Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google is getting ready to launch “Reside Updates,” a function much like iOS’s Reside Actions that prominently shows progress-style notifications.
- As soon as stay, these particular notifications will seem totally expanded on the lock display screen and as a persistent chip within the standing bar for at-a-glance updates.
- The function is already totally useful within the newest Android 16 QPR1 beta, suggesting it’s going to probably roll out within the subsequent quarterly replace.
Google’s secure Android 16 replace, launched final month, introduced many below the hood modifications, however most of its main user-facing options aren’t stay but. A key instance is Reside Updates, Android’s model of iOS’s Reside Actions. These are a particular kind of notification designed to be prominently displayed on the standing bar and lock display screen. Whereas the secure Android 16 launch provides preliminary assist by permitting apps to create these notifications, the OS doesn’t but deal with them any in another way from normal ones. Nonetheless, full assist for the Reside Updates function is simply across the nook, because it’s already lively within the newest beta launch and will arrive within the subsequent quarterly replace.
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The secure launch of Android 16 offers the muse for Reside Updates by introducing a brand new “progress-style” notification template. This template simplifies the method for builders so as to add progress bars to their app notifications — one thing particularly helpful for rideshare, meals supply, and navigation providers. Whereas this isn’t solely new performance, as apps like Uber already use custom-built progress bars, the brand new template means builders now not must construct them from scratch.
At the moment, Android 16 treats these progress-style notifications identical to another. Nonetheless, the Reside Updates function will elevate them. As soon as lively, progress-style notifications will seem totally expanded on the always-on show and lock display screen, eliminating the necessity to wake the display screen or pull down the notification shade. Moreover, apps supporting Reside Updates can push quick messages to an always-visible standing bar chip. Tapping this chip will reveal the complete progress notification, providing a fast look at an replace with out interrupting your workflow.
An instance of Reside Updates from the Uber Eats app on the AOD (left), lock display screen (left center), standing bar (proper center), and heads-up notification (proper).
Whereas Google confirmed that full assist for Reside Updates will arrive on Pixel telephones later this yr, the corporate by no means specified precisely when. When the primary Android 16 QPR1 betas rolled out, the function seemed to be disabled, as neither our take a look at app nor the Android 16 Easter egg triggered the complete expertise. The rationale, it seems, is that Google modified the necessities for a notification to be promoted to a Reside Replace.
Beforehand, I demonstrated that notifications wanted to fulfill three standards to qualify as a Reside Replace: they’d to make use of the brand new progress-style template, be marked as ongoing, and supply a brief abstract for the standing bar chip. With these in place, a notification would develop into a Reside Replace, assuming the function was enabled within the OS.
The Reside Updates function is disabled by default within the secure Android 16 launch however is lively within the QPR1 beta. Nonetheless, for a notification to be promoted within the beta, it should now meet further standards. The 2 fundamental modifications are that the app should declare the brand new POST_PROMOTED_NOTIFICATIONS permission and name the requestPromotedOngoing API. Whereas there are different minor necessities, these two additions are the important thing modifications from the secure launch of Android 16.
Utilizing a calmly modified model of Google’s pattern app on my Pixel 9 Professional operating Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2, I used to be in a position to get the complete Reside Updates expertise working. The function features precisely as anticipated, with the notification showing totally expanded on the lock display screen and as a chip within the standing bar.
Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority
It even appears fairly good on the always-on show; the notification is offered as a clear define, which helps it stand out in opposition to a wallpaper.
Managing Reside Updates can be simple. You possibly can press and maintain a notification and faucet “Flip off,” or you may disable the function from the app’s fundamental notification settings web page.
Provided that Reside Updates is totally useful within the Android 16 QPR1 beta, a proper announcement from Google probably isn’t far off. Builders must know that the function is stay to allow them to add assist for it, so the longer Google waits to announce it, the longer customers should wait for his or her favourite apps to roll it out.
