Is there an alternate way to read notifications?

[Android Central Question]

On my Samsung J7 (if that matters) with Android 8.0.0, I have a lot of trouble positioning my finger in just the right way to roll the notifications ribbon down. If it starts to roll down, it often rolls itself right back up. I just want to read my notifications, not play stupid games all day trying to get it on the screen.

Is there any way that I can set up a custom swipe or an alternate way to see the notifications?

 

[Rukbat]

No, you just have to learn how to do it - you pull down all the way. Pulling notifications down until you see the first one and letting go lets it snap right back.

 

[Javier P]

Welcome to the forums. You can also try a custom launcher or a shortcut creator app to set a gesture or a widget to open the notification shade.

 

[mustang7757]

Hi, welcome to Android Forums

I'd like to recommend creating a account so me or other members can assist you, as guest have limitations in replying here and if we need further Information to communicate with you.

I'll provide a link to register, please come back to your post so we can further assist you . Thank you

https://forums.androidcentral.com/showthread.php?t=409154

 

[ManiacJoe]

On the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen, do you not have a "down arrow" button to drop down the notifications?

 

[punstress]

I am OP.

But I have monkeyfingers. Usually it either does nothing or causes the screen to go into edit mode, you know when you want to add a new home page or move stuff around. If nothing happens, I lift my (monkey) finger to try again and finally it opens, but too late, I can't pull it down. It's so frustrating.

 

[punstress]

I do not have a down arrow! That would be exactly what I need. I wonder why I don't have it!?!

 

[chanchan05]

I do not have a down arrow! That would be exactly what I need. I wonder why I don't have it!?!

Because you have an older Samsung J series with a physical button. I can add a down arrow on my S9 if I want to.
On my old S7, where the front home button is a physical button + FP scanner, I can add a function to swipe down on it to call the notification shade. Does the J7 have that?

 

[punstress]

If by "older" you mean less than 1 year, I guess it is older. I bought right around last Christmas. I have a physical button that goes to the home page. No fingerprint scanner. I don't see another function, not sure what to look for?

I just tried swiping down in one complete motion all the way from the top, and my notifications appeared immediately! That is just what I needed! Thank you!

 

[punstress]

Well it worked once. Not working now. Rrrrrr.

 

[chanchan05]

If by "older" you mean less than 1 year, I guess it is older. I bought right around last Christmas. I have a physical button that goes to the home page. No fingerprint scanner. I don't see another function, not sure what to look for?

I just tried swiping down in one complete motion all the way from the top, and my notifications appeared immediately! That is just what I needed! Thank you!

The date you bought it doesn't matter. What matters is the phone model age. If I could find a brand new in box S7 Edge right now and bought it, it's still a 3 year old model.

The J7 variants were released in 2017 latest in Asia, and Samsung re-released them in the US late 2017 or early 2018. They're still the same 2017 devices.

2018 Samsung phones don't have physical buttons on the front. They stopped making phones with those in 2017. That means your phone is a 2 year old model at least. It's using an old design that doesn't allow the new features.

I don't remember if the Samsung phones then had the feature you have to activate where you can swipe down anywhere from the homescreen to open the notification shade automatically. Check in Home Screen Settings.

 

[mustang7757]

I am OP.

But I have monkeyfingers. Usually it either does nothing or causes the screen to go into edit mode, you know when you want to add a new home page or move stuff around. If nothing happens, I lift my (monkey) finger to try again and finally it opens, but too late, I can't pull it down. It's so frustrating.

I like to say Hi, and welcome aboard!

 

[Rukbat]

You can try Nova Launcher. That would allow you to set "swipe down" for the notifications. You can do it from the top, from the middle,m anywhere. (And it gives you a lot more flexibility in both the home pages and the app drawer than the Samsung launcher does. [If you don't like it, you can always uninstall it.]).

 

[punstress]

It's been a while since I posted this and I want to report that soon after this exchange took place, a system update occurred and it completely solved my problem. Now I almost always am able to bring the notifications down. I would like to think the Android people read this and changed things JUST FOR ME.

 

[mustang7757]

It's been a while since I posted this and I want to report that soon after this exchange took place, a system update occurred and it completely solved my problem. Now I almost always am able to bring the notifications down. I would like to think the Android people read this and changed things JUST FOR ME.

Thanks for updating us , glad everything working now .