Club Benefits
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Want to add more newsletters?
Daily (Mon-Sun)
Tom's Guide Daily
Sign up to get the latest updates on all of your favorite content! From cutting-edge tech news and the hottest streaming buzz to unbeatable deals on the best products and in-depth reviews, we’ve got you covered.
Weekly on Thursday
Tom's AI Guide
Be AI savvy with your weekly newsletter summing up all the biggest AI news you need to know. Plus, analysis from our AI editor and tips on how to use the latest AI tools!
Weekly on Friday
Tom's iGuide
Unlock the vast world of Apple news straight to your inbox. With coverage on everything from exciting product launches to essential software updates, this is your go-to source for the latest updates on all the best Apple content.
Weekly on Monday
Tom's Streaming Guide
Our weekly newsletter is expertly crafted to immerse you in the world of streaming. Stay updated on the latest releases and our top recommendations across your favorite streaming platforms.
Join the club
Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.
When it comes to notifications, it's overwhelmingly easy for your lock screen to get swarmed with little boxes pinging for your attention. It can easily drown out information you actually want to see.
Google seems to be paying attention and has released a new tool for Chrome on your phone meant to help quiet the number of notifications you receive. And it's based on a feature that already exists.
According to Google, Chrome on Android will now stop notifications from websites that you haven't interacted with in some time. It's not clear how long that window stays open until Safety Check snaps it shut.
This only applies to normal websites, not installed apps or web apps. Google says that Chrome will notify you when it's doing so. When it comes to apps, you can already choose to disable most notifications in your phone's settings menu.
Notification overload hurts engagement
Google says the reason it introduced the feature is that constant notifications actually hurt engagement.
"Data indicates that users frequently receive a high volume of notifications, resulting in minimal engagement and high disruption. Less than 1% of all notifications receive any interaction from users," the company's blog reads.
Of course, if Chrome gets it wrong, you can always re-enable notifications or turn the tool off. The feature should work on desktop as well if you receive notifications on your computer. For a while now, I've made it a personal habit to block all sites from notifying me of anything as soon as I'm prompted. The banned list is long.
I have yet to receive any silencing notifications from Chrome on Android, but Google tends to roll out launches, meaning that not everyone may have received the feature just yet.
In the meantime, here's how to check out your Safety Check: Open Chrome > click the three-button action menu > navigate to Settings. From there, scroll down to 'Safety Check' and it will tell you show you Chrome's safety settings.
You can adjust permissions under the tab labeled Permissions, which will take you to 'Site Settings.' Tweak to your heart's desire, everything from camera access to third-party cookie access.
Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!
More from Tom's Guide
- I've ditched Google for Perplexity — here's four reasons why
- I put the iPhone 17 vs Pixel 10 through a 7-round face-off — here’s the winner
- Employees are unknowingly leaking company secrets through ChatGPT, new report warns
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
