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Apple News has a notification spam problem

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Re: Apple News has a notification spam problem

#21

Post by tomduncalf »

It’s a shame Apple have not been as strict about spammy notifications as they have about other aspects of iOS. I realised the other day that I automatically don’t allow notifications for virtually any app, primarily because I expect it’s going to spam me. Some apps would actually be enhanced by notifications but I never allow it.

The default notifications allowed for any app should be only relevant, action-based ones (“you have a new x!”, “time to practice your x!”, “user x remixed your track” etc.) with an extra opt-in for spammy attention grabbing ones of these are really needed.

Re: Apple News has a notification spam problem

#23

Post by TazeTSchnitzel »

tomduncalf wrote: post #21

It’s a shame Apple have not been as strict about spammy notifications as they have about other aspects of iOS. I realised the other day that I automatically don’t allow notifications for virtually any app, primarily because I expect it’s going to spam me. Some apps would actually be enhanced by notifications but I never allow it. The default notifications allowed for any app should be only relevant, action-based ones…

Spam notifications are against App Store policy, and yet…

Re: Apple News has a notification spam problem

#24

Post by simonh »

garmaine wrote: post #16
threeseed wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would be filling a bug report over at http://bugreporter.apple.com Definitely not normal for the OS to be ignoring notification settings.

It's not ignoring so much ass the internal array of notification options changes, or the app is upgraded across a major OS release, or something else which causes a new or replacement notification setting to take on its default value. The problem, if anything, is that whatever test suite they run doesn't include someone opting out of everything, applying the update, and then checking if they are still opted out of ev…

The only way I can think of this might appear to happen, other than a bug, is restoring a backup to a point where notifications were still enabled.

Re: Apple News has a notification spam problem

#25

Post by simonh »

JimDabell wrote: post #20
discordance wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem is that this is the default behavior of Apple News and is poor design. It doesn't even align with Apple's own Human Interface Guidelines[0], which states "If you send multiple notifications for the same thing, you fill up Notification Center, and users may turn off notifications from your app." [0]: https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guideline...

> The problem is that this is the default behavior of Apple News This is not the default behaviour. No application has permission to send you notifications unless you enable it.

I believe this is true, the difference for News is you get asked if you want updates during phone setup and it's easy to forget you agreed. Since that method doesn't use the usual notifications UI it doesn't cognitively associate as the same thing, which is a little sneaky, but you do still have to give positive approval.

Re: Apple News has a notification spam problem

#26

Post by jakobegger »

tomduncalf wrote: post #21

It’s a shame Apple have not been as strict about spammy notifications as they have about other aspects of iOS. I realised the other day that I automatically don’t allow notifications for virtually any app, primarily because I expect it’s going to spam me. Some apps would actually be enhanced by notifications but I never allow it. The default notifications allowed for any app should be only relevant, action-based ones…

Usually when an app sends a spam notification, I just delete the entire app.

For many apps getting push notifications would be the only reason that I install them. But if they then go on to send me spam instead of helpful notification, I don't see the point in using their service.

Re: Apple News has a notification spam problem

#27

Post by garmaine »

simonh wrote: post #24
garmaine wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not ignoring so much ass the internal array of notification options changes, or the app is upgraded across a major OS release, or something else which causes a new or replacement notification setting to take on its default value. The problem, if anything, is that whatever test suite they run doesn't include someone opting out of everything, applying the update, and then checking if they are still opted out of ev…

The only way I can think of this might appear to happen, other than a bug, is restoring a backup to a point where notifications were still enabled.

No, this consistently happens when Apple does an iOS release that makes major updates to the News app. Update installed, start getting notifications.

Re: Apple News has a notification spam problem

#28

Post by saagarjha »

JimDabell wrote: post #19
garmaine wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not ignoring so much ass the internal array of notification options changes, or the app is upgraded across a major OS release, or something else which causes a new or replacement notification setting to take on its default value. The problem, if anything, is that whatever test suite they run doesn't include someone opting out of everything, applying the update, and then checking if they are still opted out of ev…

This definitely doesn't sound correct. Aside from the fact that the default for notifications is zero permissions, Apple don't keep adding new notification types. I've never seen the type of "reset" you're talking about in 10+ years of developing iOS apps. If you're certain you've disabled notifications (Settings > News > Notifications > Allow Notifications), then file a bug.

> the default for notifications is zero permissions

Not for Apple's apps. Also, note that as of iOS 12 apps can post "provisional" notifications without asking for permission: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/usernotifications/...

Re: Apple News has a notification spam problem

#29

Post by garmaine »

JimDabell wrote: post #19
garmaine wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not ignoring so much ass the internal array of notification options changes, or the app is upgraded across a major OS release, or something else which causes a new or replacement notification setting to take on its default value. The problem, if anything, is that whatever test suite they run doesn't include someone opting out of everything, applying the update, and then checking if they are still opted out of ev…

This definitely doesn't sound correct. Aside from the fact that the default for notifications is zero permissions, Apple don't keep adding new notification types. I've never seen the type of "reset" you're talking about in 10+ years of developing iOS apps. If you're certain you've disabled notifications (Settings > News > Notifications > Allow Notifications), then file a bug.

The default is most certainly not zero notifications for Apple News. Get a new iPhone, click through the setup procedure, and you'll get lock-screen notifications about news.

Re: Apple News has a notification spam problem

#30

Post by saagarjha »

Apple's services products are noticeably spammy and it bothers me. News's alerts is one, but others in this category include Apple Music's trial offer notifications and iCloud's badges to upgrade your storage plan. Honestly, these all feel like they're in poor taste (I'd bring up the Human Interface Guidelines, but they don't really apply in this case) and I think they annoy people and might cause more harm than good.
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