It’s been months since Android 16 made it to the public with a bunch of new features in tow, and the one that I keep coming back to is Live Updates. Each time one of these priority notifications pops up on my screen, I’m happy to see it because it’s exactly the kind of smart and contextual information I need my “smart” phone to provide in that moment. I don’t want my transit directions or Uber progress to get lost among a dozen other notifications, but to surface on top.
Despite how delightful and useful Live Updates are, very few apps are using them. Even Google hasn’t made the most of these excellent notifications in its apps, which is such a shame. Let me explain to you why Live Updates are so cool and why I’m worried that no one is adopting them yet.