Why Android needs a permission for this
A normal Android app only draws inside its own window. The moment you switch to another app, it's gone. To keep a note visible on top of WhatsApp, Chrome, your broker app or a game, an app has to create a special window type that the system layers above everything else. Android guards that ability with a permission called Display over other apps (internally SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW).
Unlike camera or microphone access, this one isn't a pop-up dialog. It's a "special app access" toggle that lives in Settings, and the app has to send you there once. That's the whole trick behind every floating-note, chat-head or screen-filter app you've ever used — and it's why StickyHover asks for it the first time you tap Float.
Short version: install StickyHover → write a note → tap Float on screen → flip the Display over other apps switch Android shows you → the note now stays on top of whatever you open next.
Float a note in 5 steps
- Install StickyHover from Google Play
It's free, about 30 MB, and runs on Android 7.0 or newer. No account is created; nothing is uploaded.
- Write the note you want to keep in view
Tap +, type your checklist, price levels, call script or address. Pick a paper colour if you like — the floating window uses the same colour.
- Tap "Float on screen"
It's the float button in the editor and on every note card. The first time, Android opens the permission screen instead of floating the note.
- Turn on "Display over other apps" for StickyHover
You'll land on the app's own permission page — flip the switch and press back. Samsung calls the same switch Appear on top; Xiaomi calls it Display pop-up windows. Exact paths are below.
- Go back and float it
Tap Float on screen again. Now open any other app: the note rides on top. Drag it anywhere, drag the corner to resize, tap its title to bring it forward.
Where the setting lives on your brand of phone
StickyHover sends you straight to its own permission page, so you rarely need these. They're here for the day you want to check or revoke the permission by hand.
- Stock Android / Pixel (Android 12 – 16): Settings → Apps → Special app access → Display over other apps → StickyHover → on.
- Samsung One UI: Settings → Apps → ⋮ (three dots) → Special access → Appear on top → StickyHover → on.
- Xiaomi / POCO / Redmi (HyperOS, MIUI): Settings → Privacy protection → Special permissions → Display over other apps → StickyHover. Then also open Settings → Apps → Manage apps → StickyHover → Other permissions and enable Display pop-up windows while running in the background — HyperOS treats that as a second gate.
- Everyone else (OnePlus, Oppo, Vivo, Motorola, Nothing): search Settings for "over other apps" or "appear on top" — the wording varies, the switch is the same.
Only one thing is granted: permission to draw a window. There is no accessibility service to enable and no device-admin prompt.
What you can do once it floats
A floating StickyHover note isn't a static picture of your text — it's the live note.
- Resize from a one-line strip to half the screen. Drag the corner. Long notes scroll up, down and sideways inside the window, and the size is remembered per note. Free.
- Edit in place. Tap the pencil on the floating note to change the text, switch colour, copy, paste or share without leaving the app you're in. Free.
- Minimize to a sphere. Collapse the note into a small coloured ball when you need the screen back; tap to restore. Free. Pro adds seven more shapes — pill, edge tab, corner fold, hairline and others — in three sizes.
- Quick-add bubble. An optional "+" button that tucks itself half off the screen edge and opens a fresh floating note in one tap. Free.
- Several notes at once, each with its own place and size; a card-deck cascade tidies three or more. Pro.
- Per-note opacity. Make a note translucent so charts, maps and games stay readable underneath. Free.
- Per-app rules. Show a note only when your broker app is open, or hide it when a chat app is. Pro.
- Auto-float on calls. Mark a note as your call script and it appears when the phone rings. Pro.
Troubleshooting
The switch is on but nothing floats
Force-close StickyHover once (swipe it away in Recents) and tap Float on screen again. Android applies the new permission to the next launch of the overlay service.
The note vanishes after a while on Xiaomi, POCO or Redmi
HyperOS and MIUI kill background services aggressively. Three fixes, do all three: enable Display pop-up windows while running in the background (path above); set Settings → Apps → Manage apps → StickyHover → Battery saver to No restrictions; and in Recents, long-press the StickyHover card and tap the lock icon so it survives a "clear all".
The note is stuck under the navigation bar or in a corner
Update to v1.25 or later. Floating notes and the quick-add bubble now stay inside the safe area on every screen shape, and re-opening the app un-tucks anything that parked off-screen.
Taps go to the note when I want them to reach the app underneath
That's by design: a floating window takes the taps that land on it. Lower the note's opacity and drag it out of the way, or minimize it to a sphere — the app behind it gets every tap until you bring the note back.
A "displaying over other apps" notification appeared
Some Android versions show an informational notification whenever any app draws on top. It's not a warning about StickyHover specifically; you can silence that notification category in Android's notification settings.
Privacy: what the permission does and doesn't allow
Display over other apps is a drawing permission, not a reading one. It lets StickyHover put a window on top of other apps; it does not let it see what's inside them, log your taps or record your screen. StickyHover has no analytics, no ads and no account — notes live in a local database on your phone and, only when you back them up, in a file or Drive folder you own. The optional per-app rules use Android's Usage access, which reports only the package name of the app in front. Full details are in the privacy policy.
FAQ
Does the note keep floating when I switch apps?
Yes. Once you grant Display over other apps, a floating note is a system-level window that stays on screen while you switch between apps. If you open StickyHover itself, floating notes hide so they don't cover your list, and reappear when you leave.
Is the permission dangerous? What can StickyHover see?
The overlay permission only lets an app draw on top of other apps. It cannot read what's on your screen, capture keystrokes or see other apps' content. StickyHover's optional per-app rules use a separate Android permission (Usage access) that returns only the package name of the app in front — never its contents.
Do I need a Google account or an internet connection?
No. Floating notes are stored on your phone and work fully offline. No account, no sign-in, no analytics.
Can I keep more than one note on screen?
One floating note is free forever. Multiple notes at once, each with its own size and position, is part of the Pro tier along with per-app rules, glass blur and the card-deck cascade.
Why does my floating note disappear on a Xiaomi, POCO or Redmi phone?
HyperOS and MIUI have a second, separate toggle for floating windows and can also kill background apps to save battery. Enable Display pop-up windows while running in the background for StickyHover and lock the app in Recents; the troubleshooting section above has the exact paths.