Android 16 could get iPhone-like “persistent” notifications

Android 16 may come with a new ‘Rich Ongoing Notifications’ feature that lets developers keep ongoing notifications in the Android status bar, according to Android 15 beta code discovered by Robot bodyMishal Rahmanwhich frequently dives into the code to showcase upcoming features.

Currently, the code allows adding a pill-shaped icon with custom text and background color to the Android status bar. Some of the fake notifications created by Rahman show how they can be used for things like telling you when your Uber car is expected to arrive. Rahman points out that Android already has a feature like this since Android 12 that lets you know how long you’ve been on a phone call.

It looks similar to iOS’ Live Activities feature, which displays things like timers, sports scores, and ETA for a delivery on users’ lock screens and at the top of notifications. On iPhone 14 Pro and later, they appear as glanceable widgets in a Dynamic Island clip while you do other things on your phone.

I’d love to have something like this on my Pixel 6. Live Activities has been a great way to avoid forgetting the parking meter I paid for through my city’s parking app, or quickly check when a food delivery will arrive. Having something similar on Android would be one less barrier to me returning to the platform in the future.