Android 16 to Feature Gmail-Style Notification Bundling

Android 16 May Introduce Gmail-Style Notification Bundling

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – Google is reportedly developing a new feature for Android that will revolutionize notification management. Similar to how Gmail organizes emails, the upcoming Android 16 is expected to introduce categorized notifications, streamlining the user experience. This feature, known as “bundled notifications,” was recently discovered within the latest Android 15 beta.

According to Mishaal Rahman of Android Authority, a hidden “Bundled notifications” settings page was discovered. It was found under Settings > Notifications in the most recent Android 15 beta release. This suggests Google is actively working on the feature for a future Android release. The functionality aims to group similar notifications together under categories like Promotions and News, effectively decluttering the notification shade.

Screenshots shared by Android Authority reveal that the bundled notifications feature is currently disabled by default. Users will be able to activate it by toggling the “Use notification bundling” setting. Once enabled, the system will automatically classify similar notifications. Currently, the available themes include Promotions, News, Social, and Recommendations.

The functionality is similar to Gmail’s email categorization system. It automatically sorts emails into Primary, Promotions, Social, Updates, and Forums. Google has not officially announced details about how the feature will work. It is also unclear whether additional themes will be included. However, the discovery suggests a significant shift in Android’s notification management.

The feature is not expected to arrive in the stable Android 15 release. It will likely debut with the Android 15 QPR2 update. More probably, it will launch with the full Android 16 release. The Android System Intelligence app is anticipated to handle the backend processes for this new notification bundling system.

This discovery follows Google’s recent rollout of the Android 15 QPR2 Beta 1 update in November. That update introduced features like a customizable Do Not Disturb mode. It also added a new “Modes” menu for creating custom modes with unique names and icons. Users can now customize icon shapes. The update includes a Linux Terminal app and enhanced touchpad and mouse settings. It even allows controlling the mouse cursor using a physical keyboard’s number pad. The potential addition of bundled notifications further emphasizes Google’s commitment to improving the Android user experience.