This article teaches you how to revoke access to the screen overlay (an option that allows an app to appear on top of other apps) for an app on your Android phone. Sometimes you get an error if the screen overlay conflicts with another app. This can cause certain apps to stop working properly or even not open at all. You can revoke access to the screen overlay in the settings menu on Stock Android, a Samsung Galaxy or an LG device.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: On Stock Android
Step 1. Open Settings
This is the gray gear, which is usually in the app drawer. Or:
- Swipe down from the top of your screen and tap the gear
Step 2. Tap on 'Apps & Notifications'
This option is at the top of the menu, next to a grid of squares.
Step #3. Tap on Advanced
This is at the bottom of the page.
Step #4. Tap on Special Access
This is the last option on the menu.
Step 5. Tap on Show on top
This is the fourth option from the top.
Step 6. Tap on the app that you want to turn off the screen overlay
If you're disabling this option because of an error message, choose the app that gave you the error, or the one you suspect is causing the problem. Apps that use screen overlays include Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Twilight.
On certain devices, you'll only see a list of apps with screen overlays and toggles next to them. In this case, just tap the switch next to an app to turn off the screen overlay for that app
Step 7. Turn the switch to 'off'
for the app whose screen overlay you want to disable.
Access to the screen overlay is now disabled for this app.
If you don't know which app is causing the problem, you can disable all of them and then re-enable them one by one
Method 2 of 3: On a Samsung Galaxy
Step 1. Open Settings
This is the gray gear, which is usually in the app drawer. Or:
- Swipe down from the top of your screen and tap the gear
Step #2. Tap on Apps
It's somewhere in the middle of the menu, next to an icon with four circles. You will now open a list of all apps on your phone.
Step #3. Tap on ⋮
It's the three-dot icon in the top right corner of the screen. You will now open a drop-down menu with additional options.
Step #4. Tap on Special Access
This is the next-to-last option in the drop-down menu. You will now open a menu with special app settings.
Step 5. Tap on Show on top
This is the fourth option from the top.
Step 6. Turn the switch to 'off'
for the app whose screen overlay you want to disable.
Access to the screen overlay is now disabled for this app.
If you don't know which app is causing the problem, you can disable all of them and then re-enable them one by one
Method 3 of 3: On an LG
Step 1. Open Settings
This option looks like a gear, and is usually found in the app drawer.
You can also access Settings by swiping down from the top of the screen and opening your notifications, then tapping the gear in the top right corner
Step #2. Tap on Apps
It's next to the icon with a pie chart and three dots.
Step #3. Tap on ⋮
It's in the top right corner of the apps menu. You will now open a drop-down menu.
Step #4. Tap Set Up Apps
This is the first option in the drop-down menu.
Step 5. Tap on Show on top
This is under the 'Advanced' heading.
Step 6. Tap on the app that is causing the problem
Apps with screen overlays include Messenger, WhatsApp, Clean Master, Drupe, screen recording apps, and Lux.
Step 7. Toggle the 'Show on top' switch to 'off'
Screen overlays are now disabled for this app. You can now open the app from which you received an error message.