1. Before you start
What Bubble is
Bubble gives you a second space on your phone, the bubble, for apps you do not want near Google or near the rest of your phone. Inside the bubble:
- There are no Google services: no Google Play Services, no Play Store, no Google account. Apps that use Google's tracking libraries through Play Services get nothing from them.
- Apps have their own data, separate from the same app on your normal phone.
- Apps have no internet until you allow it, separately for Wi-Fi and mobile data.
- The bubble is hidden: ordinary apps have restricted visibility, but privileged host services can enumerate its packages.
The bubble is Android's own Private Space feature, built in a stricter way. Apps run natively, as fast as anywhere else; nothing is emulated.
What you need
- A phone with Android 17 (tested on a Pixel 9a). Private Space exists since Android 15, but Bubble only creates the bubble on Android 17 for now.
- Wi-Fi for the setup and for some maintenance tasks. Daily use works without Wi-Fi.
- To turn on Developer options and Wireless debugging once. Bubble explains how.
- About two minutes.
You do not need root, an unlocked bootloader, a custom ROM or a computer.
What to expect
Works well
- Messaging and open-source apps (Signal, NewPipe, F-Droid apps, Bitwarden, DuckDuckGo, Immich, Spotify…).
- Music in the background with the screen off (see chapter 6).
- Facebook and Instagram, in the separate Meta space.
Works with limits
- Notifications that come through Google do not arrive inside the bubble. Apps with their own connection (Signal, for example) notify normally while the bubble is open.
- A locked bubble is stopped: its apps do not run and do not notify until you open it again (unless something is playing).
- Some apps cannot remember your login because they store it with Google services.
Does not work
- Apps that require Google's Play Integrity check: many banking apps, Google Wallet, some games. They usually open but refuse to log in.
- Apps that are themselves part of Google services (Gmail with your account, Google Drive…). There is no point in isolating them.
What Bubble changes on your phone
- Creates the bubble (a Private Space) and, if you ask, the Meta space (a work profile).
- Turns on wireless debugging only while it works, and leaves it as it found it.
- Silences around 66 system events that would reveal your use of the bubble (they stop being written for the normal phone too; they are diagnostics only).
- Attempts to deny usage-statistics dumps and reports any restriction that does not take effect.
- Revokes external notification listeners and the notification assistant on the normal phone, and restricts privileged notification queries. This affects suggested replies, notification forwarding to accessories and launcher badges. Assistant changes can also affect other enabled profiles. These controls still require Android 17 device validation.
- Sets the Private Space auto-lock to "only after restart" and locks the bubble itself instead (see chapter 6).
- Only if you use the phone's firewall: blocks the network of the apps you choose on the normal phone.
All of it is undone by Settings → Remove everything (chapter 11).