Android’s notification management is often regarded as superior to that of Apple’s iOS, yet there remains potential for improvement. Google is evidently interested in enhancing its notification system, drawing inspiration from iOS to address some of the current challenges.
Recently, the Mountain View tech giant announced plans to introduce a new feature aimed at streamlining notifications on Android 16. In December, a report revealed that Google is developing a feature called “Notification bundling,” intended to silence and organize similar notifications to minimize screen clutter.
Although we have not yet seen this feature in action on Android 16, it seems that its launch is imminent with recent updates suggesting progress. According to Mishaal Rahman from Android Authority, the feature has been renamed to “notification organizer” in the Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2 release.
This revamped feature retains its original functionality: it uses an automated sorting system akin to Gmail, sorting notifications into categories such as Promotions, News, Social, and Recommendations. In addition to the new name, Google’s announcement indicates that the feature will leverage AI technology, albeit with the acknowledgment that it may not be entirely accurate all the time.
Currently, the feature hasn’t been activated in the recent release, but a settings page has been discovered on a Pixel 8 Pro running the beta version, allowing users to customize which apps should be exempt from this categorization. This is particularly useful for apps, such as WhatsApp, that may frequently receive miscategorized alerts.
As for its rollout, Android Authority speculates that the feature could debut in the first quarterly release for Android 16. However, there is uncertainty regarding its availability across all Android 16 devices due to its reliance on the proprietary Notification Assistant service.
Despite this limitation, there is hope that Google may find a way to make it accessible to a wider range of users.
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