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iOS 15: What's New With Notifications

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Apr 12, 2001
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Apple in iOS 15 made some updates to notifications, improving how they look, how they're delivered to you, and the control that you have over them.

General-iOS-15-Notifications-Feature.jpg

This guide covers all of the changes that Apple made to notifications in the iOS and iPadOS 15 updates.

New Look for Notifications

Notifications from apps now display larger app icons so it's easier to see what's what at a glance. When you get a text from someone from an app like Messages, it will include their contact photo to make it easier to identify who is messaging you.

ios-15-notification-new-look.jpg

This feature works with built-in Apple apps and third-party apps thanks to a notification API, so third-party apps like WhatsApp, Messenger, WeChat, and others will also be able to show contact photos in notifications.

Notification Summary

The Notification Summary is an opt-in feature that lets you control when notifications from unimportant apps are delivered. In the Notifications section of the Settings app, tapping on Notification Summary walks you through the initial setup process.

ios-15-notification-summary.jpg

For Notification Summary, you can select specific times for notifications to be delivered, and decide which app notifications will be relegated to the Notification Summary. You can choose just a handful of apps or all of your apps.

Apps need to be selected one by one, but the iPhone will suggest the apps that send the most notifications. You can set the Notification Summary to be delivered multiple times per day.

notification-summary-2.jpg

By default, the summaries will be set at 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., but the times can be changed and additional delivery times can be added. The Notification Summary also shows up on the iPhone in a dedicated section ahead of those times, so you're never really missing out on any of your notifications, even the unimportant ones.


Muting Notifications

Apps sending notifications or Messages threads can be muted temporarily, either for the next hour or for the entire day.

If you're part of a messaging thread that's particularly active but you aren't participating, your iPhone will send you a notification that suggests muting it so you're not bothered.

Time Sensitive Notifications

With Notification Summary, notifications that are time sensitive are still delivered right away. So if you're waiting on food delivery, a ride, or get a fraud alert from your bank, you'll know immediately and won't miss it in the Notification Summary.

Apple developed a Time Sensitive notification API for developers for apps that need to deliver notifications as soon as possible, so as of this fall, apps will be able to use the Time Sensitive notification feature.

Guide Feedback

Have questions about Notifications in iOS 15, know of a feature we left out, or want to offer feedback on this guide? Send us an email here.

Article Link: iOS 15: What's New With Notifications
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/guide/ios-15-notifications/
Last edited:
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I've really enjoyed the new view for notifications. Most complaints I've heard about iOS notifications versus android is the view, but I think if people turned off notifications entirely for things they don't interact with, it would solve those problems for them. It's definitely nice to have options either way!
 
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How about taking the obnoxious red dot off trying to force me to use Apple Pay and 2 factor auth?
 
My biggest problem with notifications is how difficult it is to dismiss them - especially with a case. I shouldn't have to make such a large swiping motion just to clear a notification. And the "Clear All" should not require two taps. Everything needs to be made a little bit quicker, more refined, and easier. It's a bit clunky, and it's been that way since iOS 7(?) I believe.

On Android (from what I've seen - I don't own a device myself), it's a VERY simple swipe to dismiss a bunch of notifications at once.

Edit: And yes, I have most notifications off, but that doesn't change the fact that swiping should not be as difficult as it is.
 
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steve333 said:
How about taking the obnoxious red dot off trying to force me to use Apple Pay and 2 factor auth?
Click to expand...
What red dot? I have iOS 15 installed on my old iPad, and also use a different Apple ID to keep things completely separated from my primary Apple ID account. My test Apple ID definitely doesn’t have Apple Pay or 2FA, and I don’t have a red dot in Settings. Pretty sure it went away when I declined to set those two up.
 
BigBlur said:
What red dot? I have iOS 15 installed on my old iPad, and also use a different Apple ID to keep things completely separated from my primary Apple ID account. My test Apple ID definitely doesn’t have Apple Pay or 2FA, and I don’t have a red dot in Settings. Pretty sure it went away when I declined to set those two up.
Click to expand...
It didn't go away on my iPhone and not on my Mac Mini
 
Still waiting for notification icon at top of screen so I know to look if an app is open covering the home screen... like any other OS has had available one way or another for the last 30 years.

Whatever
 
Re: that suggestion to mute message threads when you’re not active…does anyone know if that has a time component? As in, can you just mute for one day?
I’m often in some group chats where I want notifications generally, but maybe not for the next little bit…
 
steve333 said:
It didn't go away on my iPhone and not on my Mac Mini
Click to expand...
Have you already tapped the red dot to go through the setup process again, and decline setting them up? It should go away, at least it did for me when I declined the 2nd time (the 1st time being the initial setup when setting up the device). Not sure if this applies to the Mac Mini too, but I don’t see why not.
 
BigBlur said:
Have you already tapped the red dot to go through the setup process again, and decline setting them up? It should go away, at least it did for me when I declined the 2nd time (the 1st time being the initial setup when setting up the device). Not sure if this applies to the Mac Mini too, but I don’t see why not.
Click to expand...
Nope, did not go away
 
DaPizzaMan said:
My biggest problem with notifications is how difficult it is to dismiss them - especially with a case. I shouldn't have to make such a large swiping motion just to clear a notification. And the "Clear All" should not require two taps. Everything needs to be made a little bit quicker, more refined, and easier. It's a bit clunky, and it's been that way since iOS 7(?) I believe.

On Android (from what I've seen - I don't own a device myself), it's a VERY simple swipe to dismiss a bunch of notifications at once.

Edit: And yes, I have most notifications off, but that doesn't change the fact that swiping should not be as difficult as it is.
Click to expand...
What I miss is the ability to remove a notification without opening the Notification Center. With iOS 14, I could swipe down on a notification and a close button would appear that would remove the notification when tapped. With iOS 15, that doesn't happen.
 
fishnet37222 said:
What I miss is the ability to remove a notification without opening the Notification Center. With iOS 14, I could swipe down on a notification and a close button would appear that would remove the notification when tapped. With iOS 15, that doesn't happen.
Click to expand...
I just upgraded to the public beta, and I'm really unhappy with this change. Although it does appear to be slightly easier to dismiss a notification now - but still not enough.
 
Did iOS 15 remove the functionality to open a notification (specifically messages) by swiping right on them?
 
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