Google is developing a new feature for Android that will feature interactive Live notifications from apps in the status bar, similar to those found in iOS. In the Android 15 beta code, Android Authority’s Mishaal Rahman discovered information about a new “Rich Ongoing Notifications” API that will likely be part of Android 16.
Image Source: Alexander London/Unsplash
The new notification system will allow icons with custom text and background color to be displayed in the status bar at the top of the device interface, The Verge explains. For example, such notifications can show information about when the ordered taxi will arrive or the amount of time spent on a telephone conversation (this option appeared in Android 12).
«Live notifications are reminiscent of iOS’s Live Activities feature, which displays information about timers, sporting events, and delivery status right on the iPhone’s lock screen or at the top of notifications. On iPhone 14 Pro and above, these notifications are integrated into Dynamic Island, making it easy to keep track of important information without interrupting other tasks on your phone. Rahman simulated a current notification from Uber, and this is what it looks like:
Image Source: Mishaal Rahman/Android Authority
Many users are positive about the possibility of “Rich Ongoing Notifications” appearing on Android. For example, The Verge would love to have something like this on his Pixel 6. “The Live Activities feature on the iPhone has been very useful,” he writes. “And if such an option appears in Android, then I do not rule out returning to this platform in the future.”