This buried Android 16 notification toggle fixed my most frustrating phone habit
Android Police 2026-06-18 13:30:11
Context: The article discusses a feature in Android 16 called Notification Cooldown, which helps reduce distractions from multiple notifications from the same app. This feature was introduced to minimize the interruptions caused by a barrage of notifications, allowing users to focus on their tasks without constantly being distracted by their phone. The author, Rahul Naskar, shares his personal experience of how this feature helped him change his frustrating phone habit.
Key Facts
- The Notification Cooldown feature in Android 16 automatically reduces the notification volume and minimizes pop-ups on the screen when a phone receives multiple notifications from a single app within a short time.
- The author, Rahul Naskar, had a frustrating phone habit of constantly checking his phone for notifications, especially from WhatsApp group chats, which he was a member of five.
- The Notification Cooldown feature does not affect calls, alarms, priority conversations, and emergency alerts, making it a carefully crafted feature that knows when not to act.
- Google first teased the Notification Cooldown feature in Android 15 but did not add it to the final version, only to add it back with the release of Android 16.
- To enable the Notification Cooldown option on a phone running Android 16, users need to go to Settings > Sound & vibration > Notification cooldown and toggle it on.