Facebook flirts with new notification bar idea

Facebook is keen to experiment with new Android features for its app, and its latest effort comes in the form of a persistent notification bar in the Android notification tray. This isn’t the first time that Facebook has hinted at including a persistent notification icon, the company previously tested out a more plain looking version last year.

This latest experimental option has only been made available to a limited number of users, and only began testing as of the start of this week. As you can see in the image below, the persistent bar offers up familiar notifications for friend’s requests, new messages, and general notifications for the app.

For the narcissists out there, the notification also features a persistent profile picture, staring back at you each time you check for updates. The little “i” icon contains options for the notification, including the choice to return to the more traditional notification system.

There’s no indication that this change is destined for a build fit for every consumer, but perhaps it’s an indication of the type of change that Facebook has planned for the future.