Help an iOS Convert Understand Android Notifications?

[atblay]

Hi. I've been loyal to Apple and iOS for many years, but as I use tons of Google apps for both personal and professional endeavors, I was excited to try out a Pixel. So I pulled the trigger, sold my iPhone, and took delivery of my Pixel yesterday. There are many things I enjoy about the Pixel, but one that I have a hard time understanding.

When I have the phone "open," that is to say the screen is awake and I'm logged in but idle, there are no banner or badge notifications. So my phone vibrates, and then I have to guess where the notification came from. Of course, I can pull down the notification center (sorry—I don't know all the Android vernacular yet; y'all probably call it something else), but that seems much more inefficient than just being able to immediately discern what app is asking for my attention.

Mind you, I find the badge notifications of iOS aesthetically ugly and kind of pestering. But, for instance, just now I sent myself an email from a work account to my personal Gmail account, while I had the phone unlocked, idle, and set to vibrate. The only notification was a tiny envelope at the top of the screen, which quickly faded. No vibration, no banner or badge to direct me.

So am I doing it wrong? I feel like I must be...

And, just to be clear, again, I love lots of things about the Pixel and I by no means am trying to debate the merits of iOS notifications here. I'm just convinced I must be missing something. Am I? Thanks!

 

[hallux]

Not all apps support the pop-over notifications, I think. I just tested, I guess Gmail doesn't support those. I know for a fact that Hangouts uses those, I see them all the time and use them to respond to messages. If you keep up to date with your notifications (look who's talking, I often have 5-6 on my screen) it shouldn't be difficult to see what app posted the notification. You can also change the notification sound to have a different one for each app that you care about

The launcher on the Pixel does not support badge notifications (no Google-developed launcher does/will) so you'd have to look elsewhere for that. Nova Launcher is a popular one with the Tesla Unread add-on to give the badges.

 

[gone down south]

You have to set noise and vibration for alerts within each app individually, unlike iOs where you have a central control area. Not better or worse, just different. And every notification will leave an icon on the left hand side of the top bar, pull down on it and you'll see all the notification details.

As Hallux said, you can install different launchers that can give you badges on individual app icons, but frankly from a productivity standpoint that's about the worst thing you can do to yourself!

 

[atblay]

That's really helpful. Thanks so much!

 

[DJM626]

The pixel also has a small notification light housed inside of the top earpiece grill that when the phone is in the down position you can see it blink. It is not super bright or anything but you know its there if there is a notification that just came in