I don't understand the notification center

Question

Alexroet Author

Level 2

422 points

I don't understand the notification center

Sorry if this is too dumb and basic, but can someone just give me an overview of how this thing actually works?

What does it mean to be "in" the notification center?

vs just giving me an alert but NOT having notification center turned on.

And what does it mean to show in the lock screen?

Are these 3 things totally separate and independent??

I have lots of apps set to be in the notification center, yet somehow they don't show up there... (like Remember the Milk)

I haven't been able to figure out how it works if the phone is active, vs sleeping- i.e. what the difference is.

And I have the New York Times app set to give me banners, but not be in the notification or on the lock screen.

and I just saw an NYT banner, but I didn't have time to read it all, and now I can't find it anywhere... (and it seemed like something important- I think it said something about the app was moving?)

Where do notifications "go"? does it mean if I don't have an app set to be in the notification center, that if I don't happen to be staring at my phone when the little banner comes and goes, that I just miss it?

That doesn't seem right...

Posted on Oct 17, 2011 8:53 AM

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Answer 1

Alexroet Author

Level 2

422 points

Oct 17, 2011 11:39 AM in response to wjosten

Thanks, but unfortunately that didn't really answer my questions. 😟 I still don't understand what happens to a notification if it's not set to show up in the notification center, or the lock screen. I get a banner, and then it just vanishes? there's no badge on the app...

and I still don't really understand the lock screen. if I have lock screen on, and notification center off for a certain app, does that mean that if the phone isn't on the lock screen, and I don't noticed the banner at the top, it just disappears and I don't actually get notified?

maybe I'm just being a dummy, but it doesn't seem as simple and intuitive as they're trying to make it sound.

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Answer 2

tonefox

Level 6

9,394 points

Oct 17, 2011 11:55 AM in response to Alexroet

A pretty classic article based on "this is what I want, and it's not the same, therefore it is rubbish".

Consider these two quotes:

1) Why would Apple choose to limit this interaction to the pull-down interface accessible once your device is unlocked and not simply let the Notification Center take residence on your lock screen?

2) First off, you can't dismiss notifications from the lock screen. Well, not really. The only way to dismiss notifications from the lock screen is to unlock the screen, thus dismissing all notifications.

Alerts that require your immediate attention appear on your lockscreen. Lists of stuff don't. "You have to be at a meeting" appears on your lockscreen at the time you set. "Buy some bread because you're now near the baker" appears on the lockscreen.

"It's going to rain tomorow" and "There's a party the day after tomorrow" and "it's your wife's birthday next week" don't. They're available on the Home screen.

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Answer 3

Alexroet Author

Level 2

422 points

Oct 17, 2011 12:00 PM in response to tonefox

that's too basic, too.

here's an example:

"Turn notifications on or off: Go to Settings > Notifications. Tap an item in the list, then turn notifications on or off for that item.

Apps that have notifications turned off are shown in the “Not In Notification Center” list."

You can't turn "notifications" on/off. you can turn the notification CENTER on/off.

that makes it sound like if i turn the Notification CENTER off, i am turning off ALL notifications for the app.

I don't think that's the case.

I still get a banner when I have a new text, even if NC is turned off. I get the banner, but it's not shown on the swipe down screen.

It just seems to me like this has 3 entirely separate components (the actual alert/banner, the swipe-down notification center screen, and the lock screen) that don't necessarily interact well. Oh then there are app badges too, as their own whole category.

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Answer 4

Alexroet Author

Level 2

422 points

Oct 17, 2011 12:04 PM in response to tonefox

ok, the article isn't perfect, and maybe I'm just being too nitpicky...

I just wish I understood completely how the different components interact.

I am just absolutely making no sense?

does everyone else here really understand this fully and love it, and I'm just a dolt?

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Answer 5

tonefox

Level 6

9,394 points

Oct 17, 2011 12:20 PM in response to Alexroet

Well, I'm not sure I love it or fully understand it, but my limited use of it so far suits me.

The way I see it (yes - this is subjective) is as I attempted to describe above. I'll have another go.

Alerts appear on the Lock screen. These are messages triggered by "The time for this reminder is NOW" or "The place you requested this reminder is where you are NOW".

All those other reminders for sometime in the future are not displayed on the Lock screen. They're not requiring attention NOW. But you can have a look at them from the list available on the Home screen.

Oh, and you're probably not a dolt. 😝

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Answer 6

Alexroet Author

Level 2

422 points

Oct 17, 2011 12:47 PM in response to tonefox

That makes sense, and I would agree with you- except for the fact that it seems like you can set each component separately for every single app. so I can have one set to appear in lock screen but NOT NC, or vice versa. Or all 3. Or none.

Like, when it's my turn in scrabble, I don't need major emergency notifications for that. so I'm fine if it rolls a little banner that I may or may not see, and then puts a little red badge on the icon.

But if I miss a phone call and have new voicemail, I want all 3.

So far that seems to be working.

But this morning I got some banner from the new york times app, which I have set not to go to NC or lock screen, b/c I don't need a big alert every time there's a new headline... so the banner came and went, and now for the life of me I can't find what the NYT was trying to tell me, and I would have sworn it said something about "the NYT app can now be found at..." and that's all I saw- but it seemed like something I needed to know.

and sure that's just an example and maybe an isolated incident, but things like that make me want to understand how it all works so I don't "miss" things that maybe ARE important.

unfortunately I think I'm beating a dead horse.

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Answer 7

Oct 17, 2011 12:58 PM in response to Alexroet

Whew. You are correct in that they are 3 different pieces. To answer this example directly, you have the NYTimes set to just give you the banner. It does that. The banner disappears. And it's gone forever. If you want to later be able to see what the banner was, then you need to set Notification Center on. Then when you pull down the Notification Center, you can see all the banner info you missed when your phone was in your pocket. If you also want those notices to pop up when your phone is locked, turn the lock screen option on.

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Answer 8

Oct 17, 2011 1:05 PM in response to Alexroet

What does it mean to be "in" the notification center?

This info will show up in the pull-down Notification Center until you dismiss it.

vs just giving me an alert but NOT having notification center turned on.

This info will just give you the alert, but the alert will disappear. You may miss it unless you are staring at your phone.

And what does it mean to show in the lock screen?

This info will pop up when your phone is locked.

Are these 3 things totally separate and independent??

Yes.

I have lots of apps set to be in the notification center, yet somehow they don't show up there... (like Remember the Milk)

They won't show up until there is a notification to show. If there is no news, nothing will show.

I haven't been able to figure out how it works if the phone is active, vs sleeping- i.e. what the difference is.

And I have the New York Times app set to give me banners, but not be in the notification or on the lock screen.

and I just saw an NYT banner, but I didn't have time to read it all, and now I can't find it anywhere... (and it seemed like something important- I think it said something about the app was moving?)

That's because you have it set to only give you banners. They disappear. Unless you set it to also be in Notification Center. Then the banner will show up, which is useful when you are working in a different app on your phone and can make the choice to deal with the banner or let it disappear. But if you want the option to go back to that news, then can be in Notification Center.

Where do notifications "go"? does it mean if I don't have an app set to be in the notification center, that if I don't happen to be staring at my phone when the little banner comes and goes, that I just miss it?

That is exactly right!

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Answer 9

Will F

Level 1

5 points

Oct 20, 2011 6:39 PM in response to Alexroet

I'm also trying to understand the behavior of the Notification Center on my 4th Gen iPod Touch. I wish the documentation were better in the iOS 5 Manual.

As far as I can tell, it looks like calendar events for the next day appear in the NC sometime on the day before (24 hrs before?). They are gone sometime after the event, but I'm not sure how soon.

Do Reminders from the Remindrs app appear in the NC only on the day they are due? Does that mean after midnight? They seem to disappear about 24 hours after they are due. They don't remain in the NC untll manually cleared as some articles have said. Though they will go away when you clear them in the Reminders app.

So the Notification Center is not meant to be a to-do list, since incomplete reminders will disappear on their own. The iOS 5 Manual says only that " you can see all current alerts" in the NC.

The Reminders app could serve as a simple to-do list.

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