Apple has redesigned the notification system in iOS 16. Notifications now appear stacked at the bottom of the Lock Screen by default. Some users aren’t big fans. But don’t worry. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the new notifications and, if you want, show you how to revert to the old view.
In iOS 16, you’re given three options to choose. So let’s start with that.
- Open Settings
- Tap Notifications
- Under Display As, choose Count, Stack, or List
Count Notifications
Shows the number of unattended messages on your iPhone Lock Screen.
Choosing Count allows new notifications to appear at the bottom of your iPhone display. After waking the Lock Screen several times without interacting with these notifications, they will hide and show the number of recent alerts. In addition, you can tap notifications or swipe down on the Lock Screen to see unread alerts.
Stack
Stack is the default view on iOS 16. When you choose Stack, alerts will be stacked on top of one another. When you receive a alert from an app, it will be placed on top of the previous notification, but you will see a demarcation line. It doesn’t matter how many notifications you receive; they will all be bundled as a short stack.
List Notifications
Finally, if you choose List, you will see your alerts displayed like they were before iOS 16. Each alert will appear as an individual notification. Once you receive several unread notifications, they will be grouped based on app and person.
Unopened notifications won’t stay permanently on the Lock Screen whether you choose Count, Stack, or List. Instead, after ignoring the alerts, they will automatically hide and remain in the Notification Center. To access them, swipe up on the Lock Screen.
How to Manage Notifications
Similarly, If you feel like you’re being inundated with notifications, you can choose which apps you want to get notifications from and what type of alerts they send.
- Tap Settings
- Tap Notifications
Under Notification Style, you’ll see a list of all your apps. Take the time to review them and determine which apps you want to receive alerts from. For example, you may not need to see notifications from games or movie apps. But you want to see alerts from the Find My app.
Tapping into an app like Find My, you’ll see many options, such as Time Sensitive Notifications, that will remain on the screen for an hour. All the alerts are checked, and Banner Style, Sounds, badges, and Show in Car Play. You can choose to set your notifications as you wish.
At the bottom of the Notification screen, you’ll see Government Alerts with options for Amber Alerts, Emergency Alerts, Public Safety Alerts, and Test Alerts. You can choose to toggle these on or off.
If you don’t want to see notifications constantly, you can choose Scheduled Summary.
You’ll receive a digest view, made available in the morning and evening by default. You can customize time and frequency when a summary comes in. Tap it to see all the notifications it contains.
Conclusion
If appropriately managed, notifications can help you balance constant connectivity and seeing what’s important to you.
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