Google is preparing support for “summarized” notifications in Android 16, as revealed by code in the third beta update.
Android 16’s latest update is out now and, on the surface, there aren’t a ton of big changes. But, as has been the case through the entire beta program, Google continues work behind the scenes on new features. One of those features appears to be “summarized” notifications.
Strings in the latest beta release paint a pretty clear picture of “notification summaries” in Android 16. From the looks of it, users will be able to turn off summaries for individual apps.
Automatically summarize conversation notifications from apps
Conversation notifications from these apps will not be summarized
Use notification summaries
Manage apps
Allow notification summaries for apps
Off
On
Notification summaries
Meanwhile, additional strings shows that notifications with “similar themes” can be silenced and grouped together, and Google will also allow users to “summarize conversation notifications from this app.”
Notifications with similar themes will be silenced and grouped together for a quieter experience
Bundle notifications
Summarize conversation notifications from this app
Summarize notifications
Apple also introduced notification summaries as a part of its “Apple Intelligence” push last year, but the feature has been met with continued controversy as it both doesn’t work all that well – the feature regularly just repeats the name of a group chat I’m in, rather than the contents of a new message – and occasionally creates completely incorrect information. That led to Apple being forced to turn off notification summaries for certain apps, in particular news apps, following numerous complaints.
Google’s version of this feature, based on the strings, will apparently only work for “conversation” notifications. Android also has other notification features limited to “conversations,” such as Bubbles. That will, hopefully, solve some of the bigger issues found in Apple’s version of the feature, but the overall reception will likely be based on how well it actually works.
The strings suggest a new menu page will be added to control the feature, which Android Authority was able to turn on manually (presumably with a pre-release build, based on the timing). A toggle also exists in the notification settings for individual apps, but none of this is actually live at this point.
More on Android 16:
Follow Ben: Twitter/X, Threads, Bluesky, and Instagram
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
