Are you tired of having your phone display overrun with notifications? The Android and desktop versions of Chrome will soon have a feature that will automatically reduce the number of notifications that appear on your handset' and PC screens. To put it simply, with this feature enabled, Chrome will disable notifications from websites that you don't visit often. It's a great idea and it works by having Google pull the notification permission from sites that send a "high volume" of alerts while having "very low user engagement."
Google found that this feature significantly reduces 'notification overload'
Google will send you an alert that says, "Chrome unsubscribed you from notifications" to let you know that you won't be seeing notifications from websites you don't visit often. It's all part of Google's Safety Check which removes location and camera permissions, and more, from sites you don't visit that much. You can restore permissions to these websites by going to Settings > Safety Check. Tap on the "View sites" button and press on Restore. Another option is to visit the website and agree to receive notifications.
Chrome Browser will save you from notification overload. | Image credit-9to5Google
While testing this new feature, Google found a "significant reduction in notification overload with only a minimal change in total notification clicks." Interestingly, Google found that websites that send fewer notifications end up frequented more often. As for the notifications, Google points out that "less than 1% of all [web] notifications receive any interactions from users."
This feature does not work with web apps (PWAs)
Open the Chrome app on your Android phone and tap the profile icon on the top, you then go to Settings > Safety check. If you press on "Permissions look good," Google writes, "Chrome automatically removes permissions from sites that abuse notifications or that you haven't visited recently." The Safety Check feature was added to the Chrome Browser last year with the goal to reduce the receipt of malicious notifications by Android users.
These notifications could lead users to get involved in a scam. Google would analyze these notifications looking for signs that they were related to a fraud based on research conducted by Google.
Do you like this feature?
Yes. It saves me from notification overload.
100%
No. I like to see all notifications.
0%
I don't care.
0%
To review your permissions and restore permissions, follow these directions:
Go to Chrome's Settings.
Navigate to Privacy and security.
Click on Site Settings.
Go to Permissions and Select Notifications.
Look for the Safety Check page where you can see which sites have been unsubscribed and restore permissions if you wish.
Google is playing the odds here. The thought is that if you don't visit a website that frequently, the odds are that you really don't care about notifications from that site. And many smartphone users do get swamped by the number of notifications they receive on their phones. Keep in mind that this feature will not work on notifications from web apps (PWAs) that you have installed on your device.
The new feature could arrive as soon as next week or it might not surface until the next Android feature drop is released.
"Iconic Phones" is coming this Fall!
Good news everyone! Over the past year we've been working on an exciting passion project of ours and we're thrilled to announce it will be ready to release in just a few short months.
Recommended Stories
"Iconic Phones: Revolution at Your Fingertips" is a must-have coffee table book for every tech-head that will bring you on a journey to relive the greatest technological revolution of the 21st century. For more details, simply follow the link below!
Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.
A discussion is a place, where people can voice their opinion, no matter if it
is positive, neutral or negative. However, when posting, one must stay true to the topic, and not just share some
random thoughts, which are not directly related to the matter.
Things that are NOT allowed:
Off-topic talk - you must stick to the subject of discussion
Offensive, hate speech - if you want to say something, say it politely
Spam/Advertisements - these posts are deleted
Multiple accounts - one person can have only one account
Impersonations and offensive nicknames - these accounts get banned
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts:
New accounts created within the last 24 hours may experience restrictions on how frequently they can
post or comment.
These limits are in place as a precaution and will automatically lift.
Moderation is done by humans. We try to be as objective as possible and moderate with zero bias. If you think a
post should be moderated - please, report it.
Have a question about the rules or why you have been moderated/limited/banned? Please,
contact us.
![If you woke up to SOS mode on your Verizon phone, you weren't alone [UPDATED]](https://m-cdn.phonearena.com/images/article/174761-wide-two_350/If-you-woke-up-to-SOS-mode-on-your-Verizon-phone-you-werent-alone-UPDATED.webp)
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed:
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts: