Google Chrome Silences Those Pesky Notifications

Google's Chrome browser is about to become much quieter. On Friday, the tech giant announced a new feature that will automatically turn off browser notifications for websites you haven't interacted with recently. This move will prevent websites from sending pop-up alerts and updates that users may no longer be interested in.

The feature will be rolled out across both the Android and desktop versions of Chrome.

This update builds on Chrome's existing Safety Check feature, which already revokes permissions such as camera and location access for websites that users no longer visit. Google has admitted that browser notifications, in their current form, may not have been the best design. Data from the company reveals that although users receive a high volume of notifications, they rarely engage with them, with less than 1% of notifications receiving any interaction.

However, Google believes some notifications still provide value, which is why the new feature won't affect notifications from installed web apps. It will only target websites with low engagement and high notification volume. This change could prompt spammy websites to reconsider how many messages they send, as they risk losing access to users altogether.

Image Credits:Google (screenshot)

Unwanted notifications have long been a frustration for consumers. For example, Apple had to introduce controls on the iPhone that allowed users to mute, send to a daily summary, or turn off push notifications altogether after complaints grew over the system's intrusiveness.

Google says it will notify users when it removes notification permissions, allowing them to opt out of the change. Users can also choose to turn off the auto-revocation feature if they prefer not to have Google intervene in this process.

The feature had already been tested before its official launch, and Google found that it didn't significantly affect the total number of clicks on notifications. This suggests that users weren't engaging much with these pop-ups in the first place.