Notif is an application that considerably improves the notifications of Android 4.1. These, which are already good in themselves, are the basis used by this development, but it improves them since it offers a possibility that, until now, Google has not included in the operating system: they are fully customizable.
The types of notifications that can be created at the moment are four: Default, so alone create text in notification; Large text, which is like the previous one but includes a title with larger fonts; Big picture, which adds an identifying image to Large Text; and List, where you can create lists of up to 7 items with their corresponding summaries. It's not bad at all, the truth.
Each of these four types of notifications can be configured to not to be deleted until the indicated action is performed or, as is common in the Notification Bar, it can be deleted directly. In addition, the information can be expanded dragging the selected one down.
Some issues to improve
The truth is that the operation of Notif is optimal, since it is handled in a very simple way and, the truth is that once you get into the habit of using it to establish calendar or any other notifications, you discover its utility. However, there are a couple of sections that need to be corrected: the image resolution that are used and taken with the camera offer a very poor resolution and, in addition, on Nexus 7 you cannot access the Gallery, which is surprising.
There are two versions of Notif, one Delivery to Italy takes one or two business days which can be downloaded at this link on Google Play and another called Notif Pro which costs € 0,77 and that includes more than 200 icons that can be associated with notifications and that can be obtained here. As we have indicated, the version that you must have of Android to be able to use this application is Jelly Bean and the size of the free version is 947 KB.
What Jelly Bean's advanced notifications bring
Jelly Bean introduced expandable notifications and much more interactive: they can be expand and contract with a two-finger gesture, include images, and offer up to three quick actions (for example, returning a call or replying with a message without opening the app). In addition, from the bar itself it is possible hold down on a notice to access the application's information and disable its notifications if they are annoying. The system also includes a priority level which helps sort which ads appear first.
Native style types and limits compared to what Notif offers
With the corresponding API, Android defines three key styles that Notif leverages and extends: BigPictureStyle (ideal for including a large image up to 256 dpi), BigTextStyle (perfect for displaying long text) and InboxStyle (displays a list of strings, with a recommended maximum of 5 entries). In contrast, in Notif the type List allow up to 7 items, which provides more leeway when you want to group several lines with summaries.
La Big picture Notif fits with BigPictureStyle to highlight a cover, screenshot, or thumbnail; Large text leverages BigTextStyle to provide additional context without opening the app; and the mode Default It remains minimalist for short ads. This variety allows each ad to be tailored to the content that best represents it.
Compatibility and best practices for developers
For those who implement notifications in their apps, it is recommended to use NotificationCompat.Builder from the compatibility library, compile with API 16 or higher and define a PendingIntent that leads to the appropriate activity when you tap the notification. In previous versions, notifications will still work even if without expandable styles, showing the text of setContentText game as an alternative.
It is advisable to activate FLAG_AUTO_CANCEL so that the notice closes when touched, and support the experience with sound and vibration through system defaults. These practices ensure consistent behavior across different devices, which is key when trying to deliver truly useful notifications.
Alternatives to customize the notification bar
The community has also created tools to bring these features to more devices or change the look of the dashboard. Jelly Bean Notification replicated the new bar in terminals with Android 2.2 or higher, offered a ten-day free trial and divided the blind into two zones: that of your system and that of the installed service. It allowed respond to emails, SMS, and social media posts from the notice itself. Since it is not official, some users reported details such as blinking icons or text fields that remained active and blocked writing in other apps until they were closed.
If what you are looking for is visual customization, Material Notification Shade allow change the bar color’s most emblematic landmarks, the text color, Apply predefined themes and even modify the avatar, all without the need for root (although it unlocks some extra options). And for a different touch, there are solutions with Dynamic Notification effect what do they add bubbles, show ads only from favorite apps, allow block unwanted notifications, work in the lock screen and emphasize the privacy by not storing data.
Combining the power of Notif With Jelly Bean's native improvements and community options, the notification panel becomes a space for productivity where to read, act and manage which apps can interrupt you and how they do it. So each alert offers the right context, the most useful actions, and a design tailored to your preferences.
