola). However, I found another way of getting rid of this useless "enhancement". On the pop-up window itself there are some icons on top, one of them is three dots. If you click on that, another window pops up with various options. The last one says "floating". If you click on that, the text screen reverses back to normal.

    • On my oneplus i had to click manage on the bottom left of the pop up window and click "dont bubble messages"

Published by
Ian Matthews

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