Pixel Lock Screen Notifications

[Kyometaxao]

Hello

I'm deciding whether to buy an iPhone SE or wait for the Pixel 4a. One of the things that will sway my decision is lock screen notifications.

I'm not a fan of AOD, so my chosen phone would have to at least have some way of notifying me of a text message or similar without me interacting with the phone.

In the past, the LED would do a grand job of this, but I believe these are being phased out in favor of AOD in most phones including the Pixel.

Can any pixel owners advise of the options within the settings?

 

[Hadron]

I have a Pixel 2, so still have a notification LED. But if we assume the AOD options are the same in the more recent devices without one:

Firstly, the actual lock screen isn't the problem: it can show as much notification information as you want there (how much is shown depends on what you choose, e.g. if I tell my SMS app to hide sensitive content it shows less than if I don't). But you have to wake the screen to see the lock screen. Actually since I normally wake the screen with my fingerprint, i.e. unlock at the same time, I rarely see the lock screen at all.

So the real problem is what you see when the screen is off. And for that the only built-in option is the AOD, which is crap. If you turn it on you get the time, the date in small font, and then a set of tiny icons to show which apps currently have notifications. You can set it so that when a new notification comes in it shows more information for a short time, but then it will revert to what I described above. And there is no option to turn off the clock and date and just have it show when there are notifications (though as I have a couple of permanent notifications that wouldn't be much use to me anyway). Personally I turned the AOD off a long time ago: if it had the option to only show notifications, plus the ability to choose what apps can/can't show notifications on the AOD, then it would have some utility: if you saw anything on there you'd know something had arrived, though it's still less visible, especially at a distance, than a notification LED. But having to count the dim little icons at the bottom of the AOD to see whether there is anything new is of such limited utility that I'm almost surprised that Google think this is useful - "almost" because I long ago got over being surprised by Google making myopic choices.

So that's it for built-in options, unless there are more options on later devices which lack the notification LED (which, to be honest, I doubt. Google assume you use the AOD, and why not provide any other options in the Pixel 2 as well?).

The real question is whether there are third-party options that can be used to provide the functionality you want? Unfortunately as I have an older Pixel which still has a notification LED I've never investigated this.

 

[codesplice]

unless there are more options on later devices which lack the notification LED

Nope, and the Pixel 4 actually suppresses lock screen notifications by default in favor of magically unlocking to your home screen as soon as it registers your face. (Fortunately you can change that behavior by disabling the Settings > Display > Advanced > Lock screen display > Skip lock screen option.) I don't think that will be the case on the 4a but it's still a frustrating move.

Personally, though, I actually really like the AOD implementation on my Pixel 3. I've disabled and filtered notifications that aren't important so it's easy for me to see at-a-glance whether or not a particular notification warrants my attention.

 

[Hadron]

Unlocking to your home screen, as opposed to whatever app you were using before the screen turned off/you turned the screen off? That wouldn't be good: I usually want to go back to what I was doing before.

All the indications are that the 4a won't have the face scanner so I assume it won't behave the same way. TBH I normally put my finger on the scanner when I pick the phone up, so it's usually unlocked before I see the screen anyway (and I find this rather efficient, so see no need to change that).

 

[codesplice]

Unlocking to your home screen, as opposed to whatever app you were using before the screen turned off/you turned the screen off?

No, sorry, I should have been clearer. I just meant that it immediately moves past the lock screen once it recognizes your face.

 

[tommo47]

On my Pixel 3a I have disabled the lock screen display of notifications. As @Hadron said, the clock and date remain.

I have a notebook style protective case so depend on the notification sounds rather than visual notifications anyway.

The 3a does not have a notification led.

 

[Kyometaxao]

Thanks for your responses. What I suppose I'm after is a non AOD, silent way of notifying me of a text or similar.

On my old iPhone would wake screen when notifications arrived. If the pixel doesn't have this feature or similar I'm going to have to look elsewhere.

 

[codesplice]

Even with AOD disabled you can still have the screen briefly wake to show new notifications.

 

[Hadron]

It does, but it's transient. Fine if you are looking at the screen at the time, but once it goes dark again there is nothing.

That's where the notification LED won.

 

[Kyometaxao]

It does, but it's transient. Fine if you are looking at the screen at the time, but once it goes dark again there is nothing.

That's where the notification LED won.

That's fine for me. I work at a desk and have the phone in my line of sight but we'll out if the way, so as long as it lights up, if only for a second, that meets my needs.