Android Finally Has This Notification Feature
If we look at its past history, Android has featured a complex notification system, including a pull-down notification drawer, which Apple did not imitate until 2011. Android has always provided a plethora of tools for selectively limiting certain types of alerts. So, for example, if you want to be alerted of Facebook direct messages but not every single like on a post, you may disable the latter in the app’s notification settings.
However, all of Android’s notification controls are added after the fact. When you install an app, it automatically has permission to deliver alerts. That’s all. There is no initial prompt, and there is no indication that anything is occurring. By installing the app, you are automatically agreeing to any alerts the app decides to deliver on Android.
Android’s Approach to Notifications Is Outdated
In essence, Android’s approach to alerts is that asking forgiveness is preferable than asking permission. And Android users have been living in this manner since the device’s creation. Google has made it simpler to quiet some sorts of warnings in recent years. Long-pressing a notice, for example, will give you the choice to make it “quiet” or turn it off totally.
Every new program you install increases your chances of being spammed, and not necessarily instantly. For months, one clone it software I downloaded was completely silent. Until one day, the developer concluded that nudging users to start exchanging data might result in more premium subscribers. So, out of nowhere, I received a notice saying, “Ready to transfer data?”
For large applications, assuming that consumers want alerts from an app they download is a generally safe bet. You’d probably be annoyed if you accidentally hit the incorrect button and no longer get Gmail notifications. However, the issue becomes worse when you apply it to random programs that you may download for occasional usage.
We realize that customers do not want to be bombarded with alerts informing them that the developer has updated their desktop app. To make things worse, developers are the only ones who can establish notification categories.
Recent Fix
Making applications ask for permission before sending alerts will not solve the problem. However, being able to chop off some of the rubbish before it comes is preferable than tracking it down afterwards. The issue is that, due to the way Android upgrades operate, even this modest but required improvement will take years to take effect. Most Android upgrades take a long time to reach the majority of users. Only 28.3 percent of Android smartphones were running version 11 or above in May 2022. Android 11 was released for the first time in 2020. In other words, your phone may not support this function for years.
Even if you are among the fortunate few who buy a phone, most likely a Samsung or Google Pixel, that will support it shortly, developers will not be compelled to support it just yet. It will most likely be mid- to late 2023 before applications must target Android 13 and, as a result, be needed to obtain permission before delivering alerts. Some applications may be ready sooner, while others may wait as long as they can.
