This Android feature could put your notifications on autopilot

Android is already miles ahead of iOS in how it handles notifications. You can take quick actions directly from alerts and even mute specific notification types from individual apps. Plus, Google continues to refine this experience, and it now appears to be working on a new Notification rules feature.

As the name suggests, the feature will let you create rules for notifications from apps and contacts. The Android Authority team spotted strings related to Notification rules in the latest Android 17 beta.

After creating a rule, you can set the relevant action, which includes Silence, Block, Silence & Bundle, Highlight, and Highlight & Alert.

Based on the naming, strings, and options, Notification rules can be useful in managing the notification overload from some apps and conversations. For example, imagine you are a part of a busy WhatsApp or Google Messages group that constantly buzzes throughout the day.

Besides apps, you’ll also be able to seemingly set up Notification rules for calls and texts by selecting a specific contact.

You can create a rule to silence and bundle all notifications from that group, so your phone does not keep vibrating throughout the day. Likewise, you could create another rule with “Highlight & Alert” to ensure you never miss texts from your wife.

Notification rules may miss Android 17’s initial launch

Third-party apps like BuzzKill offer similar functionality. They allow you to set rules, like if you receive a Gmail notification containing a specific keyword, it can trigger a custom vibration pattern.

A leaked One UI 9 build also contained strings related to the feature. Since Android 17 has reached Platform Stability and Google has not officially talked about Notification rules, and it’s not readily available in the beta, the feature may not go live with the OS’s initial release.

Instead, it may drop as part of one of Android 17’s QPR releases later this year. But whenever it does, Samsung also appears ready to integrate it into its skin.

Notification rules look set to be another useful new addition to Android’s notification management toolkit. It should help cut down on notification clutter while still ensuring you don’t miss important alerts.