One thing that those of Apple have had to copy Android is the notification bar, the one located at the top of the screen, which is pulled down with your finger and is full of information on everything that happens on the phone. It is worth stopping to look at the Android notification bar to know how to use it in the best way, not only to watch the notifications of the apps, but also to operate the numerous switches of the mobile phone.
To be brief, we see here a guide to the Android notification bar with 10 functions that, roughly speaking, are the same for all phones and tablets, be they Samsung, LG, Huawei or other brands
READ ALSO: Improve notifications on Android on the lock screen
1) General buttons on the Android notification bar
From version 4 of Android there are two types of Android notification bars, one with the usual notifications and the other with buttons to quickly change some settings.
The notification bar expands by swiping your finger from top to bottom.
It shows at the top the clock, the date and then two keys, one with three lines and the other with the figure of a half-length man.
The button of the three lines deletes all the notifications present, the other instead opens the section of the fast controls, to activate and deactivate wifi, bluetooth, gps etc.
On tablets, as there is more space, this section is automatically visible on the right side.
By tapping and holding a notification, you can choose whether to disable it for that application and you can tap on "Other settings" to access the notification settings.
2) Notification settings
Starting from the latest versions of Android, you can access the notification settings by holding down on the notification or even by moving the notification with your finger slightly.
By swiping the notification just a little, you will see both the settings button, and the one to postpone the notification, and the one to enter the settings.
The notification settings allow you to choose whether to display the notification, whether to display it as a banner, whether to display it fixed at the top of the bar above the buttons, whether it must be a priority and whether it must appear on the lock screen.
3) Notification channels
A hidden feature in Android settings and little known is that of notification channels.
For example, on WhatsApp it is possible to block unnecessary group messages while continuing to receive personal messages.
To access an app's notification channels, I would go to Settings > Apps & notifications > See all apps.
Find the app whose alerts you want to edit and select Notifications .
You will then find all the categories of notifications, which can be disabled and adjusted individually, through the notification settings seen above.
Notification channels help you configure notifications based on importance for the same application.
4) Manage the quick settings panel
Go to Settings> Toolbars, you can add or remove buttons from the notification bar on the right.
This option is not present in all mobile phones.
If it is not present or you want something more, you can download specific apps to add control bars, switches and buttons to Android .
5) Change the notification sounds
If you don't like the default notification sound, you can change it from the settings.
Go to Settings> Sound to change the default notification sound.
If you want more control, you can use the Notification Sounds app
6) How to search for old notifications
If you have cleared notifications that you want to review, another article explains how to review the entire Android notification history.
7) Bring up Android notifications on your PC
If you work on the computer, you can also keep your mobile phone away and stay updated on the messages received and receive every warning through some applications such as Pushbullet.
SEE: Receive all Android notifications visible on your PC in real time
8) Interact with notifications
You can interact with applications immediately from the notification bar.
For example, if you receive a message in Gmail, you can read the subject of the message in the notification and then immediately archive or reply by pressing one of the two buttons.
9) Disable annoying and advertising notifications
There are applications and games that send out advertising or unnecessary notifications that don't interest you.
To stop them, when a notification appears, you have to touch it and keep it pressed until the switch to deactivate them appears.
If desired, you can also press on Other settings to choose, for that application, whether or not to display the notification as a banner, whether to keep it fixed at the top above the status bar, whether to display it on the lock screen and whether it should be considered a priority.
Who has a smartphone with Android 8 Oreo will find the guide to the options and functions to block or limit the app notifications on Android
10) Delay the notification to make it reappear after a while
By slowly swiping the notification to the left, two buttons appear, one to enter the settings, the other to delay the notification.
This means that notification disappears and then reappears after a period of your choice of 15 minutes, 30 minutes or an hour.
11) Disable notifications about application updates
To disable notifications about application or game updates open Google Play, go to the Menu and then Settings and remove the cross on the Notifications option.
This does not disable automatic application updates, it just makes them silent.
12) Hide WiFi notifications
When Wi-Fi is turned on, you are notified of the availability of networks to connect to.
To remove them, go to Settings> WiFi, press the menu button, go to Advanced and then deselect the Network notification option.
Note: If your Android device does not display this option, you can try this other method (which requires rooted access).
READ ALSO: App to customize notifications on Android
