Notification specific actions needed

[mihalich]

So, I've seen a lot of posts about being wanting to highly customize notifications. And there just doesn't seem to be a way to do this out of the box. I'm not sure if it is an API limitation or just a feature limitation in Android 2.0.

In my opinion, we need support for highly customizable alert notifications.

For instance, in windows mobile, there is a list of different types of events: New Email Arrives, New IM+ Message arrives, New Text Message Arrives, etc. For each of these events (and apps can add their own custom ones at will), you can specify the ringtone, whether to vibrate, show an alert dialog, etc.

This needs to the be the next step for notifications. To simply limit us to a phone ringtone volume, and Text Message Volume and whether vibrate or not, is not nearly enough.

For instance, these are things we should be able do to:

If I get an email through a pop3 email account, then vibrate only.
If I get an email through exchange, be silent.
If a call comes in, full volume, and vibrate.
If I get a text message, vibrate only. But if I get a text message for this contact, play this ringtone and vibrate.

Once this functionality is available apps like Locale can take advantage of it, use them in profiles so you can customize it even further based on some location or situation.

So I ask you, is this an API limitation or a Feature limitation right now? And what is the right way to go about getting such a list of features added?

Should we vote on them, on the google feature request site?

Thanks,
Joe

 

[Fadelight]

The email thing would be a new feature, but everything else on your list can be done by an app called "Missed call".

Enjoy.

 

[mihalich]

Right, so how does that app interoperate with Locale? The Locale app is operating off the standard functionality.

I want profiles for configurations setup in Missed Call. probably can't do that.

But, you could if the missed call functionality was default functionality.

Since both apps exist and work, one would have to say that basically a new app is needed to do both?

Phone Alarm on WM was the king of this functionality.

Joe

 

[kingtermite]

I'm right there with ya mihalich. My wife and I just got our phones and it drives her nuts that there is no way to distinguish between a gmail email coming in and a text message coming in.

 

[srothkin]

I'm right there with ya mihalich. My wife and I just got our phones and it drives her nuts that there is no way to distinguish between a gmail email coming in and a text message coming in.

You can set different notification sounds for each -- menu -> settings in the Gmail and Messaging apps respectively.

I have different sounds for phone ringer, alarm, text, and to-do (Astrid). For Gmail I've turned off sounds so it notifies me by vibration only (which implicitly tells me it is an email unless I have sound muted).

 

[kingtermite]

Oh....cool. That's all I was looking for. Don't know why I didn't think to check settings on the apps individually.

Thanks.

You can set different notification sounds for each -- menu -> settings in the Gmail and Messaging apps respectively.

I have different sounds for phone ringer, alarm, text, and to-do (Astrid). For Gmail I've turned off sounds so it notifies me by vibration only (which implicitly tells me it is an email unless I have sound muted).

 

[mihalich]

Right I got all that now.

The problem remains that Locale (the app) cannot get to this level configuration on a profile basis. It only allows you to configure a general notification volume & vibration mode.

I guess that's what i was really trying to say. We need a profile app that gets down to this level of configuration for each profile you define.

Maybe this is an issue that the email apps don't provide access to these configurations to external activities. But they should. Or the email events should be system level notifications that anyone can register to receive notifications for. And they should be fine grained, like POP3 email received, IMAP email received, Exchange Email Received.


Joe

 

[mihalich]

...which brings me back to my original point. These settings that I'm talking about should be system level events that are configurable in the system settings off the main menu button.

Basic smart phone notifications such as ring, missed call, text, email (fine grained as mentioned before), bluetooth, wifi should all have the ability to have their state (on, off), volume level, ringtone, and vibrate be set at the system level.

I should not have to go to the text app, and the email app to configure these...and Apps shouldn't have to bind to those app's activities or services to get the functionality. They should be able to get them from the standard API like they can for most of the things I mentioned.



You can do this out of the box with windows mobile.

Joe

 

[srothkin]

The problem remains that Locale (the app) cannot get to this level configuration on a profile basis. It only allows you to configure a general notification volume & vibration mode.

I think there is an open feature request for locale to add control of other volume level settings.

You can submit locale feature requests and vote on requests others have made at Locale Feedback

 

[punkzanyj]

...which brings me back to my original point. These settings that I'm talking about should be system level events that are configurable in the system settings off the main menu button.

Basic smart phone notifications such as ring, missed call, text, email (fine grained as mentioned before), bluetooth, wifi should all have the ability to have their state (on, off), volume level, ringtone, and vibrate be set at the system level.

I should not have to go to the text app, and the email app to configure these...and Apps shouldn't have to bind to those app's activities or services to get the functionality. They should be able to get them from the standard API like they can for most of the things I mentioned.



You can do this out of the box with windows mobile.

Joe

With all those "should" statements, you could easily follow up with you "should" have bought Windows Mobile instead.

Android is based on linux, so a WinMo comparison is somewhat odd. Does regular linux allow the sorts of features you're looking for? If so, then there's your avenue in. If not, then that's your explanation.

Either way, saying "my other phone did this, so my new phone should, too" is you expressing a preference. I see nothing wrong with setting up the gmail notification in gmail, and the sms notification in the SMS program. Having a centralized location for all those notifications is a lot like putting all the lightswitches and outlets in your entire house all by the front door. Yes, you'd have access to everthing in the same place --- but when you're in the bathroom, do you really want to run downstairs just so you can turn on the light in the bathroom? Having the notifications set from within their respective apps makes sense, it's intuitive. Of course the lightswitch for the bathroom is inside the bathroom, where else would it be?

You're thinking like a programmer, not like a user.

 

[mihalich]

lol. That's cuz I am a developer.

I wasn't trying to compare anything windows mobile really.

I am coming up to speed on android development, which is why I was posting the questions here.

-Joe