Users will have access to more visual notification options as a result of enhancements that Google has made to the accessibility menu in Android 14 Developer Preview 2, which is one of the new features and changes introduced by Google. The Developer Preview is not yet available to the general public, but users can anticipate that the next public release will include the option to disable the camera flash or activate the screen to flash when they receive notifications. This option will be available in the upcoming public release.
The camera flash notification works as follows: whenever a notification is received, the camera flash will activate for a brief period of time. When this feature is turned on, the flashlight icon that is located in the area that houses the quick settings becomes active as well. This serves as an additional visual cue. On the other hand, when a notification is received, the screen flash notification provides the user with a selection of 12 different colors that are used to illuminate the display. If the user so chooses, both of the visible notifications can be enabled at the same time.
Under Settings > Accessibility, there's a new "flash notifications" feature that lets you flash the camera light or screen when you receive notifications or when alarms sound. pic.twitter.com/ApXP3ywCWG
— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) March 8, 2023
The fact that these options are natively available on Pixel devices is a very welcome addition, despite the fact that similar features have been offered by third-party developers as well as by some handset manufacturers. Visual notifications are especially helpful for users who have trouble hearing or who are in noisy environments. They are also helpful for users who want to simulate the notification LED that was present on older Android devices.
The Android 14 Developer Preview is not a finished product and should not be installed on a primary device that will be used on a regular basis. This is an important point to keep in mind. Nevertheless, users can anticipate that these visual notification options will be made available once the product is ready for general consumption.
To summarize, the Android 14 Developer Preview 2 brings both new features and improvements, one of which is an accessibility menu with more options for visual notifications. When it comes to receiving notifications, users now have a greater variety of options at their disposal thanks to these features. It will be interesting to see what other enhancements and modifications Google has in store for Android users, especially given that the public release is just around the corner.
