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[Update: Reverted] Android 11 DP3: All notifications can be dismissed, even persistent ones

Android 11 is making some notable changes to notifications. In the third developer preview of Android 11, we’ve discovered that you can now dismiss any notification, even ongoing ones that were previously always in place.

An ongoing notification in Android is typically used by apps to keep information in the notification shade at all times or, in some cases, to keep the app running in the background where the system can’t disabled it. For some cases like Bluetooth accessory apps, these ongoing notifications could be a bit of an eyesore.

With Android 11 DP3, users can now dismiss any notification. If that notification was something like a message or email, it will go away as usual. If it was an ongoing notification, a new section titled “Apps active in background” will appear and show a list of any apps with this sort of notification. Tapping it then restores that notification to the regular shade.


Update 5/6: With Android 11 DP4, this change has, unfortunately, been reverted. System apps and third-party apps both no longer show the behavior shown below. Shame.


As mentioned, this could be really useful for apps that keep notifications in the shade at all times that you don’t want or need to see. Having them subtly in the background like this is definitely preferable. Of note, too, there’s currently a bug in DP3 which shows a strange gradient on this section. Presumably, this will be fixed in future releases.

Stay tuned to 9to5Google and let us know through Twitter or the comments if you see any new changes we haven’t covered!

Thanks @Futur3Sn0w!

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Avatar for Ben Schoon Ben Schoon

Ben is a Senior Editor for 9to5Google.

Find him on Twitter @NexusBen. Send tips to schoon@9to5g.com or encrypted to benschoon@protonmail.com.