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Posts tagged "notifications"

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Gmail will no longer harass you with notifications outside working hours
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Gmail is easily among the best email services; it offers safe, reliable, and secure email from one of the internet's largest companies.

But anyone who uses Gmail for work, through Google Workspace, knows the pain of out-of-hours emails from your boss that flash up on the screen and ruin your zen. 

Google is listening, though, and recently announced an update for Gmail that works with Apple's new Focus mode for iOS, one of the best features for getting digital peace and quiet. 

The idea is kind of like notification profiles on Android; you can set specific notifications, apps, and services to be silent in different times of the day, such as when you're at home. 

Gmail can now work with these profiles – either automatically generated by Apple or customized by the user – to make sure that you get the exact notifications you want. Aimless emails? Gone. Important, critical updates? Those get through. 

“You can now specify which Google Chat and Gmail contacts you still want notifications from when your iOS device is in Focus mode,” explained Google. “This is useful in situations where you need to limit screen time, but don’t want to miss an important message when other notifications are silenced.” 

The importance of digital peace 

After the pandemic forced everyone to work from home, or at least partially work from home, getting some digital peace became very important. 

When there is no obvious boundary between the office and home environment, making sure that notifications don't get through during “you” time is vital. 

Managing notifications, especially on iOS before the latest update, was a bit of a pain. You either had to silence them all or dive into Settings every single time. 

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Apple made the process a lot easier with iOS 15 and we really recommend setting up some different Focus profiles to get the ball rolling, especially if you don't have a work phone that can just be switched off. 

The set-up can be a bit of a faff, but once you get past that it's really simple – and perfect for keeping digital peace of mind without missing important updates. 

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

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Outlook update will give you more control over those nagging notifications
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Maintaining a healthy work-life balance can be difficult especially as notifications begin to pile up on your smartphone which is why Microsoft is rolling out a new update to its email service.

According to a new post on the Microsoft 365 roadmap, the software giant has updated its email client with new settings that make it easier to manage email notifications on mobile.

These new settings are now rolling out to smartphones running both Android and iOS so that Outlook users can stay on top of the things that matter to them and ignore the ones that don’t.

Upgrading Outlook for hybrid work

In a separate post on the Microsoft 365 roadmap, Microsoft has revealed that it will add working hours and location settings to Outlook later this summer.

Whether you’re still working from home or back at the office as part of your organization’s hybrid work model, you’ll soon be able to add your working hours and location in Outlook. This will allow your co-workers and others to know exactly when they can reach you so that they won’t need to worry about bothering you during your off hours.

Read more

> Microsoft Outlook is getting a handy new feature for mobile users in a hurry

> Microsoft Outlook will alert you if your emails aren't up to standard

> Your Microsoft Outlook calendar is going global

While this feature was initially added to the Microsoft 365 roadmap back in December of last year, it will finally become generally available beginning in June of this year.

By allowing users to more easily manage their notifications and let others know where and for how long they plan to work each day, Microsoft is giving workers the tools they need to succeed in a hybrid working world.

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

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Outlook update will give you more control over those nagging notifications
  • No Comments

Maintaining a healthy work-life balance can be difficult especially as notifications begin to pile up on your smartphone which is why Microsoft is rolling out a new update to its email service.

According to a new post on the Microsoft 365 roadmap, the software giant has updated its email client with new settings that make it easier to manage email notifications on mobile.

These new settings are now rolling out to smartphones running both Android and iOS so that Outlook users can stay on top of the things that matter to them and ignore the ones that don’t.

Upgrading Outlook for hybrid work

In a separate post on the Microsoft 365 roadmap, Microsoft has revealed that it will add working hours and location settings to Outlook later this summer.

Whether you’re still working from home or back at the office as part of your organization’s hybrid work model, you’ll soon be able to add your working hours and location in Outlook. This will allow your co-workers and others to know exactly when they can reach you so that they won’t need to worry about bothering you during your off hours.

Read more

> Microsoft Outlook is getting a handy new feature for mobile users in a hurry

> Microsoft Outlook will alert you if your emails aren't up to standard

> Your Microsoft Outlook calendar is going global

While this feature was initially added to the Microsoft 365 roadmap back in December of last year, it will finally become generally available beginning in June of this year.

By allowing users to more easily manage their notifications and let others know where and for how long they plan to work each day, Microsoft is giving workers the tools they need to succeed in a hybrid working world.

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More

My one wish for iOS 16 is to fix FindMy and its broken notifications from iOS 15
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Let me set the scene: I was walking back from a friend's house one evening, and I receive the first of two notifications that I've left my AirPods Pro somewhere, along with with an approximate address. However, after a frenzied check, I found they were still in my pocket.

This has happened numerous times before, ever since iOS 15 launched in September 2021. Even when my AirPods Pro were replaced the month after, the issue remains to this day – and it's a notification that can cause me anxiety in record time.

Having to quickly check my pockets or my bag to see if the AirPods case and two earphones are there can result in a frustrating swipe on my Apple Watch to be rid of the FindMy notification. It's got to the point where I'm tempted to remove my AirPods from the app completely.

Frankly, it's ridiculous that these false notifications are still occurring, especially as I was hoping for it to be fixed in iOS 15.4. But as it still remains, and the fact that it's not a hardware issue, what could it be?

One false notification is more than enough

FindMy showing missing notification on AirPods

(Image credit: TechRadar)

FindMy has been around since iOS 5, where it was previously called Find My Friends, and used as a way of keeping track of friends and family who would allow their devices to be followed through the app.

But in 2019 it was turned into FindMy, where you could look at all your devices registered to your Apple ID, and in 2020, with the introduction of AirTags, other products could be registered to the app.

I've never had an issue with Find My. In fact, I've found it to be a useful app to play a sound from my iPhone for when I'd lose it deep in the couch, for example. But my patience is starting to wear thin with these notifications.

The above image is when I received the final notification, after my walk home, where this appeared as I was sitting down at home, playing Fortnite.

Granted, I can go to my AirPods Pro in FindMy, go to 'Notify When Left Behind', and switch this off. But, what happens if I actually do lose my AIrPods?

It only takes one mistake to leave them behind, and as AirPods, bafflingly, don't have an AirTag or a speaker built into their cases, it can be tricky to find them, ironically.

This feature works by measuring the proximity between your iPhone and your AirPods, and will send a notification with its last known location. But far too often now, I'll get these as I'm walking home, or on a train, or just sitting down.

This isn't good. It reinforces a growing narrative that the software quality of some Apple apps is degrading, and one of the worst things that a user can feel when using a product is frustration.

This is what's happening now to FindMy, and hopefully, once iOS 16 is announced, we'll see this feature either fixed or replaced with a better method for judging proximity between devices.

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More

My one wish for iOS 16 is to fix FindMy and its broken notifications from iOS 15
  • No Comments

Let me set the scene: I was walking back from a friend's house one evening, and I receive the first of two notifications that I've left my AirPods Pro somewhere, along with with an approximate address. However, after a frenzied check, I found they were still in my pocket.

This has happened numerous times before, ever since iOS 15 launched in September 2021. Even when my AirPods Pro were replaced the month after, the issue remains to this day – and it's a notification that can cause me anxiety in record time.

Having to quickly check my pockets or my bag to see if the AirPods case and two earphones are there can result in a frustrating swipe on my Apple Watch to be rid of the FindMy notification. It's got to the point where I'm tempted to remove my AirPods from the app completely.

Frankly, it's ridiculous that these false notifications are still occurring, especially as I was hoping for it to be fixed in iOS 15.4. But as it still remains, and the fact that it's not a hardware issue, what could it be?

One false notification is more than enough

FindMy showing missing notification on AirPods

(Image credit: TechRadar)

FindMy has been around since iOS 5, where it was previously called Find My Friends, and used as a way of keeping track of friends and family who would allow their devices to be followed through the app.

But in 2019 it was turned into FindMy, where you could look at all your devices registered to your Apple ID, and in 2020, with the introduction of AirTags, other products could be registered to the app.

I've never had an issue with Find My. In fact, I've found it to be a useful app to play a sound from my iPhone for when I'd lose it deep in the couch, for example. But my patience is starting to wear thin with these notifications.

The above image is when I received the final notification, after my walk home, where this appeared as I was sitting down at home, playing Fortnite.

Granted, I can go to my AirPods Pro in FindMy, go to 'Notify When Left Behind', and switch this off. But, what happens if I actually do lose my AIrPods?

It only takes one mistake to leave them behind, and as AirPods, bafflingly, don't have an AirTag or a speaker built into their cases, it can be tricky to find them, ironically.

This feature works by measuring the proximity between your iPhone and your AirPods, and will send a notification with its last known location. But far too often now, I'll get these as I'm walking home, or on a train, or just sitting down.

This isn't good. It reinforces a growing narrative that the software quality of some Apple apps is degrading, and one of the worst things that a user can feel when using a product is frustration.

This is what's happening now to FindMy, and hopefully, once iOS 16 is announced, we'll see this feature either fixed or replaced with a better method for judging proximity between devices.

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More

Gmail on Android notifications are getting a whole new look that might divide users
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Android users will soon be able to quickly see whether they have a notification from Google Chat or Spaces right from the status bar as a new update is now rolling out to Gmail.

As Hangouts will soon be replaced by Google Chat for Google Workspace users, the search giant has added new status bar icons that make it easier to differentiate between Google Chat and Spaces notifications.

Up until now, Google's messaging app Chat and its Slack and Microsoft Teams competitor Spaces have both used a filled-in message bubble with another one behind it as their status bar icon. This made it difficult for users to determine whether they had a message from a single co-worker or if someone had said something in a group chat.

Thankfully, this will no longer be the case once Google's latest update for Gmail becomes widely available.

New status bar icons

As spotted by 9to5Google, Gmail for Android is currently in the process of rolling out separate icons for both Chat and Spaces notifications.

The new Chat icon is a single message bubble that's outlined and has an empty interior while the new Spaces icon depicts three people next to each other. If either of these new icons look familiar, that is because they're currently being used on Google's email client for desktop.

Read More

> Gmail on mobile just hit a massive milestone

> Gmail is getting a sleek new look – but you may not like it

> Most people use Gmail but don't know how full their inbox is

While the new Google Chat icon makes sense, some users might be confused by the new Spaces icon at first since it looks more like a social networking app than a workplace chat app.

According to 9to5Google, the publication has only seen these new status bar icons appear on a single Android smartphone running Gmail version 2022.02.20. However, Google will likely roll them out to more Android devices soon.

Via 9to5Google

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More

Gmail on Android notifications are getting a whole new look that might divide users
  • No Comments

Android users will soon be able to quickly see whether they have a notification from Google Chat or Spaces right from the status bar as a new update is now rolling out to Gmail.

As Hangouts will soon be replaced by Google Chat for Google Workspace users, the search giant has added new status bar icons that make it easier to differentiate between Google Chat and Spaces notifications.

Up until now, Google's messaging app Chat and its Slack and Microsoft Teams competitor Spaces have both used a filled-in message bubble with another one behind it as their status bar icon. This made it difficult for users to determine whether they had a message from a single co-worker or if someone had said something in a group chat.

Thankfully, this will no longer be the case once Google's latest update for Gmail becomes widely available.

New status bar icons

As spotted by 9to5Google, Gmail for Android is currently in the process of rolling out separate icons for both Chat and Spaces notifications.

The new Chat icon is a single message bubble that's outlined and has an empty interior while the new Spaces icon depicts three people next to each other. If either of these new icons look familiar, that is because they're currently being used on Google's email client for desktop.

Read More

> Gmail on mobile just hit a massive milestone

> Gmail is getting a sleek new look – but you may not like it

> Most people use Gmail but don't know how full their inbox is

While the new Google Chat icon makes sense, some users might be confused by the new Spaces icon at first since it looks more like a social networking app than a workplace chat app.

According to 9to5Google, the publication has only seen these new status bar icons appear on a single Android smartphone running Gmail version 2022.02.20. However, Google will likely roll them out to more Android devices soon.

Via 9to5Google

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More

Finally, Android 13 will ask your permission to show notifications
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As another developer preview of Android 13 is released, Google has announced that it's finally introducing a way to manage new notifications, with a prompt.

According to a blog post, whenever you open a new app for the first time, a message box will appear, asking you to approve or deny any future notifications from the app.

This is a feature that's appeared in Apple's devices since 2010 with iOS 4, so it's good to see Android catch up on a feature that's been requested for over a decade, though it's baffling that Google took this long.

Analysis: Lucky 13 for notifications

Android 13 prompt

(Image credit: Google)

Google likes to take its time when it comes to Android, and a notification prompt is the latest in a long line of features that users have been wishing for.

For years, users had been wanting the company to offer official themes, and a way to change their color scheme across Android while having them adapt to the apps that they would use each day.

While Android 12 brought this out with Material You, there's plenty of room for refinements, as buttons and menus seem bigger than necessary.

So when it comes to how notifications look with these new themes, they look huge and not easy on the eye, especially if you pick the lime green theme.

But thanks to Android 13, it looks like more improvements to the themes are coming. Combine this with the new option to hide notifications from new apps at the start, and it could be a release that could satisfy old and new users who have been holding off from updating their phones.

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More

Finally, Android 13 will ask your permission to show notifications
  • No Comments

As another developer preview of Android 13 is released, Google has announced that it's finally introducing a way to manage new notifications, with a prompt.

According to a blog post, whenever you open a new app for the first time, a message box will appear, asking you to approve or deny any future notifications from the app.

This is a feature that's appeared in Apple's devices since 2010 with iOS 4, so it's good to see Android catch up on a feature that's been requested for over a decade, though it's baffling that Google took this long.

Analysis: Lucky 13 for notifications

Android 13 prompt

(Image credit: Google)

Google likes to take its time when it comes to Android, and a notification prompt is the latest in a long line of features that users have been wishing for.

For years, users had been wanting the company to offer official themes, and a way to change their color scheme across Android while having them adapt to the apps that they would use each day.

While Android 12 brought this out with Material You, there's plenty of room for refinements, as buttons and menus seem bigger than necessary.

So when it comes to how notifications look with these new themes, they look huge and not easy on the eye, especially if you pick the lime green theme.

But thanks to Android 13, it looks like more improvements to the themes are coming. Combine this with the new option to hide notifications from new apps at the start, and it could be a release that could satisfy old and new users who have been holding off from updating their phones.

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More

WhatsApp is making iOS notifications much more helpful
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WhatsApp is making a small but signification change to message notifications for iOS users. The change is currently only visible to beta testers, but will be rolling out to more users in due course.

In the latest iOS beta version, WhatsApp is making it easier to see who a message is from. The change relates to app notifications, and it brings the iOS version of the app in line with the Android version.

The change means that it's now possible for iOS users to see profile pictures next to messages in notifications. This is something that has been available to Android users for quite some time now, and is an easy and obvious way to make it easier to tell who a notification relates to at a glance.

Profile pictures can be seen next to notifications not only for chats with individuals, but also those that relate to group chats.

As the new feature makes use of APIs included as part of iOS 15, profile pictures in notifications are only available to beta testers who are running this version of iOS.

Info at a glance

Unfortunately, simply being part of the WhatsApp beta program for iOS is not enough to gain access to this updated feature. Even if you have the latest beta version of the app installed, it is no guarantee that you will see profile pictures in notifications as WhatsApp appears to be enabling this server-side for groups of users.

All you can do for the time being is sit back and wait. If you're not a beta tester, you could have a lengthy wait ahead of you, but WhatsApp   has not given any indication of timescale for rollout, making it impossible to say just when non-beta users will fell the benefits of this update.

Via WABetaInfo

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

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