GoKawiilMegan Ellis / Android Authority
When it comes to using my phone daily, a few things are certain. I will spend far too much time playing Pokémon Go. I will misplace it and have to wander around my house to find it. And I will look at my notifications and be overwhelmed by just how many pings there are on the screen.
But over the past few weeks, that notification clutter has steadily decreased. And it’s all thanks to an app called DoNotNotify.
Does Android provide enough tools to deal with spammy notifications? 14 votes Yes 29 % No 71 %
Spammy apps bypass Android’s notification channels
Joe Maring / Android Authority
When I used to complain about all the notifications I received, people suggested that I use notification channels. Notification channels are a buried Android feature that lets you manage notifications from specific apps by separating them into different types. It’s compulsory for developers to include notification channels for their apps on newer versions of Android. However, not all developers engage with the feature in good faith.
In an app with well-implemented channels, it might allow you to separately enable and disable core notifications and promotions. Uber Eats allows you to do this. I’ve disabled notifications for discounts and events, but enabled notifications for deliveries, order feedback, and tipping.
However, many apps have extremely vague channels that make it difficult to disable specific types of notifications. Meanwhile, others may only have one channel. For example, Temu has channels for Beep Reminder, Critical Reminder, Default, General, Important, Reminders, and Sound Notification. I have no idea what the difference is between a default and a general notification, or what in the world a “beep reminder” is. Meanwhile, Pokémon Go only has two notification channels: Miscellaneous and Pokémon Go.
Notification channels for apps like Temu and Pokémon Go didn't let me separate the notifications I wanted from those I didn't.
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