Android notifications are “less annoying” compared to iPhone notifications, but they’re certainly not perfect. You can improve them with some of Android’s built-in features. We’ll show you what you need to do to get better control over your notifications.
See also: 7 iPhone features that Android should adopt
View your notification history
One of the most frustrating things about notifications is accidentally dismissing them. What app was it from? Did you miss something important? How can you find it again? That's where Notification History comes in.
Notification History is a log of all notifications that have appeared on your device in the last 24 hours. It's not enabled by default for some reason, so you'll need to enable it.
See also: When to clear an Android app's cache
Hide notification icons from the Status Bar
The crown jewel of Android notifications is the Status Bar and “notification shade.” You can easily see what notifications you have and swipe down to read them. However, you may not want every app to add an icon up there.
For those apps that aren't that important, you can simply hide the notification icon from the status bar. The notification will still be there when you swipe down, but it's now a lower priority.
Stop Notifications from Popping Up
By default, most Android notifications will “pop” onto the screen. These notifications can be intrusive and are especially annoying for non-essential apps. Fortunately, there’s an easy way to turn them off.
When you turn off “Pop on screen,” the notification will only appear as an icon in the status bar. You won’t see the full pop-up window with the notification contents . This is a great option for low-priority notifications .
Hide sensitive notifications on the lock screen
The lock screen is the window on your Android phone. Even when it's locked, users can see notifications. The good news is that you can hide the content and still see the notification.
Android gives you two options for this. You can choose to hide all “Sensitive Notifications,” which are determined by Android, so there’s not much control. Alternatively, you can turn it on or off for individual apps.
Get reminders for notifications
What if your goal isn't to reduce or remove notifications, but to remember them for later? Android lets you "snooze" notifications—just like emails in Gmail—so you can be reminded of them later.
Snoozing a notification simply hides it for the selected period of time and then shows it again on your phone. This way, you won't accidentally dismiss the notification or forget about it in your status bar.
Block notifications for Focus Time
When notifications are too distracting, Focus Time is your best friend. This feature lets you select specific apps that are distracting you, then temporarily block them.
Focus Time is similar to Do Not Disturb, but it's meant to be used more on-demand. Also, Focus Mode only blocks apps, it doesn't have the ability to block calls or messages from specific people.
Android notifications are generally pretty good, but there are definitely times when you want to have better control over your notifications. Don't let your phone become a constant distraction.
Information source: howtogeek.com
