How to respond to messages from any messaging app directly from any screen

One of the amazing features we look forward to from the Android N OS set to be released later on this year, is the Quick Reply functionality. With this feature users will be allowed to respond to received text messages directly from the notification bar without the need of switching from the current screens. Unfortunately most Android users will have to wait a bit longer to get the Android N upgrade and thus make use of the feature. Rather than wait that long, there is a new alternative offered by an app from the Flyperinc development team which comes with a similar functionality that is actually even better than the Android N implementation. In contrast to Android N’s Quick Reply which works only on the notification bar, the app displays a small notification bubble in the form of a chathead whenever a message is received on your device, which gives you the ability to respond from any screen you are in. What’s more the app does not only work for text messages but also offers the same function with incoming messages from most popular messaging services including WhatsApp, Hangouts, Google Messenger, Facebook Messenger, Line, Telegram, and a couple more.

Here is how you can enjoy the same feature on your Android device:

First off, you’ll need to install the Notifly app on your Android device. The app is available on the Google Play Store for free. After the app is downloaded, launch it and then grant the additional permissions as prompted by Notifly. The initial permission should already be granted for most users, you can proceed by tapping the Receive notifications setting, then have the Notifly entry enabled on the screen that follows, afterwards select Allow on the popup displayed.

Have the notification options adjusted for your messaging apps

Navigate to the app’s main menu and from there you will see all the messaging apps installed on your Android device that are compatible with app. Notifly’s message responding bubble feature is enabled by default, although you have the option of disabling the feature for any specific app you wish by simply using the toggle next to each messaging app. In addition to that, you can access more options for any individual messaging app service, by tapping the Settings tab below each app within the Notifly interface. The settings provided allow you to make adjustments to the Notifly bubble feature for each individual app, including changing the color along with a few other options, some of which require an in-app purchase of US$0.99. Note that for messaging services that already offer message bubbles, such as Facebook Messenger, you’ll need to have the feature disabled to avoid getting two message bubbles at the same time.

Responding to messages from any screen

Once everything has been setup, you will obviously have to wait for new message to make use of the feature. Whenever you receive a message, a bubble icon will be displayed on whatever screen you are on, you’ll also notice a Reply field directly below it. Simply tap on the field and your keyboard will be brought up, just type in the response directly without leaving the screen you’re on. Once you are done, you choose to either leave the bubble on the screen or remove it by dragging it to the delete icon at the bottom of the screen. What do you think about the Android N's Quick Reply feature? Are there other apps that offer the same function? Share them with us in the comments.