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iOS has ushered in lots of elements of the present smartphone expertise, however notification administration is one space during which it has been a follower. It is no secret Android has at all times had higher notification administration than iOS — in truth, it is why loads of smartphone customers persist with Google’s facet of the fence. However in terms of staying on prime of what is taking place in my life, I’ve discovered I flip to my iPhone greater than my assortment of Android units.
I’ve used an iPhone and flagships from each smartphone maker day by day for over ten years. There is a huge disparity between the way in which completely different Android cellphone makers current their notifications, and there are just a few extremely helpful issues that solely iOS has. And even when Android is the higher platform for contemporary notifications total, I would nonetheless prefer to see Google take these classes from Apple to coronary heart — if solely to good its already-excellent system.
1 Notification Middle is my very own private inbox
That I can ignore to my coronary heart’s content material
I run most of my life on my cellphone. Between enterprise and private affairs in a number of nations and real-time gadgets in 5 electronic mail accounts, seven Slack accounts, and a number of other lively social accounts, lots of my instant duties are reactionary based mostly on what’s taking place in my life.
I like the iPhone for notifications as a result of the Notification Middle is an inbox I can filter at my very own tempo. The granular controls constructed into iOS permit management over most facets of notifications. Particularly, there are the precise apps — and accounts inside them — which are worthy of disrupting my day, whereas the remaining are all hidden away for me to verify with a easy swipe-up at any time. The essential factor is I at all times verify and swipe them away, generally needing to set reminders to motion them later.
I additionally love the power to filter per account. I’ve 5 electronic mail accounts on my cellphone: two are crucial, one is mildly vital, and the remaining two are private and low-priority. Between all 5 accounts, I get about 150 emails day by day, however utilizing this feature solely alerts me to about 40-50 vital ones. Additional controls in apps like Superhuman imply I can get much more granular by solely getting notifications to particular break up inboxes.
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The dearth of icons within the notification bar additionally means much less notification overload. Some folks just like the notification icons within the standing bar, however I don’t. I’ve much more notification fatigue when utilizing an Android cellphone than iOS, regardless that the previous has extra helpful options.
Notification Historical past is a incredible Android function (that I hope Apple will finally shamelessly undertake) meaning you may clear any notifications and know you may at all times be capable of see each notification from the previous 7 days. Some Android makers do not allow it by default, but it surely’s the very first thing I verify after I arrange a brand new Android cellphone.
2 Haptic Contact has extra choices to rapidly triage incoming alerts
And it makes managing notifications that a lot simpler
The opposite motive to make use of the iPhone’s Notification Middle is Haptic Contact, which lets you show fast actions for nearly each app. Whereas Android apps even have this function, I’ve discovered that iOS has help for extra apps utilizing this perform.
I’ve additionally discovered that iOS supplies extra contextual information within the Haptic Contact preview. For instance, after I obtain an electronic mail on Android, I can see a bit little bit of the data, however on iOS, I can see extra information and which electronic mail account it comes from. The latter level is vital: I’ve inadvertently archived emails on Android from my work account, as I assumed I used to be utilizing my private account. I observed immediately, but it surely’s one thing that doesn’t occur on iOS.
3 I like Reside Actions and the Dynamic Island
And all Android telephones ought to have them
I’ve already written that each Android cellphone ought to copy Apple’s Dynamic Island. Google must push to make this the usual for Android as a result of it’s so helpful. A part of Dynamic Island is Reside Actions, which do precisely what they are saying: they supply a widget for the person to be up to date in real-time about one thing time-sensitive.
I actually consider that is how all notifications needs to be. I don’t want 5 notifications from Doordash displaying each step of my order; I’d a lot, a lot relatively have a dynamically updating widget that exhibits my real-time order standing and ETA. Contemplating that Android has supported widgets that replace in real-time because the first Android cellphone, it’s a shock that Apple beat it to the punch in these kinds of notifications.
It’s not simply meals: Finest Purchase has a dwell exercise round your order standing (which is ideal for at-a-glance info while you’re driving to select up your order in-store). Rideshare apps like Uber hold your experience info out there on the lock display, no unlocks required. And utilities like Flighty hold you updated on each step of your air journey journey. Sadly, it’s solely out there on Apple units.
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4 Correct notification counters on app icons
I do not simply have one unread electronic mail, Google
If Google solely fixes one factor about Android notifications, please let or not it’s the notification counter. For the reason that early days of iOS, Apple has applied helpful counters on app icons to let you recognize the variety of unread gadgets (reminiscent of emails) or that there’s an unread notification. For years, I waited for Google to implement this on the OS degree in Android, and whereas they’ve finished so, the implementation is sorely missing.
iOS reads notifications on the app degree, which suggests it precisely displays the standing of your unread notifications. This additionally means you may delete the whole lot out of your Notification Middle, and the app icons will nonetheless present the variety of unread notifications. That is principally correct, though generally, with Apple’s apps like Messages, it may be wildly inaccurate on completely different platforms when synced through iCloud.
Android, by comparability, reads the contents of your Notification Middle. An enormous downside with this dismissing one thing from the Notification Middle additionally dismisses the app icon. Mix this with a scarcity of correct grouping within the Notification Middle, and one factor is evident: Google might considerably enhance the UX of notifications on Android. It is a simple repair, and will even act as a toggle inside settings to make everybody joyful.
Admittedly, Apple does have just a few patents governing push notifications and the way they’re routed to a cellphone, however Google must rethink its present implementation of app icons.
5 Granular management with focus modes
Do Not Disturb could be a lot extra — simply ask Samsung
If Google is working to make notifications even higher on Android, it is perhaps price contemplating Focus Modes. On Android, Do Not Disturb is a single toggle, both on or off, with numerous adjustable settings. On iOS, you may arrange and tailor a number of completely different focus modes for various environments. Personally, it is the kind of factor that Android ought to excel at: automated, customized modes that ship experiences based mostly on particular elements.
At work? Activate a spotlight mode for work and solely get notifications for work-related apps, or have it auto-trigger inside a particular geolocation. Attempting to spend time with your loved ones? Arrange a particular Buddies and Household mode that solely permits important notifications by means of your firewall. And for those who’re simply in search of the same old Do Not Disturb and Sleep modes to cease apps from distracting you or waking you up, these exist right here too.
I’m penning this on the iPad Professional 2024 — keep tuned for the complete evaluate — whereas on a aircraft, and I’ve turned on my flying focus mode. This disables notifications for a lot of apps besides electronic mail, messaging, three social media apps, and a few information companies. I don’t want alerts from the remainder of the apps on my cellphone as a result of many of the content material will not load on the aircraft’s Wi-Fi, they usually can wait till I land and get settled.
Sure, Samsung units do sport an analogous function inside One UI known as Modes and Routines, however I am in search of this kind of factor to be constructed into Android by default. However in case you are utilizing a Galaxy S24 Extremely, you recognize simply how invaluable these instruments are — and the way worthy they’re of being included in all Android telephones, no matter OEM.
You are doing nice, Google — however Android could possibly be even higher
I am not right here to say Android notifications are damaged, nor do I believe that Apple trounces its competitors right here. However for as a lot flack as iOS earns for the way it handles alerts, there are just a few concepts Google might take to make each Android cellphone that rather more fully-featured. It is perhaps too late to shoehorn these ideas into Android 15, however that is the enjoyable factor about OS upgrades: there’s at all times subsequent 12 months.
Nirave is a creator, evangelist, and founding father of Home of Expertise, which covers one of the best well being and know-how merchandise. Following a coronary heart assault on the age of 33, he’s been targeted on the affect of know-how in serving to us dwell longer, extra fruitful, and happier lives. He may also be discovered on Instagram and Twitter and publishes the Impression E-newsletter at affect.scorching.tech.