Smartphone notifications are the bane of my existence — and sadly, going nuclear by turning off all notifications simply is not possible.
I personal and use a smartphone to remain updated. Notifications are par for the course. The trick is to handle them correctly.
However you want a stability. For those who overmanage your notifications, you threat shedding them fully or forgetting to show off essential focus modes, which might make your cellphone generally perform awkwardly.
Discovering and sustaining this stability is essential, however fortunately, past basic notification administration practices, many smartphones have built-in options that assist automate them.
My Samsung cellphone has performed wonders in serving to me handle notifications with out an excessive amount of work. One UI 8 added delicate enhancements to notification administration, and One UI 8.5 will additional construct on them.
Here is the whole lot it is advisable know in regards to the One UI 8 tweak that is saved my sanity from my every day inflow of notifications.
I do not instantly turn out to be overwhelmed by my notification panel
Whereas notification grouping is not precisely a brand new One UI function launched with the One UI 8 replace, it did embody some enhancements. Earlier than the most recent replace, the expertise was inconsistent and clunky.
One UI 8 was a step in the appropriate path so as to add additional enhancements, making it loads much less irritating and complicated to make use of.
You’ll be able to already see this with Samsung’s different software program line-up (primarily based on Android 16), which focuses on organizing your notifications.
It is particularly noticeable if you happen to personal a Samsung Galaxy Watch and have the newest One UI 8 put in (One UI 8 Watch). The notifications displayed on the watch look way more organized and crammed, because of its notification nesting function.
It makes it simple to see precisely the place notifications are coming from with color-coded playing cards that match the app’s theme. This helps you simply scroll and dismiss the playing cards you do not want.
Whereas this precise perform is not wanted on my Galaxy S25+, I like the concept of notification grouping (as a basic idea), which makes the whole lot look extra tidy and arranged visually.
In reality, I ought to be capable of shortly look at my cellphone and know precisely the place every notification is coming from, with out straining my eyes.
How does Samsung’s notification grouping work
And the place can you discover this in your settings
Most individuals will know notification grouping by its different title, notification classes.
In precept, notification classes group related notifications, so you do not see them seem individually.
For instance, you may be registered in lots of Discord servers or Slack channels, however you do not essentially have to see each particular person alert out of your app. That is performed by app.
I actually like utilizing this function for Gmail. I have already got a number of Gmail accounts I have to preserve tabs on, so I do not want each new e mail from every account clouding my notifications view.
Whereas the function is in use, your Gmail notifications ought to keep grouped. If you find yourself notified of a brand new e mail, all of your newest emails ought to stay grouped, as a substitute of seeing every one individually listed.
You’ll be able to entry notification classes by turning on this feature within the Notifications settings.
On One UI 8, go to Settings > Notifications > Superior settings. From there, scroll right down to Handle notification classes for every app. Be sure that’s toggled on; in any other case, the notification grouping will not work.
Now, to be sure you hit the candy spot with fine-tuning your notification classes, you’ll want to set this up per app.
For instance, I’ve many social apps put in on my cellphone, like Discord, Line, WhatsApp, and Slack. Nevertheless, Slack and WhatsApp are generally extra vital than my common messaging apps, together with Google Messages.
I do not need to see a condensed listing of each notification I’ve obtained from Slack, WhatsApp, and Google Messages, grouped by app. I favor to prioritize private messaging and channel alerts, as a substitute.
You’ll be able to change your settings to manage what you see in every app. For instance, I can toggle off completely different WhatsApp alerts in App notifications.
Whereas within the WhatsApp App notifications part, I’ll fortunately flip off notifications for Media playback, Failure notifications, and Sending media.
However toggle on Name notifications and Message notifications, since these could be extra vital to view.
One other factor I can do is flip off notifications from an app fully if I not often use it. Like, for instance, I do not want Telegram sending me alerts once I barely use the app (I verify it solely for work functions).
It does take a while to arrange, however this additionally means my notifications do not essentially get buried.
It is the perfect I can do whereas I watch for Samsung’s Prioritize notification function to be launched within the upcoming One UI 8.5 replace.
Final, however not least, change your lock display notification settings
Show your notifications as playing cards as a substitute of dots and icons
You do not have to make use of the default notification icons in your lock display. Icons aren’t useful if you happen to’re attempting to study which notifications are price your consideration.
You’ll be able to simply change your notification settings to show notifications as playing cards.
All you need to do is open your machine’s settings, faucet Notifications, and choose Lock display. From there, you may select between Playing cards, Icons, and Dot for Notification model.
Choosing playing cards allows you to view notifications in full with out having to swipe right down to increase them.
To me, except you are planning to unlock your cellphone every time you verify your notifications, it is extra vital to have as a lot visibility as attainable, so you may cut back your display time when it is not wanted (ignore these much less vital alerts, guilt-free).
Keep in mind that some notifications demand your consideration, whereas others don’t.
Counting down the times till One UI 8.5 releases
Whereas I’m removed from being displeased with One UI 8, it nonetheless wants a couple of extra options beneath its belt earlier than I really feel glad with the replace.
A kind of options I’m ready for is notification summaries. The function makes use of on-device AI to condense lengthy messages and group conversations, supplying you with fast recaps of what you’ve got missed.
Samsung would not be the primary to make use of such a function. Apple has already rolled out its personal AI abstract function with notifications in iOS 18, as a part of Apple Intelligence.
However the function was later withdrawn because of being uncontrolled and filled with inaccuracies (for instance, in information notifications) for information and leisure apps. The function returned in iOS 26.
It offers an ideal instance of how AI can nonetheless make contextual errors and why we should turn out to be conscious of its limitations earlier than utilizing it.
Whereas I can see why notification summaries provoke such a polarizing response, I might nonetheless wish to see how Samsung’s iteration works out throughout my numerous messaging apps.