After a short nap, notification snoozing returns in Android Q beta 4

Update, June 6, 2019 (5:16AM): The third Android Q beta made several tweaks to the notification system, including the removal of the notification snoozing feature. Fortunately, it seems like Android Q beta 4 has brought this feature back into the fold.

Android Authority reader Greg P spotted the feature’s return in the latest beta, sharing a screenshot of notification snoozing in the update. You can check out that screengrab below:

This isn’t the only notification-related tweak in the new beta, as the update once again lets you clear a notification by swiping in either direction. Are there any other notification changes you’d like to see in Android Q?

Original article, May 8, 2019 (8:27AM ET): The Android Q beta 3 has arrived and we’ve been diving into all its changes. Among newly added features are some omissions, including a particularly notable notification function.

Folks on Reddit pointed out yesterday the notification snooze button is missing from beta 3, and has been replaced by a pair of new options. Swipe right on a notification and you’ll find a new settings menu where you can set notifications to “gentle” or “interruptive.”

Interruptive notifications behave just like notifications of old — they’ll make a sound and appear in your app drawer and on your lock screen. Gentle notifications are silent and don’t appear anywhere but the notification shade. Swiping left clears notifications as previous.

Notification snoozing arrived in Android Oreo and was a welcome addition. It meant users could postpone a notification alert without removing it permanently and risking forgetting about it.

Whether notification snoozing is gone for good we can’t yet say. Beta periods give software developers a chance to test features and new ideas — Google has already made a few notification tweaks during Android Q’s development. Google may simply be trialing possible alternatives or planning a larger update to the way notification snoozing works.

If you’re a notification snoozing fan, let us know in the comments how you feel about the move. For more on the new update, read our Android Q beta 3 hands-on.

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