Android 14 takes aim at notification spam with 'Cooldown' feature in latest beta

Google often introduces new features with beta updates, and the latest Android 14 QPR2 beta 2 release is no different. As part of the new update, Google is now working on Notification cooldown, a feature that Android users weary of incessant notification bombardments will surely relish. But for now, it’s still tucked away and requires some extra effort to enable it.

Imagine this: you’re enjoying a well-deserved break when your phone explodes with a flurry of pings, buzzes, and flashing lights. A single app, possessed by the spirit of notification overload, has decided to drown your phone in its digital deluge. With the update to Android 14 QPR2 beta 2, Google has baked a new feature known as Notification cooldown that’s meant to fix this mess. It is currently found in Settings → Notifications, where Google says it will “gradually lower the notification volume when you get many successive notifications from the same app.”

The feature will be customizable, allowing users to pick who gets the cooldown treatment. You can choose to apply it to all notifications, or just conversations, ensuring only the most persistent offenders are cooled down. Notification cooldown can also prevent your phone from vibrating until you touch the screen, sparing you from the phantom buzzes of notifications you haven’t even seen.

The arrival of this feature is a welcome move for all Android users yearning for a calmer, more Zen-like notification experience. So keep your eyes peeled, although I don’t expect Notification cooldown to be released before March 2024, which is when the current Android 14 QPR2 beta will roll out in stable.