Aug 27, 2015 01:39 AM EDT
Notifications, whether iOS or Android, look very simplistic and not at all attractive. In fact, the system notifications for both platforms have been designed more for functionality as opposed to aesthetics. Launchers have been made to modify lock screens, a phone’s “desktop,” change the way SMS works, but third-party apps that prettify notifications on devices didn’t cause much of a stir. Until Notify.
Notify, which is currently on beta mode, gives a rather beautiful alternative to the usual texts and boxes for notifications. Notifications are color-coded per app, and they appear as cute bubbles on the screen. Notify was created by Skytek65, and the devs behind Notify cite fellow dev DarkionAvey for making their work easier for them. DarkionAvey created the libraries that suppress the native notifications, and made skinning notifications through apps like Notify BETA possible.
Though, why would a user need Notify BETA? Why would a user download a third-party app at all? Why would anyone need color-coded bubbles? To know which app is sending the notifications, to make notifications easier to digest and process because of the color association, and ultimately, to decide whether to take notice of the notifications or not. Think of it as giving you, the end-user, a shortcut to processing data and “background noise.” Nobody needs all that, and with Notify BETA, your decision-making process just got a little easier.
Notify BETA has an easy-to-follow walkthrough, so the user wouldn’t get lost with the setup. After the initial configuration, you’re good to go with your prettified notifications.
Users who have downloaded the app so far have very helpful notes on what can make the app better. Suggestions for added functionality, such as “Tap to open, and swipe to dismiss,” were volunteered by users. Should Skytek65 take those suggestions into consideration, they would have a very polished, very useful app indeed.
Pencil pushers who will be able to glance at their incoming notifications and tell, by app color, whether to pay attention to those or not, will probably have a more productive time at work.