FEATURE
All these options, which most
users never touch, and still no
way to differentiate critical
notifications from all the rest
notifications are displayed, and instead work on a
systemic means of separating notifications into two
groups: critical alerts that require immediate action
and casual stuff that can wait.
What the notification system on the iPhone really
needs is to recognize that notifications are regularly
abused by developers and are a major reason why we
all use our phones too much. Apple should take the
same systemic approach to reducing notification impact
in iOS 14 as it did with location tracking in iOS 13. Make
notifications silent and non-interrupting by default (no
banners, they just appear in the notification shade). Let
apps define specific ‘high priority’ notifications, and
have to request that users enable
them, while telling users exactly
what will produce them.
For example, Twitter’s
notifications for likes, retweets
and follows would silently deliver
to Notification Centre, but the
app would prompt you to allow
direct messages to be ‘high
priority’ where they would produce
alerts and sounds. The Ring app
would have silent notifications
for detected motion, but could
FEATURE
All these options, which most
users never touch, and still no
way to differentiate critical
notifications from all the rest
notificationsaredisplayed,andinsteadworkona
systemicmeansofseparatingnotificationsintotwo
groups:criticalalertsthatrequireimmediateaction
and casualstuffthatcanwait.
WhatthenotificationsystemontheiPhonereally
needsistorecognizethatnotificationsareregularly
abusedbydevelopersandareamajorreasonwhywe
alluseourphonestoomuch.Appleshouldtakethe
samesystemicapproachtoreducingnotificationimpact
iniOS 14 asitdidwithlocationtrackinginiOS13.Make
notificationssilentandnon-interruptingbydefault(no
banners,theyjustappearinthenotificationshade).Let
appsdefinespecific‘highpriority’notifications,and
havetorequestthatusersenable
them,whiletellingusersexactly
whatwillproducethem.
Forexample,Twitter’s
notificationsforlikes,retweets
andfollowswouldsilentlydeliver
toNotificationCentre,butthe
appwouldpromptyoutoallow
directmessagestobe‘high
priority’wheretheywouldproduce
alertsandsounds.TheRingapp
wouldhavesilentnotifications
fordetectedmotion,butcould
