What you need to know
- The recent Android 15 QPR beta holds clues about an upcoming "sync notification" feature for devices.
- The beta didn't go into detail; however, the feature could help users keep tabs on important alerts no matter the device in use.
- Google has other updates coming for notifications like a new "compact" option and a "cooldown" option for repetitive buzzes.
A future Android feature drop may hold the arrival of a notification feature we've long hoped for.
While looking through the recent Android 15 QPR beta, Mishaal Rahman (Android Authority) discovered a "sync across devices" function. It's unclear whether Google will roll this out to all Android devices—although there's hope. Regardless, Rahman suspects this "sync" will arrive for notifications due to the code spotted within the Settings menu.
The post notes a "com.android.settings.notification.syncacrossdevices" string in the QPR1 Beta 2's Settings.
Whenever this rolls out, it seems Google will offer the "sync" button alongside the sensitive notification option and a new "cooldown" button. Additionally, Rahman claims that the code's exclusion of "com.google.android" suggests this sync feature could arrive for all Android devices.
This way, if you cancel an unimportant notification on your Android phone, you won't have to do so again on your Android tablet or other devices; since they're synced, it'll be dismissed everywhere.
Google is likely still in development for the feature considering the beta didn't offer much insight into its functionality. Moreover, whenever this arrives, users can keep tabs on their important notifications no matter which device they're using.
It seems Google has a lot in store for notifications with Android 15 as that "cooldown" feature was first spotted in Developer Preview 1. The feature will seemingly reduce the frequency and repetitiveness of certain notifications on our devices. The early discovery showed that Google could give users agency over how the feature works, like whether it'll limit conversations or all notifications.
The audio cue of these notifications on cooldown will drop, though it doesn't seem like they'll go completely silent.
Toward the end of Android 15's beta, the development of a less disruptive, more compact variant was spotted. If the "compact" version is desired, notifications will appear as a single line of text with a quick "reply" button, and the app's logo. Users can tap the dropdown menu to see the message in full.
While the customization option seemed relatively put together, speculation suggests it might not arrive for Android 15's stable launch. If not, perhaps we have the December feature drop to look forward to.
The notification sync feature was spotted in Android 15 QPR1 Beta 2, which rolled out to enrolled testers last week. It was a hefty patch, packed with loads of Pixel Bluetooth and system fixes. More importantly, it held some insight into a few upcoming features like a redesign for the Quick Settings menu.
Android 15 is rumored to arrive for devices in October.
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