Earlier this week, Google released a new version of its Compatibility Definition Document for Android and one particular change stands out. Among minor changes, Google stated that all OEMs will now be required to keep notification bundling and direct reply on Android phones.
Whenever manufacturers work on Android OS updates for their smartphones, they may remove some native Android features or replace them with their own versions. Google appears to have singled out such manufacturers and is now making notification grouping and direct reply mandatory.
This means that all Android-running smartphones will group notifications in the same way and offer direct reply features, provided that they run the latest OS versions. The Google document makes a number of features mandatory, including Android’s native notification actions, replies, settings access and grouped notifications. This means that notifications will be grouped in the notification shade and users will be able to directly reply to messages from there, without having to open the respective app.
The two features are now mandatory for all OEMs
The document reads “Handheld device implementations MUST support the behaviors of updating, removing, replying to, and bundling notifications as described in this section.” Moreover, it seems that handheld device implementations must provide the ability to control notifications directly in the notification shade.
In addition, manufacturers must keep the ability for users to block, mute and reset notification preferences from a package, both in the control panel or quick settings toggles and settings app. OEMs must also keep “the visual affordance to trigger the control panel in the notification shade.”
The new Compatibility Definition Document refers to devices running Android 7.1 and older. Most Android-running smartphones do follow these guidelines already, so perhaps Google was interested in making sure that all manufacturers would keep certain Android OS features.
Notification grouping feature has been included in most proprietary Android skins, like Samsung’s TouchWiz for quite a while now.
