Google’s new ‘Rich Ongoing Notifications’ bring Apple’s Dynamic island experience to Android

Apple’s Dynamic Island introduced a smart way to handle notifications around the iPhone’s camera cutout, especially with Live Activities—a feature that keeps users up-to-date on real-time events like ride-share updates or food deliveries. Now, Google is working on bringing a similar experience to Android through “Rich Ongoing Notifications,” a feature recently discovered in the Android 15 QPR1 beta.

Dynamic Island isn’t just about masking the camera cutout; it adds functionality by displaying live updates from various apps, allowing iPhone users to track processes seamlessly. This makes it easier to monitor active events, such as navigation or delivery statuses, without opening the app. While Android has offered a similar notification system, the iPhone’s approach provides more streamlined, visually accessible information.

Google’s “Rich Ongoing Notifications” appears to be the answer for Android. Spotted by Android Authority in Android 15’s latest beta, this feature provides developers with a new API to create live activity notifications that are more visually prominent and interactive. Instead of a plain icon or text, this feature uses Android’s status chips to show live notifications in a more organized and engaging way.

Android’s status chips are not entirely new; they’re currently used to indicate ongoing activities like active phone calls. With the upcoming Android 15 QPR1 release, these chips will also apply to features like casting and screen recording. With Rich Ongoing Notifications, Android users will have similar access to Live Activities, offering a more dynamic, interactive experience.

Though this addition may come sooner, it’s more likely to be fully implemented with Android 16, allowing developers the time needed to update their apps. Google’s innovation here is promising for Android’s future notification experience, making it as accessible and dynamic as Apple’s feature on iOS.

Even Samsung, known for its own unique take on Android, may integrate similar functionality in One UI 7, the company’s anticipated update for Android 15. This enhancement will likely improve notification management across Android devices, allowing more efficient tracking of activities and updates.