How to put your pet on your phone screen (over other apps)
You want your dog, your cat — or anyone you love — showing on your screen while you use other apps. Not hidden behind them like a wallpaper.
The thing you're after has a name: an overlay. It floats on top of whatever else is open.
Here's how it works and the one permission it needs.
It isn't a wallpaper
A wallpaper sits behind your apps — you only see it on the home screen, and it's gone the moment you open anything. An overlay sits on top, so it stays visible while you're in a chat app, a video, a browser.
| Wallpaper | Overlay | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Behind your apps | On top of your apps |
| When you see it | Home screen only | While using other apps too |
| Can it move? | Mostly static | Yes — it can be a short video |
How you put one there
Three pieces, in order:
- An app that draws overlays. This is its whole job, so the "display over other apps" permission is expected here.
- The permission, flipped by you. Android keeps it on a Settings screen you open yourself — an app can't switch it on silently.
- Your subject. Add a short video and it moves; add a photo and it stays still. Then drag to position and resize.
That's it. No root, no special mode — just an overlay app and one permission you control.
Good to know first
- The permission is safe when the app has a reason to use it — and drawing on your screen is exactly that reason. We wrote up what it can and can't do in Is "Display over other apps" permission safe?
- A persistent notification is required. Android makes any app that stays on screen post one, so it can't run hidden. That notification is also your instant off switch.
- Battery stays modest when it's a small overlay in a corner rather than a full-screen animation.
Worth reading next
Petnyang is a desk app that keeps the pets — and the family and friends you love — moving on your screen. They move in one corner while you use other apps.
Drop in a short video and it becomes a moving character; drop in a photo and it becomes a still one. The background is removed automatically, leaving just them.