There are a lot of Android features that go unused because they’re difficult to access, but there are often handy shortcuts that you simply don’t know about. One of those on Google Pixel devices is a shortcut for notification history that’s quickly become my favorite trick.
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Notification history was introduced to Android a few years ago and is an incredibly useful tool. Swiped away a notification by accident? Saw something that was deleted by the time you opened it? Notification history makes it easy to get back to these things.
Sadly, some Android manufacturers, namely Samsung and OnePlus, unnecessarily bury this feature from users, but Google keeps it pretty readily available with a shortcut for “history” visible at the bottom of your notifications when the feature is turned on and when you have unread notifications.
But what about when they’re all read?
A clever, hidden touch within Google’s software on Pixel phones is that if you tap “No notifications” you’ll quickly be able to access history. There’s nothing in the software that tells you this, making it hidden to the vast majority of people, but when my colleague Kyle told me about it, it was a game-changer. So many times in the past I’ve had to dig into the settings menu after accidentally clearing notifications, so this little shortcut is just such a welcome addition that genuinely saves me time and effort.
What’s your favorite shortcut in Android?
This Week’s Top Stories
The Google TV Streamer and Pixel Buds Pro 2 are here
This week saw two more product launches from Google. On Tuesday, the Google TV Streamer officially launched, and we’ve been impressed so far with the set-top box’s improved performance and experience, as well as its new features.
As Damien Wilde explains in our review:
While there are many improvements and important changes, the Google TV Streamer isn’t quite the powerhouse streaming box that many people had hoped for. However, it is a substantial upgrade over the Chromecast with Google TV in the most important ways. To me, it feels like the big hub that Google TV ought to be. Making the TV the main interaction point for all the other smart home services.
- Google TV Streamer review: The new ‘big hub’ of your home [Video]
- What you can do with the Google TV Streamer remote shortcut button
- You can now buy the Google TV Streamer in these 19 countries
- Here’s how Nest Doorbell notifications work on Google TV [Video]
- Google TV Streamer vs Nvidia Shield TV: Can Google’s latest beat the best?
Meanwhile, Pixel Buds Pro 2 also finally started shipping with their improved hardware, audio quality, and more.
Andrew Romero explains:
At $229, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 are more like productive powerhouses that make things a little easier on the go or in the office, though I don’t know if Google added much in the way of quality to justify the price. You can certainly relax and jam out to music, but it won’t be the singular best option if that’s all you want. The value, rather, is in the software and in Gemini.
- Review: The Pixel Buds Pro 2 are built for the everyday [Video]
- Google will use Gemini to improve notifications on Pixel Buds Pro 2
- Pixel Buds Pro vs. Pixel Buds Pro 2: Are there enough upgrades? [Video]
- Google Gemini is coming to all Pixel Buds
Wear OS 5 launches for Pixel Watch… sorta
Late in the week Google also launched Wear OS 5 for the Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2. However, the update was quickly pulled due to an assortment of fairly widespread issues.
- Google rolling out Wear OS 5 to original Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2
- Gooogle has paused the Pixel Watch Wear OS 5 update
- Wear OS 5 Pixel Watch update issues: Black screen soft brick, wrong font
More Top Stories
- Google TV rolling out Home Panel, AI screensaver, Sports page, and more to all devices
- Google Maps update on Android Auto makes lane guidance easier to read
- Google TV and Android TV OS see dramatic growth to 270 million devices
- YouTube Premium is getting major price increases in Europe
- Google Store now sells a USB-C to HDMI cable for Pixel
- Google redesigns Gemini homescreen to be even simpler on Android
- The most popular wireless Android Auto adapter, Motorola MA1, has returned
- Galaxy S24 Ultra long-term review: Still the frontrunner? [Video]
- Google Maps warning shows which business profiles might have fake reviews
- Motorola is bringing the ThinkPhone back for another round in 2025
- Meta shows off ‘Orion’ AR glasses, $299 Quest 3S, adds more features to Ray-Bans
From the rest of 9to5
Top comment by Arthur
Very cool! I can say I know a lot about Android but I can admit to never knowing this. It's rare I go looking through notification history as I'm pretty good about acting on notifications or keeping them unread till I have time to go through it but I am very glad this feature exists for those rare times I feel like I missed something.
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