[Android 11 DP/Beta] Blur Notification Shade Background [158743788]

Fixed

Feature Request

Platform

adexe s nau

Status Update

No update yet.

Description

[Deleted User]

created issue #1

Jun 11, 2020 06:22PM

Currently, the Notification Shade is quite hard to read from, despite the efforts of trying to increase the background transparency throughout the years of Android builds.

It would be better managed by making the background blurred, just like iOS. This will not only make the notifications much easier to read from and reduce any distractions laying in the background, but also make it more visually appealing.

Hopefully, you guys consider this option, as this is also regarded as an accessibility improvement.

Thanks

Comments

ja...@google.com <ja...@google.com> Jun 11, 2020 06:45PM

Assigned to ja...@google.com.

sp...@gmail.com <sp...@gmail.com> #2Jun 13, 2020 08:13AM

I second this, it may need to be adopted throughout the rest of the interface, however.

[Deleted User] <[Deleted User]> #3Jun 13, 2020 10:52AM

Embrace blur, Android!!

ra...@gmail.com <ra...@gmail.com> #4Jun 13, 2020 11:20AM

yes one component if blurred has to be uniform throughout the OS. some applications I can see are in the power button menu, quick view and shuffling between different apps, the top part of the chrome browser and the android bar at the top. But that will make it look exactly like iOS. Despite that I still welcome it, a more premium interface experience IMO.

ed...@gmail.com <ed...@gmail.com> #5Aug 9, 2020 10:25AM

Yes! Transparent gaps make it look ugly

so...@gmail.com <so...@gmail.com> #6Aug 9, 2020 11:32AM

It is indeed too ugly. They should give an option to keep the older android 10 notification shade, similar to how they give an option for the navigation bar.

hu...@gmail.com <hu...@gmail.com> #7Aug 10, 2020 09:55PM

Incorporating blur effects could necessitate implementation across other key parts of the UI as well, to ensure consistency across the user interface and experience:

Pixel Launcher: app drawer background, folders UI background, contextual menus UI background, app switcher UI background...
The in-call UI background, integrated search bar invoked from the launcher (Google app) background, power menu background...
App bars' backgrounds showing content underneath, blurred
App opening animations blurring the wallpaper

These changes, unless already planned, would probably not make it into any close upcoming Android versions soon. Blur effects could also very easily resemble iOS in its entirety, which could be highly controversial.

For now, I suggest one of the following:

Only notification shade could incorporate blur effects in particular. This could lead future design changes across Android or the Pixel UI, or just serve its purpose as de-cluttering the notification shade to fix legibility.
Make the notification shade background a solid color respecting the user's theme. This would match the current power menu's redesign.

Another concern with blur effects is performance - good quality live blur could lead to higher resource usage and power consumption. This may work well on higher-end SoCs included in flagship Pixel devices, but the mid-range Pixel series may not be able to handle blur effects in the same way under load.

ma...@gmail.com <ma...@gmail.com> #8Sep 5, 2020 06:39PM

Talk to the Material Design team, not the Android team lol.

st...@google.com <st...@google.com> #9Sep 17, 2020 11:09AM

"Thanks for the feedback & everyone else who +1'd! We want to make sure we have both a modern look and improved accessibility in such a critical part of your Android experience. We're exploring it along with other options for the release after Android 11."

[Deleted User] <[Deleted User]> #10Mar 15, 2021 11:59AM

I see that Android 12 had made some efforts, but yet again it's a really poor implmentation.
The background is still very distracting, making it look ugly.

Why can't we see some sort of Gaussian blur like iOS?

sa...@google.com <sa...@google.com> Mar 25, 2021 02:06PM

Reassigned to ve...@google.com.

ve...@google.com <ve...@google.com> #11Aug 22, 2022 10:01AM

Marked as fixed.

The issue has been fixed and it will be available in a future build.