Android notifications - What's new in Android Lollipop

Talk given in this form at the Google devfest of the Dutch Android User Group and the Google Developers Group, Netherlands.

A slightly different version of this talk was given Oct, 26th 2014 at the devfest of the GDG, Düsseldorf.

1. Android Notifications What's new in Android Lollipop?
2. How users experience notifications
3. Where we come from
4. New Style
5. New Style
6. Where we come from
7. New way
8. New way Public notifications Private notifications
10. Heads Up Notifications • Are less intrusive than old way • Yet still annoying enough to not go unnoticed • For the most pressing notifications
12. Android Wear • Mirrors notifications of device • Well, kind of – it's actually more flexible than that • For stuff that is important now
13. User is in Control • User can disable all notifications for specific apps • User can define periods of „Downtime“ – Only priority notifications will go through – Only users can elevate apps to priority apps • Users can opt out of Lockscreen Notifications
14. User is in Control
15. User is in Control • User can go there either from the settings • Or when long-clicking your notification:
16. How devs create this stuff
17. The minimum
18. Always set the content intent • That's the intent that gets fired when the user clicks your Notification • Users expect notifications to be clickable • Not required, but necessary :-)
19. Always set the content intent
20. PendingIntents • Independent of app lifecycle • Allows other apps to use your permissions • Key is combined of: – Intent (without Extras!) – Requestcode • Use correct flags – Most often FLAG_UPDATE_CURRENT
21. More actions possible
22. Updating notifications • Android updates when ID is the same • Important for – Actions – Persistent notifications • To avoid flicker: builder.setWhen(naturalTimestamp) • Consider adding this line: builder.setOnlyAlertOnce(true);
23. Priority • HIGH or MAX -> Heads up notification • MIN -> no small icon will be displayed – Don't use sound, light or vibration! • LOW -> small icon will be displayed – Don't use sound, light or vibration! • DEFAULT – Documentation recommends to use light and sound • Ranking in Lollipop more complex than before
24. Big Styles • BigPictureStyle • BigTextStyle • InboxStyle – Doesn't work great on Wear – Use stacked notifications on Wear instead • MediaStyle – New in Lollipop
25. Big Styles
26. Visibility • Important for lockscreen notifications – VISIBILITY_PUBLIC • Android displays everything – VISIBILITY_PRIVATE • Is the default level • Android displays the icon and the ticker text – VISIBILITY_SECRET • Android shows nothing on the lockscreen • builder.setVisibility(VISIBILITY_PUBLIC) • Consider setPublicVersion()
27. Visibility
28. Link to the Settings Activity
29. How to not spoil the user experience
30. PITA • Always consider the „Pain in the A**“ level • Notifications are attracting the user's attention • Thus they are always distracting • MIN do not show an icon – The only one without any PITA attached – Use them whenever possible and appropriate Her
31. Ticker text • Is very distracting • Only use it if the user cares about it now – The user's favorite club scored: Yes – Some other club scored: No
32. LED colors • Just leave them white • The user doesn't know your color anyway • If at all, let the user select a color
33. Icon colors • Leave them white! • I mean it: Leave them white!
34. Icon colors • Leave them white! • I mean it: Leave them white! • This is a horrible mess:
35. User notifications • For cloud based notifications: Use user notifications • See once, delete everywhere!
36. Priority • Do not use a higher priority to improve ranking • Consider the importance for the user only
37. Give the user control • Provide settings for notifications • Let them disable them completely • Let them control the PITA level – Color, sound, vibration, priority, frequency
38. Make them a benefit „Notifications embody your app's voice, and contribute to your app's personality“ https://developer.android.com/design/patterns/notifications.html