The Samsung Galaxy S26 sequence is lastly out within the wild, and whereas it brings various notable upgrades, together with the Privateness Show that everybody is speaking about, there are additionally a number of enhancements bundled with One UI 8.5, which debuts alongside the brand new gadgets.
One UI 8.5 introduces options like Audio Magic Eraser, which removes undesirable background noise whereas watching content material, in addition to Gemini display screen automation that permits you to hand off duties like ordering espresso or calling a cab. After which there’s the improved Samsung DeX expertise as nicely.
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Notification classes are one in every of Android’s most helpful options
(Picture credit score: Sanuj Bhatia / Android Central)
Ask anybody why they like Android over an iPhone, and probably the most frequent solutions, myself included, is notifications. Managing notifications on Android is solely higher. The extent of management you get on the Galaxy S26, or any Android telephone for that matter, is great.
You possibly can customise what sort of notifications an app can ship and the way they seem. Whether or not you need a full pop-up alert that takes over a part of the display screen or a silent notification that sits quietly within the tray, the management is intensive. Since it’s based mostly on Android 16 as nicely, One UI 8.5 on the Galaxy S26 affords this identical stage of flexibility.
The one difficulty is that one in every of Android’s greatest notification options, notification channels, which is known as notification classes on Samsung telephones just like the Galaxy S26, is turned off by default. With this characteristic, you possibly can management precisely what sort of notifications every app is allowed to ship.
(Picture credit score: Sanuj Bhatia / Android Central)
For instance, on my Galaxy S26, I’ve set my meals supply app (generally known as Swiggy in my space) to ship solely order updates. I solely need to know when my order is confirmed or on the best way, so I’ve disabled promotional alerts. You possibly can apply related controls to different apps as nicely. On YouTube, as an example, you possibly can select to obtain solely your subscription notifications whereas turning off alerts for livestreams and YouTube suggestions.
Most Android smartphones on the market, together with the Google Pixel 10 Professional and different Android manufacturers, ship with this characteristic enabled by default in your telephones, however not the Galaxy S26. Fortunately, although, it is fairly simple to allow.
The best way to allow notification classes on the Galaxy S26
1. Open the Settings app in your telephone.
2. Faucet Notifications, then go into Superior settings.
What to learn subsequent
3. Scroll to the underside of the web page and allow Handle notification classes for every app.
As soon as enabled, you possibly can management precisely what sort of notifications every app can ship in your Galaxy S26.
(Picture credit score: Sanuj Bhatia / Android Central)
4. Open the Settings app in your telephone.
5. Faucet Notifications after which choose App notifications.
6. Right here you may see the checklist of apps put in in your telephone which might be allowed/disallowed from sending notifications.
7. Choose the app you need to handle.
(Picture credit score: Sanuj Bhatia / Android Central)
Right here I’ll present you an instance utilizing the YouTube app on my Galaxy S26. Within the app notification settings, scroll all the way down to the notification settings and faucet Notification classes.
Right here, you possibly can see all of the several types of alerts the app can ship, equivalent to subscriptions, stay streams, feedback and replies, suggestions, downloads, and normal notifications.
You possibly can then select precisely which classes you need. Disable those you do not want, and you’ll cease receiving these alerts. The one onerous half right here is that you’re going to now should repeat these steps for different apps one after the other to totally customise the notifications you obtain in your Galaxy S26.
Marvel why Samsung retains this disabled by default
(Picture credit score: Sanuj Bhatia / Android Central)
Samsung continues to push AI integration throughout its software program, but the corporate decides to maintain this primary (and genuinely helpful) characteristic disabled by default.
In my view, notification classes are important for many customers. This development began with One UI 6.1 on the Galaxy S24 Extremely, and Samsung hasn’t modified it with One UI 8.5 on the Galaxy S26 Extremely both.
Notification classes have been extremely helpful for me, particularly as somebody who will get simply distracted by fixed alerts and makes use of social media apps throughout work hours. This characteristic has made a giant distinction for me, permitting me to obtain solely the notifications that really matter.
There are nonetheless some tough edges, since not all apps totally assist notification classes or provide granular management, however Google has carried out it nicely general. That stated, it is a type of options, for my part, that each Galaxy S26 person ought to arrange as quickly as they activate their machine.
