Well said, PETCAR42! Actually, you can delay downloading/installing updates like this. They say eventually you will be forced to do it. I don't think that's true either. I have an S7 and haven't installed an OS update dated in October of 2016 and any since.
I have contacted Samsung about this, and get the same level of frustrating response...
For what it's worth, I have a theory about what is happening here: I think that perhaps we had access to functioning app badges through Samsung's own surface-layer software on the devices, whereas other android devices (non-samsung) may not have had app badges at all since android didn't actually support them. This new update is a core Android update, and now Android natively does app badges, and for whatever reason (baffling) the way it does them is this asinine new way where the system only displays an app badge when there is an active system notification as well. Unfortunately, this core android funtionality now supersedes the better/CORRECT way it was done before.... EXTREMELY frustrating.
There will probably be no logical answer provided from anyone on why this is being done this way.
I'd like to vent one more time about how dumb this is and how it is ruining how I use my phone. Let's take one example, the Facebook App: I absolutely don't want my phone to be dinging/vibrating/notifying me every time the Facebook app has a notification. It would be a non-stop annoyance, and Facebook isn't so important to me that I need to know the moment someone "likes" my post. That being said, I like to know if there's a lot of activity in the app, so I had previously relied on the app badge to notify me when stuff was happening - I could glance down at the home screen, and if the Facebook app had a badge with, say, a 3 in it, I'd say, "oh, somethin's goin' on in facebook, maybe I'll check it out when I get a sec!" , and then I could check up on it when I had a minute. If I didn't have a minute at that moment, the app badge would stay, maybe even with the number going up as more stuff happened, and it would gently and quietly let me know that I had new stuff going on in there. I do NOT like to randomly open Facebook and browse throughout the day, but I do like to check up on messages, comments, etc, if there is anything new happening. This is now not a thing. I will NOT be turning on system notifications for Facebook - I do NOT want to be bothered by it. So, now the ONLY way for me to know if anything is new is by manually opening the app and checking my notifications within the app. Basically also a non-starter. I more or less just won't be keeping up with Facebook as much. Maybe I'll open the app once a day or so, but it's just not the same.
As I mentioned in my original post, I also use email this way - relied on the app badge to let me know how many unread emails I had piling up without needing to be "system-notified" every time something came in. In fact, I use MOST of my apps this way - I generally hate system notifications and want to be left alone for anything but calls and texts.... Again, I refuse to allow system notifications on email because I get too many throughout the day and night, so I am left only to manually open my email app periodically to check for new email - EXTREMELY annoying.
ANYWAY, We all can see the ridiculous answers Verizon is giving us for this issue, but if anyone is wondering what Samsung will say if you complain to them about this, here is a copy of the email I got from their tech service:
"
Thank you for contacting Samsung Technical Support.
Firstly, thank you for sharing your point of view and letting us know that how important the feature is for our customers.
We understand the disappointment you have expressed about the disappearing of badge number on the Icons when clearing the Notifications. I will help you with the required information.
As of now, the option to turn on the app badges on the Icons separately are unavailable on S8 after update. We are not sure if/when this option will be added to the phone due to the fact that this might set incorrect expectation to you.
Samsung is constantly improving and updating our operating systems, and with every improvement there is always a chance an older feature may be changed or removed. We value your input about your favorite features on our devices. We will take this as a valuable feedback.
Hopefully you might be getting all the features that you are expecting in the updates which will be released in the future.
Please know we review and appreciate comments, positive and negative, made by people like you, our customer, and we take them to heart. Our goal is to always provide the best possible handsets that not only meet but exceed your expectations, both in quality and functionality.
Alternatively, you can reach us through chat, email or call us for further assistance, please go to the "Contact Us" option available on the right hand side of the E-mail.
Thank you for choosing Samsung products.
"
So, on the one hand, I appreciate they made the effort to respond. On the other hand, that response was nearly nonsensical and basically said "sorry we suck, maybe we won't someday"... LOL... ugh...
Looks like we are stuck with this ridiculous situation for the foreseeable future.
For anyone who will listen: APP NOTIFICATION BADGES SHOULD OPERATE INDEPENDENTLY FROM SYSTEM NOTIFICATIONS!!!!!!! YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO TURN BADGE ON/OFF FOR ANY APP AND NOTIFICATIONS ON/OFF FOR ANY APP AND EACH OF THOSE FUNCTIONALITIES (I'll say it again, louder) SHOULD OPERATE INDEPENDENTLY OF EACH OTHER.
call tech support and get transferred to the real tech support then they'll talk to programming to work up a patch. you need to be very specific on the problem. with everything that has been done to try to fix it I'm in the call fading in and out. you can see the leg work I've done on this platform change. to work on a patch. it's a program bug just like any others it has bugs only way to get it fixed is to call more people the better.
I wish I would have read this post BEFORE deciding to pull the trigger on the Oreo update. If this update was intentional and working by design, the team that programmed this functionality are REALLY out of touch with end users!!
Agree this update was absolutely HORRIBLE!!! Assuming they tested this with consumers before they rolled it out, who said " you used to be able to see your unread/unheard count, but now you don't- yeah, that's a great idea- let's do that " !! ???? We'll replace it with these little dots that sometimes work and usually don't ----- Are you kidding me !!!! ???? I've been telling all my friends to do everything possible to avoid the Oreo update as long as you can - save yourself the agony!!!
Called Verizon, called Motorola, Motorola said it was Google's fault - called Google, Google said it was Motorola's fault - How about someone with some common sense just fix it!!!! Absurd!!!!
I agree with you. There is a potential workaround for this: install the Nova Launcher and TeslaUnread apps that work together as both a home screen and a badge notification system. With this app the number of unread messages/notifications appears on the icon for each app on the home screen and stays until the notifications are cleared within the app itself. It works pretty well, although sometimes the notifications will get "stuck" and the number will not clear even when all messages are read. This only happens for certain apps (particularly Snapchat) and not all the time. Overall it works well and sounds like it would accomplish your goal.
There shouldn't be a need for a workaround. Once Google knew, or should have known, that the removing the notifications and related issues was so universally disliked, they should have fixed the problem. This is a classic case of programmers writing stuff (there is a better choice of words here also beginning with s) that they don't use.
SAMSUNG just fixed this for me... after searching and searching Gabe over there fixed the problem in under 5 minutes. I took a screenshot of what he had me do... how the heck do I get it posted here?
Typed it out for anyone that it may help.
After JUST updating to Oreo... I was frustrated with this. GABE over at Samsung fixed the problem in under 5 minutes! Settings>Apps>Menu on the top right corner Show System Apps>Search for the phone app (3 apps)>storage>clear data (for each phone app) after clearing the data for each of the phone apps go to settings>search>search using the keyword "reset settings" to refresh your phone. Your phone WILL reboot. The above steps will not affect your phone data or apps.
This is great news! But, Samsung should have broadcast this fix to all S7,8,9 users.
Start a new topic or ask questions in the open forum.
