Dear Apple: Get notifications right!

[Oletros]

Well considering in the middle of 2012 there were 400 million iOS devices activated, there are only 800,000 macrumors forum members, of which, not all would be iOS users. It's fairly logical to say that this forum is a niche in relation to all users......me saying 10% was generous.

Yes, because the only people that want LED notifications on the iPhone are the people on Macrumors

 

[animalx]

I'm quite familiar on how you can customize the color of the LED flash and it's patterns on Android OS (I had a Evo 4G) but it still doesn't tell you who the person is that called, texted or e-mailed. You still have to wake up the phone. If I remember correctly the LED would continue to flash until you cleared the alert or has that changed? That was quite annoying to have to clear an alert just to make the LED stop flashing. What if I knew I missed a call and had to return it later on in the day? I have to stare at a flashing LED all day or clear the alert and hope I dont forget?

You must not be too familiar, because that is not how it works at all. You do not have to clear the alert for the led notification to stop flashing. You should at the least, be knowledgeable if you are going to attempt to debate a topic. As the others have asserted, there is a clear disparity between iOS' notifications, and that available on the Android platform. That gap is widened even further with the Moto X's implementation (which I'd say has the best notifications of all).

 

[animalx]

Biggest plus (atleast for me) of Notification on iOS as compared to Android - Able to view on lockscreen ! (Not possible on Android "natively")

That is not accurate. You can indeed see notifications on the lockscreen on the Android platform.

So after the ringing, vibrating, 10 repeated alert sounds, lock screen indicator and phone badges and notification center indicator you still need a LED light to know you missed a call than I don't know what to tell you.

Read the article below and tell me again why anyone needs a LED notification.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/07/28/ep.smartphone.obsessed.cohen/index.html

If I leave my phone in the house, and take out the trash and wind up talking to my neighbor for about 15-20 minutes, I might miss text message while I'm outside. So even with "the ringing, vibrating, 10 repeated alert sounds, lock screen indicator and phone badges and notification center indicator", I still wouldn't know I have a text message waiting for me on my phone, unless I remember to turn it on to check it (if I'm using an iPhone). If I had an led indicator, I will know a text is waiting for me, as soon as I walk past the phone. THAT'S the difference.

 

[Robster3]

That is not accurate. You can indeed see notifications on the lockscreen on the Android platform.




If I leave my phone in the house, and take out the trash and wind up talking to my neighbor for about 15-20 minutes, I might miss text message while I'm outside. So even with "the ringing, vibrating, 10 repeated alert sounds, lock screen indicator and phone badges and notification center indicator", I still wouldn't know I have a text message waiting for me on my phone, unless I remember to turn it on to check it (if I'm using an iPhone). If I had an led indicator, I will know a text is waiting for me, as soon as I walk past the phone. THAT'S the difference.

And that's what I want a led light for missed calls and text. I put my phone on do not disturb after business hours, except for family all calls go to message bank. But I would like to know if I have a message without turning the phone on. It's not that hard Apple. You promote your phone as a business phone. Maybe Blackberry win the best business phone.

 

[animalx]

If u read my original comment u will see I am referring to just a quick glance at the lock screen to see the message and then decide if I need to even touch the phone or not (very useful in my office at least) ... In android I need to power on and the swipe to see what the hell happened .. And that was the only point I had made

So in other words, you're pointing out the fact that on Android you have to swipe the notification panel down?

I agree...However what are the odds of you picking up your phone and checking it anyway? Probably pretty high.

Not quite. For those of us who's life does not revolve around our phone, we may not just randomly pick our phone up to check it. If I'm walking into the room to change my son's clothes, I wouldn't think to randomly pick up my phone to check if I have missed anything. On the other hand, if I see an led light that tells me I have a text message waiting, I'd instantly know to check it. There is no arguing that being notified you have something to check, beats having to continuously randomly check your phone in case you have something you missed. That simply is not debatable.

Great example C DM so let's look at that example with both types of phones.

iPhone:

I walk by the room and wonder if I missed anything, proceed to pick up my phone, wake it up and check. If I did miss an event I would respond to it then or just contact the person later if not I lock the phone and put it back down.

Smartphone with LED indicator:

I walk by the room and see a blinking light. This blinking light may be able to tell me if its a missed call, missed e-mail or missed text but it cannot tell me of its importance. Do I keep walking? should I check it? maybe it's important?

Michael made it clear to me that you can customize the LED light's blinking pattern to indicate if a specific person is trying to contact you.

In that scenario I walk by the room and notice the blinking light is telling me that my wife texted me. Do I ignore it and walk on or answer?

Both scenarios end in the same way. The user picks up the phone to view an event.

Not quite...
-If I look across the room at the phone, and there is no light, I don't needlessly check my phone, whereas with the iPhone you still make a useless trip to the phone for no reason.
-I look across the room and see a light telling me I have an email, I may not go to my phone because I know an email can wait and I am busy right now. With the iPhone, you still have to make the needless trip across the room to randomly check the phone to see if you missed something.
-I'm walking past the room, and am carrying my son to his bedroom. After I put him down for his nap, I have yardwork to do. I see a light showing I have a missed call. I now know that after I lay him down, that I need to go see who called. With an iPhone, I wouldn't know I had a missed call, and I'd have gone outside and started on my yardwork...and wouldn't be aware of the missed call until I finally get around to picking up my phone and turning it on (which could be at least an hour or two from when I left out).

 

[animalx]

I personally am not a phone of any intrusive notification method. I do not care for being interrupted when I am doing something on my phone. I prefer for a more passive type of notification that allows me to address the notification when I am ready. That said, I think it is ridiculous that the iPhone does not give you a static notification icon to serve as a reminder of notifications you may have chosen to address later.

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And that's what I want a led light for missed calls and text. I put my phone on do not disturb after business hours, except for family all calls go to message bank. But I would like to know if I have a message without turning the phone on. It's not that hard Apple. You promote your phone as a business phone. Maybe Blackberry win the best business phone.

Exactly! There is no way a person can argue that not being notified is better than being notified. In what world is not being aware you have a text message, better than being aware of it? lol

 

[Abazigal]

Dear Apple: Get notifications right!

You must not be too familiar, because that is not how it works at all. You do not have to clear the alert for the led notification to stop flashing. You should at the least, be knowledgeable if you are going to attempt to debate a topic. As the others have asserted, there is a clear disparity between iOS' notifications, and that available on the Android platform. That gap is widened even further with the Moto X's implementation (which I'd say has the best notifications of all).

Could iOS notifications be better? Definitely.

Does this mean android has the better notification system? Not necessarily. That's an issue of personal preference, especially since people here have stated how they prefer the iPhone's notification system over android's.

From what I see here, android has its strengths, but it too is far from perfect.

 

[animalx]

Could iOS notifications be better? Definitely.

Does this mean android has the better notification system? Not necessarily. That's an issue of personal preference, especially since people here have stated how they prefer the iPhone's notification system over android's.

From what I see here, android has its strengths, but it too is far from perfect.

No, I'd say it is pretty clearly superior to that found on iOS. iOS' notifications can be intrusive, and can also fail to do the one thing they are intended to do, which is to notify you.

 

[Abazigal]

No, I'd say it is pretty clearly superior to that found on iOS. iOS' notifications can be intrusive, and can also fail to do the one thing they are intended to do, which is to notify you.

Notifications can mean different things.

The way I see it, Apple's take on notifications is less about alerting you visually (via led and stuff), and more about consolidating all your incoming notifications into one unified, easy-to-read menu. Currently, I find it very easy to get a bird's eye view of all my current notifications.

I also like how Apple consolidates the ability to manage my notifications via a unified settings menu (compared to Android, where I need to go into each app individually). I dunno, it just makes more sense to me.

I do wish for the ability to dismiss them from the bar though. For example, my friend replies me with "ok". I get it. Do I really need to go into the messages app to dismiss it? I don't want to click on the "x" because that would remove all my other notifications as well.

I would also like for better syncing across multiple devices. Currently, this seems to work only for Apple's core apps. Say I have wordpress on my iphone and ipad. Clearing the notifications on my iphone doesn't remove them from my ipad's home screen or notifications bar, nor does it reset the badge number to zero.

All in all, each is merely different, not better.

 

[shandyman]

Yes, because the only people that want LED notifications on the iPhone are the people on Macrumors

You could easily say that the proportions are the same tho, maybe 10 - 20 peeps have been vocal on here about really wanting LEDs, compared to the amount of users. If we class macrumors as a sample audience, albeit much more technically minded, then it's still the same, a low minority want it. If anything, joe public are even less likely to want LEDs simply because they don't care.

 

[skinnylegs]

Yup took them 3 years to add cut, copy, and paste, 4 for wallpapers and multi-tasking, 5 for a notification center, 7 for quick toggles, they still haven't added quick reply, default apps, file management, but I guess no one cared enough about them. Face it, Apple is notoriously slow to add certain very basic, useful features, and all the fan boys tout that it's cuz no one needs them, and then when they finally do get them they act like it's the greatest thing ever. And then we all wonder why android fans are all up in everyone's faces about it.

You, sir, pretty much nailed it. Wow. Did we all really have the same wallpaper for 4 years? LMAO. How soon I forget....

I have fairly extensive experience with both platforms. The way I see it: iOS = form over function and Android OS = function over form. When I use iOS as a daily driver I often find myself thinking "I wish my phone did this." When I use Android OS as my daily driver, I often find myself thinking, "I wish my phone did this better." Notifications, of course, being one of the exceptions.

 

[THE JUICEMAN]

Dear Apple: Get notifications right!

I personally am not a phone of any intrusive notification method. I do not care for being interrupted when I am doing something on my phone. I prefer for a more passive type of notification that allows me to address the notification when I am ready. That said, I think it is ridiculous that the iPhone does not give you a static notification icon to serve as a reminder of notifications you may have chosen to address later.

Agreed. I forget about notifications all the time. Of course I could just pull down the shade but still.

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I don't want to click on the "x" because that would remove all my other notifications as well.

I would also like for better syncing across multiple devices. Currently, this seems to work only for Apple's core apps. Say I have wordpress on my iphone and ipad. Clearing the notifications on my iphone doesn't remove them from my ipad's home screen or notifications bar, nor does it reset the badge number to zero.

All in all, each is merely different, not better.

First part of the your quote I left nailed it.

And to the second part isn't notifications syncing an iOS 7 feature?

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The way I see it: iOS = form over function and Android OS = function over form. When I use iOS as a daily driver I often find myself thinking "I wish my phone did this." When I use Android OS as my daily driver, I often find myself thinking, "I wish my phone did this better." Notifications, of course, being one of the exceptions.

This exactly.

 

[TheRealCBONE]

You, sir, pretty much nailed it. Wow. Did we all really have the same wallpaper for 4 years? LMAO. How soon I forget....

I have fairly extensive experience with both platforms. The way I see it: iOS = form over function and Android OS = function over form. When I use iOS as a daily driver I often find myself thinking "I wish my phone did this." When I use Android OS as my daily driver, I often find myself thinking, "I wish my phone did this better." Notifications, of course, being one of the exceptions.

This.

I find myself telling iPhone users, "You can't do that on iPhone." and Android users, you almost always can do that, but depending on the phone, the way to do it is either slick or more complicated than it should be. The "at least you can do it if you want" is silent.

 

[animalx]

Notifications can mean different things.

The way I see it, Apple's take on notifications is less about alerting you visually (via led and stuff), and more about consolidating all your incoming notifications into one unified, easy-to-read menu. Currently, I find it very easy to get a bird's eye view of all my current notifications.

This is itself is why Android's notifications are inherently better. Notifications mean to notify. No matter what your personal definition may be, in the end, the root is to notify. This is where iOS falls short. If I don't address a notification immediately when it comes in, I run the risk of forgetting about it because there is nothing to remind me of it. If I am away from my phone, I will not receive a notification alerting me something needs my attention, until I happen to turn the phone on. Things like this is where iOS falls short in the category of actually notifying you, and notifying me is what notifications are all about.

I also like how Apple consolidates the ability to manage my notifications via a unified settings menu (compared to Android, where I need to go into each app individually). I dunno, it just makes more sense to me.

I supposed this is a matter of preference but, one of the things that really irked me about iOS was having to leave an app to change certain settings about that app. In my opinion, it doesn't make much sense for me to leave a particular app to change the settings for that particular app.

I do wish for the ability to dismiss them from the bar though. For example, my friend replies me with "ok". I get it. Do I really need to go into the messages app to dismiss it? I don't want to click on the "x" because that would remove all my other notifications as well.

I totally agree. I'll take it a step further. The notification center needs to become more dynamic. What I mean is, an app should be able to create its own quick commands for the notification shade. For example, being able to archive or delete an email straight from the notification panel. Another example would be having a quick reply option in the notification panel that allows you to reply to a text message without having to leave what you're doing.

I would also like for better syncing across multiple devices. Currently, this seems to work only for Apple's core apps. Say I have wordpress on my iphone and ipad. Clearing the notifications on my iphone doesn't remove them from my ipad's home screen or notifications bar, nor does it reset the badge number to zero.

Agreed. I was elated when Android added that capability as it is quite useful to me since I have 2 Android tablets and an Android phone.

All in all, each is merely different, not better.

I try to be an objective user, and acknowledge things on both sides. However in this instance, I have to say until iOS addresses the fundamental issues they have with notifications, it can't be considered better or even "just different". It would have to be considered inferior. I just can't say that they are on equal footing if they are falling short in actually notifying you. After all, that's the entire purpose of notifications.

 

[Technarchy]

Shaving and getting ready for work this morning. Emails are coming in.

The iPhone and iPad wake up and show me the notifications in lockscreen. Glance and go.

My GS4 gives me a fairly meaningless blinking LED, then I have to wake up my phone and unlock it or pull down notification center.

 

[gotluck]

Shaving and getting ready for work this morning. Emails are coming in.

The iPhone and iPad wake up and show me the notifications in lockscreen. Glance and go.

My GS4 gives me a fairly meaningless blinking LED, then I have to wake up my phone and unlock it or pull down notification center.

This is my main complaint on my GS4 GPE. Pin is required for me for work related use (exchange). No lockscreen notifications, must input pin to pull down notification center. There seem to be third party solutions, but some kind of lockscreen notification should be in stock android. Reading two lines of email in preview on the lockscreen does not break security Google!!

I like the led light, but I want notifications listed on the damn lockscreen, or let me pull down the notification center before inputting the pin. Require the pin in order to take any action though.

I suppose I could use touchdown, moxier or the like.. but I shouldn't have to just to get lockscreen notifications

 

[skinnylegs]

Shaving and getting ready for work this morning. Emails are coming in.

The iPhone and iPad wake up and show me the notifications in lockscreen. Glance and go.

My GS4 gives me a fairly meaningless blinking LED, then I have to wake up my phone and unlock it or pull down notification center.

.....but what about interacting with those notifications *after* they come in. That is where IMO iOS is weak. I too had emails coming in. I also had text messages and voicemails. .....so I head to the notifications curtain, which is a central repository for all of these forms of communication. Four of the six emails I could care less about and the other two were not urgent but require attention. So how do I get rid of those four emails and leave the other two undisturbed within the notifications sandbox? I can't. I either keep them all or delete them all. Doesn't make sense to me. Same goes for voicemails and text messages. One of the text messages required a quick response. How more convenient would it have been to be able to reply to the text directly from the notifications sandbox. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

My beef with Apple isn't about the initial notification. That works fine. My beef is the notification aggregator and the inability to interact with various notifications *individually* without leaving the sandbox and going directly to the app. .....and for people like us that get slammed with various types of communication I don't see how this would not be a *huge* advantage.

 

[Technarchy]

.....but what about interacting with those notifications *after* they come in. That is where IMO iOS is weak. I too had emails coming in. I also had text messages and voicemails. .....so I head to the notifications curtain, which is a central repository for all of these forms of communication. Four of the six emails I could care less about and the other two were not urgent but require attention. So how do I get rid of those four emails and leave the other two undisturbed within the notifications sandbox? I can't. I either keep them all or delete them all. Doesn't make sense to me. Same goes for voicemails and text messages. One of the text messages required a quick response. How more convenient would it have been to be able to reply to the text directly from the notifications sandbox. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

My beef with Apple isn't about the initial notification. That works fine. My beef is the notification aggregator and the inability to interact with various notifications *individually* without leaving the sandbox and going directly to the app. .....and for people like us that get slammed with various types of communication I don't see how this would not be a *huge* advantage.

Not as relevant to me. If I want to take an action that's what the app is for.

The lack of glance and go notifications on Android without unlocking your phone or entering notification center is pretty egregious as far as omissions go. Especially with the much lauded widget support.

Being able to dismiss individual items in android is nice, but since the notification indexing is horrid it's also critical, while iOS does a better job with organization and presentation. You can't even prioritize alert indexing in android. It's just a hodgepodge of notifications which you need to wipe and clear to restore coherence.

On the flip side, I love having the status bar icons for notifications, which is a type of glance and go information iOS really needs imho.

 

[skinnylegs]

Being able to dismiss individual items in android is nice, but since the notification indexing is horrid it's also critical, while iOS does a better job with organization and presentation.

This is a valid point. Notifications within Android are not categorized. They are listed, however, in the order they arrive.

 

[onthecouchagain]

You want on screen notifications on Android? There's an app for that (<-- sound familiar?).

You want notification light on iOS? Out of luck.

 

[bmac4]

You want on screen notifications on Android? There's an app for that (<-- sound familiar?).

You want notification light on iOS? Out of luck.

Agree 100% couch. All these people keep saying they don't want an notification light, but when does having a choice become a bad thing? Also all the things people like about iOS notifications can be done on android. You just do a simple search on the play store, and you are good to go. Why can't people just admit that android does do something better than iOS? Is it really that hard?

 

[Technarchy]

You want on screen notifications on Android? There's an app for that (<-- sound familiar?).

You want notification light on iOS? Out of luck.

Show me an app that has a perfect score in the play store and notification support for all apps with 100% reliability...like iOS's lockscreen notifications.

If you can't name the app then the best you can offer is a shoddy workaround that might work as intended, but is sure to eat system resources, which I'd rather avoid.

 

[onthecouchagain]

Show me an app that has a perfect score in the play store and notification support for all apps with 100% reliability...like iOS's lockscreen notifications.

If you can't name the app then the best you can offer is a shoddy workaround that might work as intended, but is sure to eat system resources, which I'd rather avoid.

Fair enough, but it's still an option. Apps can improve. You can also get a Moto X.

Care to take on your own challenge? Show me an iPhone that has a notification light. Zero options.

 

[Technarchy]

Fair enough, but it's still an option. Apps can improve. You can also get a Moto X.

Care to take on your own challenge? Show me an iPhone that has a notification light. Zero options.

Don't need to, I've already said in this thread it's a nice option my GS4 offers that my iPhone 5 does not

 

[Dontazemebro]

Not as relevant to me. If I want to take an action that's what the app is for.

The lack of glance and go notifications on Android without unlocking your phone or entering notification center is pretty egregious as far as omissions go. Especially with the much lauded widget support.

Being able to dismiss individual items in android is nice, but since the notification indexing is horrid it's also critical, while iOS does a better job with organization and presentation. You can't even prioritize alert indexing in android. It's just a hodgepodge of notifications which you need to wipe and clear to restore coherence.

On the flip side, I love having the status bar icons for notifications, which is a type of glance and go information iOS really needs imho.

Egregious? Nope I don't think so. You know when most people use either locking codes or patterns, their Intent is to keep others locked out of their phones. Wouldn't make much sense if I was able to pull down the notification bar and access my notifications if I have my phone locked.

You want to be able to view notifications then unlock your phone. That's what makes sense