2

We recently switched from iPhone to Android and on both of our Samsung phones, apps that we have notifications for (Facebook, Skype, etc.) do not have a number next to the icon showing how many notifications they have. They used to on iPhone, and the system apps on Android still do like the Messaging and Email apps. I've triple checked the apps' settings and turned everything off and back on and still have no clue why it's doing this

Improve this question
2
  • 2
    This is not a very common feature for Android apps, in my experience. It sounds like Samsung apparently added it to their email and messaging applications, but the standard Android ones (e.g. the system apps on Nexus devices) and Google's apps (Gmail, Hangouts, etc) don't have notification badges on the icons. On occasion I've seen apps that support this by having a "widget" that looks just like the regular icon, and has a counter that gets updated when needed, but they're kind of the exception to the norm.
    – eldarerathis
    Feb 17, 2014 at 18:51
  • The responder here apparently doesn't own an Android phone....and for SURE doesn't own a Galaxy or he'd be very familiar with the "numeric" indicator on the default Android Messaging icon.
    – Michael Scott
    Jul 11, 2016 at 23:09

4 Answers 4

Reset to default
6

Android doesn't have "badged" icons like that by default. Unlike iOS, Android has had a pull-down list of notifications since the start, so that has become the standard way to present this kind of information in this platforms. Most Android users would be disappointed to see a 3 on their email icon, because they've come to expect a notification in the notification bar, giving more information than that. This is even more true since Jelly Bean added the expandable notifications: you can see the subjects of all the new e-mails, or, if there's only one, see a preview of the whole e-mail.

As eldarerathis points out, some apps offer a widget that you can use instead of the usual icon on your home screen. The widget might have an icon badged with a number of messages, as on iOS, or the app might instead offer a scrollable list of messages, the avatar/photo of the sender, etc., which isn't possible on iOS.

As you've noticed, Samsung phones can have badged icons on the default home screen. This is a feature that Samsung has added to make their phone look more like an iPhone. But since it's only in their home screen, not a standard feature, only their built-in apps support it. This is in addition to Android's usual, information-rich notifications, not instead of, so you're not missing out by having a Samsung phone.

If you've been an iPhone user for a long time, you might have to get used to using the notification tray to see new messages instead of looking at the app shortcuts, or to adding widgets to your home screen if you like, but once you do you'll find you can get at your messages with fewer taps and less fuss.

Improve this answer
4
  • my question is resolved partially but I don't understand why don't launcher apps like Google launcher support badged app's.
    – user285oo6
    Aug 25, 2014 at 7:12
  • Because it's not a standard Android feature, there's no way for the app to tell the launcher what number to display. The stock Samsung launcher and Samsung apps are written to work together.
    – Dan Hulme
    Aug 25, 2014 at 11:53
  • I would go in for the widgets as suggested but adding them would clutter the home screen their size is big
    – user285oo6
    Aug 25, 2014 at 11:59
  • Doesn't seem to be, but it would be good if all apps supplied a 1x1 widget which acted like a badged icon
    – Mick
    Aug 6, 2015 at 6:03
1

Badge based notifications are generally handled by whatever application Launcher you have installed. Google Now stock launcher by default does not handle this. Nor do many other launchers. However, Samsung's launcher does handle most applications but not all.

Nova Launcher has an add-on called TeslaUnread which can be installed in addition to the Launcher which will handle all badges for all applications. It can also be completely customized to have the badge appear in any corner you wish as well as color of the badge. Alternatively you can install widgets, such as Notifyer which will create a widget that appears as whatever icon you have chosen for whichever application and places it onto your launcher desktop. Whenever a notification is received, Notifyer will place a badge onto that icon.

I use a Samsung Note Edge. Samsung has an entire SDK for developers to create badges for their apps that are compatible with the Samsung launcher. As I noted before, Samsung has badges but not for every app. This is because apps have to have been custom designed with Samsung's badges in mind for them to function within a Samsung launcher. Personally I use Nova Launcher since it allows a lot more customization and control. Also I do not like the red or orange badges and preferred blue and Nova gave me this ability to change everything to how I like.

Improve this answer
0

My Galaxy Note 4 in the beginning had an icon number indication of interractions of each app like twitter pinterest etc, but after latest version updates the indicators are lost. So I guess is a matter of the app version.

Improve this answer
0

You may try this Touch on your empty home screen for 2 seconds then a pop up will appear below screen.

Choose > More settings > Badge app icons > choose app which you want them to hidden or appears > done.

Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .