Key Takeaways
- Android lacks notification syncing across devices, but Google may be working to address this issue.
- Google might introduce cross-device notification syncing for all Android phones, not just Pixels.
- Google has been testing various cross-device features in its apps and services, as it looks to improve Android’s integration capabilities.
One of Android’s main strengths is its notification panel, which allows you to take relevant actions without even having to open the app. But it is far from perfect, with the biggest quirk being the lack of notification syncing across devices. So, even if you dismiss a notification from one of your phones, it will still appear on your secondary phone or tablet. It seems Google is finally working on a solution to this problem.
Android expert Mishaal Rahman found code and strings in Android 15 QPR1 Beta 2 related to a “sync across devices” option under Settings > Notifications. There’s no description of the feature in the code yet, but Mishaal, in his Android Authority report, claims that it could be related to cross-device notification syncing.
The report suggests Google might not limit notification syncing across devices to Pixels. Instead, the feature could be available on all Android phones and tablets, likely through Google Play Services.
As of now, it is too early to confirm when Google will roll out cross-device notification sync between Android devices. There’s no mention of notification syncing in the latest Google Play Services, indicating it might be in the early stages of development.
Until Google gets around to rolling out cross-device notification syncing for Android, you can use third-party apps like KDE Connect and Pushbullet as a workaround.
Google must improve Android’s cross-device integration
Cross-device integration is one of Android’s weakest aspects, especially compared to the iPhone and how it integrates with other devices in Apple’s ecosystem. Google seems to be working on addressing this shortcoming, with the May 2024 Android Feature Drop introducing features like instant hotspot and the ability to switch devices during Meet video calls.
The Google Play Store also rolled out an option to sync apps across your devices in March 2023. So, the inability to sync notifications across Android devices linked to the same Google account seems like a notable miss.
Over the years, Google has tested several cross-device features across its apps and services. In December 2020, YouTube briefly tested cross-device downloads, while in July 2022, it was spotted working on cross-platform timers. More recently, Google Chrome tested supercharging cross-device browsing by showing your browsing history from other devices on a new tab page.