Previously we covered an Android app called Floating Notifications that present your notifications in a small floating circle similar to Facebook Chat Heads, allowing you to view and move your notifications anywhere on the screen regardless of whether you are on the home screen or have an app open. Floating Notifications itself was inspired by the HALO feature from Paranoid Android ROM that integrates these floating notifications into the OS itself. Today, we bring you another similar alternative dubbed Portal (Floating Apps) that, besides enabling you to view your notifications in a similar fashion, also lets you share updates on Facebook and Twitter, browse the web and send text messages to your buddies from a similar interface with a few taps irrespective of the app you currently have active.

Once enabled from Accessibility settings, Portal places a notification icon on your home screen that begins to float above all other on-screen activities, including stock and third-party apps as well as full screen ones. Tapping this minuscule icon brings up the the app’s interface. Although it utilizes an intuitive idea for multitasking, the number of apps it sports at this time is fairly limited and you can only perform the most basic of tasks, such as updating your Facebook status or sending a text messages.

Portal can also display different Android notifications ranging from screenshot captures to incoming messages. To move the notification icon, you simply need to tap and hold it, drag it to your desired location and let go. That said, you can also dismiss the icon if you want by moving it over the cross button that pops up at the bottom edge of the screen.

The functionality offered by Portal can be genuinely useful, especially if you can’t stop updating your social media presence every now and then. With one simple tap, you can connect your Facebook or Twitter account with Portal and begin posting status updates or tweets. Likewise, Portal can also come in handy to quickly browse the web; tapping the Internet icon instantly loads Google at your disposal. Furthermore, you can quickly exchange SMS with your friends and family, all without having to go to your home screen or app drawer in order to launch any of the aforementioned apps. What’s more interesting is the fact that it’s very lightweight and runs equally good on older devices.

Even though it’s not as feature-laden as Floating Notifications, Portal is a great app to try if you quickly want to update your Facebook status, tweet, text, Google or view notifications without having to navigate away from the currently active app. Portal is currently in early beta, so there may be quirks here and there. You can give it a go by grabbing it from the following link.

Install Portal (Floating Apps) from Play Store