Android 16's "Progress Center Notification": Real-time update, say goodbye to waiting!

Android 16 is about to be released in the summer, and one of the most eye-catching new features is Progress-centric Notifications, which can be called the Android version of iPhone Live Activities. Let's find out.

What is Android real-time update?

"Progress Center Notifications", also known as "Live Updates" or "Live Info", is a special notification that can update on ongoing activities in real time. Its typical application scenarios include takeaway orders, online ride-hailing itineraries and Google Map navigation.

There are two main ways to present real-time update notifications: the first is to display notification cards with progress bars in the drop-down notification bar, such as the progress of food orders. The icons in the status bar will also change as the card information is updated.

The second way is to use the "chips" in the status bar. "Chip" is essentially a tiny widget that displays real-time information in the status bar. So, while the navigation runs, you can not only see the Google Maps icon, but also see the specific information for the next step.

Real-time update notifications take precedence over all other notifications. When the real-time update chip is activated in the status bar, you can only see it, and all other notification icons will be hidden, including the "Priority" notification. By default, any application that creates continuous notifications will enable live updates.

Real-time information notification in Android 16 Beta 2.1

With the release of Android 16 Beta 2.1 last week, real-time updates can be experienced without any background operations. Google Maps is the first app to support real-time updates, and we can also use a test app made by developer Viktor Mykhailiv to understand the possible performance of a takeaway app.

When the application is able to update in real time, you will see an option called "Show Live Info" on the application information page in the system settings. This option should be enabled by default for any application that creates persistent notifications.

Let's see how Google Maps uses real-time updates to provide real-time navigation instructions. In order for the real-time information chip to appear in the status bar, you need to leave the navigation screen and make sure the Google Maps Picture In-Picture window is closed. You will see the screenshot shown below.

The screenshot above shows what is being viewed passively - it shows how much time is left before the next operation. The screenshot below is a pop-up window that appears on top of the action you are performing when you click on the chip. Prior to Android 16, you could only see the map navigation icon and need a drop-down notification to view more information about the next step. This is a noticeable improvement that allows you to view useful information without interacting with the screen.

Now, let's take a look at how the test app demonstrates how the takeaway app is using real-time updated. First, the icon in the status bar changes to indicate the current status of the order. In the image below, you can see it goes from "cooking" (steaming dishes) to "delivery" (bike) and then "delivered" (tableware).

When you swipe down to expand notifications, this information will be displayed on the progress bar. In the image below, you can see the Cooking icon appear in the orange area of ??the progress bar; the Delivery icon moves to the end of the green. The icon moves smoothly along the progress bar in real time.

This is especially useful because it allows you to check progress without opening the app. As we have seen, takeaway is an obvious use, but it also works for waiting for a ride-hailing or bus.

It needs to be improved

Real-time update notifications look pretty good, but there is still room for improvement. For example, they currently display on screen off displays without any difference from normal notifications. This is expected behavior, but it is not completely working at the moment.

Although this feature was launched a few years later than Apple, it means a lot to Android. Notifications have always been the core advantage of Android. They have quietly changed a lot over the years, but the core functions remain the same. This is another solid step in the development of Android. We are looking forward to seeing how many apps will take advantage of this feature when Android 16 is released in June this year.

Related: Android officially returns to lock screen widget

We are working hard to understand what exactly will be included in Android 16 released this summer. The latest addition is a feature that hasn't been officially offered on Android devices for more than a decade: lock screen widgets.

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