Mysterious notification beeps

[Big Rich]

I have a new Android phone (Samsung S25+) and I have been getting notification beeps. Most are normal and the associated app shows up with a notification bubble and a icon pops up in the top left hand corner of the home screen. But lately, the notification beep occurs and there is no icon or app bubble.

It's like the old trick where kids ring your doorbell and run away. In this case, I pick up the phone and there's nothing there. It happens about once a day (sometimes more) and it is really annoying.

Is there any event log or something I can check to find out where these notifications are coming from? I have a lot of apps and I wouldn't even know what classification of permissions to look at so I'm trying to find out what's happening the easiest way possible.

 

[CaribMas]

Try using Nice Catch. It is a module in Good Luck that may help you identify the notifications.

 

[spARTacus]

...Is there any event log or something I can check to find out where these notifications are coming from?...

Under notification settings or advance notification settings, look for notification history. A settings search for "history" should also find it.

 

[mustang7757]

I moved this to the s25 Forums

 

[mustang7757]

How often is the beeping?
Make sure NFC off and Bluetooth and might want try safe mode to see any 3rd party apps responsible after the above steps in the thread.

 

[Big Rich]

Thank you all. I "stumbled" upon the "Notification history" which was not where the youtube videos showed it should be.

As spARTacus mentioned, it was under "Notifications", then under "Advanced settings", then "Notification history".

The nuisance notification in this case was Google taking it upon themselves to backup my photos and contacts and pretty much anything it wants from the phone, quietly, and without asking.

The app calls itself "Google Play services".

Apparently there are lots of apps that ask for certain or all permissions and then take it upon themselves to upload data you may not know is included with the reason you grant the permission. This is utterly convoluted in my opinion but we are slaves to our phones these days.

My problem is deciding how to differentiate what permissions to disable and when, doing that, may render the app useless for any purpose of having the app on the phone in the first place. Or apps like this one that I didn't even know was on the phone in the first place.

Thank you all again for your help.

 

[spARTacus]

In my experience, the device shouldn't on its own be backing up things like photos and contacts (and doing that via Google Play services) unless the user has set (or allowed to be set) specific device, account and app settings for such behaviour. In my experience, control over such is not specifically burried in app permissions but instead is a bit clearer in the device/account/app settings themselves. I suggest you review what your device has set as functions for backup, within things like your Samsung and Google account and device settings, and then also within things like the photos/gallery and contacts apps (or pretty much any app) you are using, plus also for how you might be using apps like GoogleDrive or OneDrive (which also "offer" to help for management and back up of files and photos), because all of it tries to make things simple, transparent and seamless for the average user and yes all of it presents as default to assume what most people want even if "they" are assuming such in what would be considered by some as taking liberties.

 

[Big Rich]

Thanks again.

I need to take some time to figure all this out. I can say that I am very frugal when it comes to authorizing permissions but I must have missed some things with this new phone. I never had these issues before. I’m more prone to believe one of the large company apps (Google, Samsung, Verizon, Microsoft) is trying to “help” too much.
I don’t want to backup any photos or contacts or message history or apps to anything other than my personal computer. I don’t want “cloud services” or storage.

I just noticed a few things that are disturbing. I went to check "Notification history" and it has the phrase "Last 24 hours" greyed out, so I can only see the notifications for the past 24 hours.

Then I tried to see what set a notification off at 3:35 this morning. Nothing was listed. I have nothing but quality apps on my phone so I can’t imagine what rogue app or setting is doing this. There was nothing listed in the notification history. In addition to that, I have “Do Not Disturb” set for all night long. I allow calls from my contacts because I want to allow them.
If there is a setting to stop the large company apps from automatically downloading games I’d appreciate being able to turn them off forever without affecting other downloads like system updates etc.

CaribMas suggested an app that I read about somewhere else in this forum called “Nice Catch”. If I continue to be unsuccessful, I will load that up and see if I can control these notifications.

If someone can post the best link to go to change the Google or Samsung account permissions without taking away from what most normal people consider normal help I’d appreciate it.

Here’s a screenshot which shows the conundrum I feel I’m in. It lists only some of the stuff it is accessing “for me”. Then it follows the description up with my new favorite phrase, “Apps may not work if you uninstall Google Play services”. That explains nothing.

 

[spARTacus]

I don't think you need to be too afraid of Google Play Services since at least that's one of the big players, like also Samsung. However, I suggest you go into your Google and Samsung accounts (and also the settings you have under Play Store and Galaxy Store), and become familiar with what to be comfortable as options set for letting those services do things for you. Same also for other settings on your device and settings in each app. I can't imagine the Samsung S25+ is lots worse than other Samsung Android devices for all of this, but the onus is on the user/owner to either become aware of things or surrender to how the companies try to do things to "help you" for the sake of helping themselves. Your device may also be tailored by your carrier in certain ways, if you purchased it through them.

 

[Big Rich]

I don't think you need to be too afraid of Google Play Services since at least that's one of the big players, like also Samsung. However, I suggest you go into your Google and Samsung accounts (and also the settings you have under Play Store and Galaxy Store), and become familiar with what to be comfortable as options set for letting those services do things for you. Same also for other settings on your device and settings in each app. I can't imagine the Samsung S25+ is lots worse than other Samsung Android devices for all of this, but the onus is on the user/owner to either become aware of things or surrender to how the companies try to do things to "help you" for the sake of helping themselves. Your device may also be tailored by your carrier in certain ways, if you purchased it through them.

I don't know where to start. I bought my phones direct from Samsung, unlocked. Verizon activated them and I transferred the apps, contacts and photos from my previous phones when I got home. One from my old Samsung 22+ and one from my old Pixel 2XL.

In this case I believe Google has been backing up my data for years but I didn't get notifications so it didn't bother me.

Since I do backups to my home computer, I don't want my data floating around in cyberspace long after I'm dead and gone or until Google (or others) are done milking every bit of personal profile out of them.

I admit to ignorance when it comes to going into Samsung and Google accounts and knowing what to turn off without shooting myself in the foot, not knowing what settings are tied to more than meets the eye or described in a way that you have no idea what you may be disabling.

Thank you for your reply and I will poke around those accounts and come back here with questions if I have them.

Thanks again.

P.S. they backed up my photos again last night. I was activating multiple streaming services so I took temporary pictures of the codes and URLs to enter into my computer. Just an example of how Google is using up my Google space by backing up useless temporary data like these pictures. Gee, now they know what streaming services I have. They are creepy voyeurs. They need to ask permission, not just do it because they think it's right.

 

[spARTacus]

I don't know where to start...

It can be daunting to have to check over and customize various settings in difference from defaults, and why most folks probably don't bother or surrender to things, if they even are bothered to try to become aware. However, I can't imagine your current S25+ is massively different than your earlier S22+ about lots of this. Could be that earlier by default you just didn't have notifications set for lots of stuff and then never knew about some of what was going on in the background. At the same time, Samsung and Google are constantly adding features they think folks want/need, even if there might not be agreement about what owners/users think they actually want/need vs what Samsung/Google thinks we want/need and also liberal interpretations for their own interests.

Generally, I try to not restrict any notifications when I first get a new device, to give it an opportunity to allow me to become aware (via notifications) of what the device is by default trying to do. At the same time, I try to very specifically not allow the device to do many of the things it immediately (on setup) tries to do and setup (like many backup and sync settings), so I can consciously decide for each of those on a case by case basis. Then, I start to also selectively tailor default settings to disable much of what I don't like. For me, it takes at least an entire day in duration when I get a new device for things to settle down in a way I'm comfortable with, but even then I'll still afterwards get periodic notifications (less and less over time) triggering me to notice for something else I have to dig into and disable or change. It'll drive you crazy if you try to control it too precisely and for also different conflicting scenarios.

 

[spARTacus]

...P.S. they backed up my photos again last night. I was activating multiple streaming services so I took temporary pictures of the codes and URLs to enter into my computer. Just an example of how Google is using up my Google space by backing up useless temporary data like these pictures....

You'll probably want to take a look at whatever Gallery/Pictures/Photos app you're using and what that might have as settings for automatic backup of your pics/photos/videos.

Or (since you said it seems to be backing those up to your Google space), what the settings are for pics/photos/videos backup within your Google Account or within any sort of Google Drive app/service you have on the device.

 

[spARTacus]

...They need to ask permission, not just do it because they think it's right.

They do (ask for permission for such). It's normally burried within terms and conditions we generally have to accept in order to use devices/apps, and in ways that aren't as clear and deterministic as lots of us would like.