Android 17 Beta 3 Reportedly Adds Notification Rules for Apps and Contacts

Android 17 Beta 3 references Notification Rules feature

Google is said to be working on a new notification control system for Android 17, with references to a feature called Notification Rules spotted in Beta 3. According to a report, the feature could give users more detailed control over alerts from apps and individual contacts, going beyond current app-level settings.

The feature was found in an APK teardown by Android Authority in collaboration with coder AssembleDebug. The report says code strings point to a dedicated Notification Rules section, along with an option to create a new rule. The strings suggest users may be able to set custom behaviour for notifications tied to both apps and people.

What the reported controls may allow

Once a rule is created, users may be able to choose from five actions identified in the teardown: Silence, Block, Silence & Bundle, Highlight, and Highlight & Alert. The report says these options could let people mute notifications from selected contacts without muting all calls or messages, or make important contacts stand out in the notification shade.

The exact behaviour of Highlight is not clear from the report. The feature also appears to include a searchable interface, with options to select, edit and manage multiple apps or contacts at once. That would place it alongside existing Android notification tools such as Notification Channels, Modes and the recently introduced Notification Organiser.

Code strings point to broader Android rollout

Additional code strings reportedly suggest the feature may not be limited to Pixel devices. The report says similar strings were also spotted in leaked One UI 9 builds, which may indicate broader adoption across Android OEMs, including Samsung with its One UI firmware. The article does not say the feature is confirmed for release.

Since the information comes from an APK teardown, Notification Rules is still under development and has not been officially announced. The report says the feature could change before release or may not roll out at all.

Google has not publicly detailed the feature, and the current information is limited to strings found in the teardown. For now, the Android 17 Beta 3 references only indicate that notification handling may get a more granular layer, if the feature reaches users in its current form.

Since this information comes from an APK teardown, the feature is still under development and has not been officially announced. As with all such findings, there is a possibility that Notification Rules may change before release or may not roll out at all