Mountain View, California – August 6, 2024 – A new feature leveraging artificial intelligence too intelligently categorize and manage smartphone notifications has been discovered within the android 16 QPR1 Beta 2 release, specifically on the pixel 8 Pro. This development, first reported by Android Authority, suggests Google is moving towards a more proactive and user-customizable notification experience.

The system aims to group less critical notifications, reducing interruptions while ensuring critically important alerts remain visible. Currently, the feature is expected to initially launch exclusively on Pixel devices, perhaps debuting with the anticipated Pixel 10 series in October 2025, before being rolled out to older Pixel models via Pixel Drop updates. Pixel Drop updates have historically occurred quarterly, with the next expected in December 2024.

A settings page, accessible on the Pixel 8 Pro running Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2, allows users to designate specific applications as exceptions to the grouping process. This is crucial for applications delivering time-sensitive or critical data,such as mobile banking apps (e.g., Chase, Bank of America) and health monitoring applications (e.g., Fitbit, myfitnesspal). Google explicitly acknowledges the potential for inaccuracies, stating the AI-driven categorization “may contain errors” due to the complexity of analyzing diverse notification types.

Evidence of the feature’s underlying animation was found in the July 2025 Android Canary build on August 4, 2025, illustrating how the notification grouping will function. While not yet active in current Android releases, the presence of the settings page confirms Google’s commitment to providing users with granular control over their notification experience. the Android Canary builds are typically released on the 1st of each month, providing early access to developers and testers.

This feature builds upon Google’s existing notification management tools, including notification channels introduced in Android 8.0 Oreo, and Priority conversations, which debuted in Android 14. the new AI-powered system represents a significant step towards a more intelligent and personalized notification experience, addressing a common pain point for smartphone users.