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What Apple and Google are doing to push notifications

jacquescorbytuech.com

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Re: What Apple and Google are doing to push notifications

#221

Post by aag »

tencentshill wrote: post #18
balderdash wrote: post #9

I wish apple/google would implement better notification control - like the ability to turn off all marketing notifications, and a much better digest format

Notification Channels is the official way to do this on Android, but it's up to the app developer to categorize them properly. They have no incentive to allow you to turn off ads.

Actually, they do have an incentive to let you turn off ads. If they don't, many users will turn off notifications entirely. At least if they categorize them, some users will just turn off the bothersome ones.

Re: What Apple and Google are doing to push notifications

#222

Post by leonidasv »

tambeb wrote: post #128
hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, this entire article is pretty transparent that it's from the sender perspective, and worried about platforms taking over "sender control". Who is he kidding? The vast majority of apps have absolutely proven they can't be trusted to respect your attention. From my perspective, the more roadblocks the platforms put between unnecessary notifications and my phone, the better. And I don't think Apple or Google are s…

Notification categories are like mailing lists now. You may have unsubscribed from the daily deals email but you're still going to be auto subscribed to every new slightly modified category in perpetuity. Unless you fully disable notifications for an app (in Android at least, in my experience), new enabled by default notification categories are added all the time.

When they exist at all. Many apps that provide important notifications (like delivery tracking, drop-off time etc) put them under the same category as marketing stuff. You can't have just the transactional tracking, you have to opt-in for the marketing notifications as well.

Re: What Apple and Google are doing to push notifications

#223

Post by bix6 »

cadamsdotcom wrote: post #220
makeitdouble wrote: post #206

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> passive I get your point and see it as valid, yet to nitpick most people don't feel they have a choice. Not answering the phone or replying to people's messages is a no-no to many, which sets them in an arms race against spammers and social apps trying to get them from all fronts. And they get frustrated by us living in no-disturb land 24/7. I don't know it could be solved, but I feel for them.

For sure - some folks have to unwind expectations they’ve let themselves be under around responsiveness to messages. Feels like an education issue rather than a tech issue.. thoughts?

I think it’s cultural. Someone sends you a message and knows you likely also have your phone on you. If you don’t respond they might feel ignored.

It can be hard to set phone boundaries with work. There are certain people who get very upset if I don’t answer their phone call.

Re: What Apple and Google are doing to push notifications

#224

Post by tiew9Vii »

pcl wrote: post #67
pants2 wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The biggest problem are apps that do both. For example, I want Uber to notify me when my driver has arrived, but I don't want it to notify me when they have a special 10% discount on my next 5 rides. It's not straightforward to block one but not the other.

For me, it's quite straightforward. If an app makes an unsolicited spammy push, it's notifications-off. No exceptions.

Agreed, there’s a level of trust and as soon as the app breaks that trust with spam, notifications get turned off for that app.

Re: What Apple and Google are doing to push notifications

#226

Post by abhinavk »

leonidasv wrote: post #222
tambeb wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Notification categories are like mailing lists now. You may have unsubscribed from the daily deals email but you're still going to be auto subscribed to every new slightly modified category in perpetuity. Unless you fully disable notifications for an app (in Android at least, in my experience), new enabled by default notification categories are added all the time.

When they exist at all. Many apps that provide important notifications (like delivery tracking, drop-off time etc) put them under the same category as marketing stuff. You can't have just the transactional tracking, you have to opt-in for the marketing notifications as well.

On iOS atleast, Live Activities are separate from Notifications. So I can still monitor food or grocery delivery even though I have turned off their notifications.

Now a few apps have started sending notifications through WhatsApp because they have my phone number. e.g. Amazon

Re: What Apple and Google are doing to push notifications

#227

Post by quality_life »

lanerobertlane wrote: post #24

If my phone interrupts me, it should either mean someone genuinely needs my attention right now or it should not be disrupting me at all. That's my notification set up. Apps allowed to receive push notifications Phone, Messages, Whatsapp, Apple Health, [brand] bank. That concludes the list. There is no reason any other app needs to be able to instantly ping me. Most apps are not notifying you because something matter…

There ought to be a flag to group all such notifications together and present them when the user wants to get to those notifications.

Re: What Apple and Google are doing to push notifications

#228

Post by leonidasv »

abhinavk wrote: post #226
leonidasv wrote: post #222

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When they exist at all. Many apps that provide important notifications (like delivery tracking, drop-off time etc) put them under the same category as marketing stuff. You can't have just the transactional tracking, you have to opt-in for the marketing notifications as well.

On iOS atleast, Live Activities are separate from Notifications. So I can still monitor food or grocery delivery even though I have turned off their notifications. Now a few apps have started sending notifications through WhatsApp because they have my phone number. e.g. Amazon

Yeah, but I still see apps that don't implement those features. Mostly React Native/Flutter apps that don't bother implementing native features. On Android it's even more depressing.

Re: What Apple and Google are doing to push notifications

#229

Post by EZ-E »

nateguchi wrote: post #3

I feel like this article reads like the author is upset that Apple + Google prevent / control certain types of notifications (read: spam) > Cross-sell, upsell, education and discovery can work on push Push notifications should only be for transactional notifications. I don't want another inbox for junk.

I wish Apple would force app developers to implement different "channels" for promotional notifications vs transactional - so that you can pick and choose which ones you want.

Re: What Apple and Google are doing to push notifications

#230

Post by tambeb »

abhinavk wrote: post #226
leonidasv wrote: post #222

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When they exist at all. Many apps that provide important notifications (like delivery tracking, drop-off time etc) put them under the same category as marketing stuff. You can't have just the transactional tracking, you have to opt-in for the marketing notifications as well.

On iOS atleast, Live Activities are separate from Notifications. So I can still monitor food or grocery delivery even though I have turned off their notifications. Now a few apps have started sending notifications through WhatsApp because they have my phone number. e.g. Amazon

I'm not worried about missing food notifications because they send me an email and a text (... and a fax and a hardcopy confirmation letter in the mail.)
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