App Badge functionality destroyed after Oreo Update

[tbtilton]

I have a Samsung Galaxy 8.  Allowed the software to update to Oreo a few days ago.  Now, all app badges are not working correctly.  When my phone booted for the first time after the update, I got a splash screen letting me know that app badges had been improved!  NOPE.

Prior to update, here's how app badges worked for me:

On Voicemail, Message+ and Email, there would be a badge indicating how many unread / unheard messages I had, whether or not there was a notification in my "notification bar".  EXTREMELY useful, since I will often clear a notification as soon as it comes in (to keep the notification bar clear), but will not necessarily go into the app to read/respond to the message - this is especially true for voicemails, as I usually can't check/respond to a voicemail right away if I've had to miss the call.  Therefore, even with my notification area clear, I could glance at my home screen and be reminded that I have, say, 2 unheard voicemails, 3 unread texts, and 6 unread emails, since there would be app badges with the number, letting me know.

NOW, as soon as I clear a system notification from the notification area, the APP BADGE GOES AWAY COMPLETELY!!!! Even if I haven't checked the actual message!  It seems that the new update only allows an app to display an "unread count" badge if there's and active, uncleared notification in the notification bar!! What the everlovin' [removed]?  This is a nonsensical and ridiculous change that makes absolutely no sense.

This has especially ruined how I use email - See, I have "notificaitons" turned off for email, because I get so many per hour that it would make my phone a tremendous nuisance to receive a real "system" notification every time one would come in.  INSTEAD, I had previously relied on the unread count badge to let me quickly glance to see if there were any new emails and/or how many new emails I had, which would help remind me to check my email every couple hours if I see the badge number going up.  Way better than the phone dinging every few minutes!!  Now, in order for the badge  to work AT ALL, I have to enable notifications in the email app, THEN wait for an email to come in so it puts an active notification in my status/notification bar, THEN I HAVE TO LEAVE THAT NOTIFICATION UP THERE because if I clear it the badge goes away too!!! UGH, what a stupid, stupid, STUPID update, that has completely ruined the WHOLE POINT of having independent app counter-badges... and I love how it was billed as an "improvement"...

This is a system-wide issue that affects all apps.  It is working exactly how I believe it is intended to based on the "promo" for the feature that I read, and it's description in the settings menu.  My question is WHYYYYYY?  And, how long before you all can patch this so that the app badges don't go away once a system notification is cleared??

Content removed to comply with Verizon Wireless Terms of Service

[vzw_customer_support]

tbtilton, we really appreciate you bringing this to our attention. I know when this system update happened on my device I was also puzzled. Like you, I didn't want the badge to be removed but out of habit I would just clear the notification and realized that the badge would be gone as well. If there was a way that we could reverse this change we would do it in a heartbeat. The system updates are put in place to enhance the entire software and once they are done it can't be reversed. I apologize that this is an inconvenience. The software is released by the manufactures of the device. Here is a link for Samsung that you can bring this to their attention and they will love the opportunity to answer your question. https://www.samsung.com/us/support/contact/

JenniferL_VZW

Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

If my response answered your question please click the "Correct Answer" button under my response. This ensures others can benefit from our conversation. Thanks in advance for your help with this!

[mdenunz24]

Leave it to Verizon to point the blame elsewhere, and to allow updates to roll out untested.  Thanks for nothing.

[jrh4054]

​AMEN!!

[jrh4054]

You tell 'em, mdenuz24!!   Once VZW knew about the notification issue (a long time ago), they should have gone to Google and had them fix it. 

[tbtilton]

While I appreciate your commiserating with me, this certainly doesn't help the problem.  It also reinforces how absolutely asinine this "improvement" was.  Why is it so hard for android to execute app badges? Why would this change be made?  What has improved?  Is there a situation where whatever was done here would benefit a user?  This answer made me feel way less crazy, as I am reassured that I'm not the only one who will find this ridiculous update bamboozling, but ultimately it has really only left me with more questions.

[jfguerra]

Same problem with me. All my notifications are messed up. I no longer know which of the apps I use frequently (WhatsApp, Facebook, Messenger, gmail. LinkedIn and Textra) have pending messages through notifications.

And checking them periodically is not an option!

Verizon/Samsung....you need to get your act together!

[vzw_customer_support]

Being able to view your notification is important Jfguerra. After the Oreo update, your notifications will appear as a White dot on top of the application icons you have on your device. Do you see a White dots on top of your application icons? If you do tapping and holding on them lets you preview the most recent notification’s content, and in some cases take action on it. To see what else changed with the Oreo software, please use this link. http://spr.ly/6582DXw9e

AlbertoR_VZW

Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

If my response answered your question, please click the "Correct Answer" button under my response. This ensures others can benefit from our conversation. Thanks in advance for your help with this!!

[jfguerra]

Are you kidding me??? You pretty much answer me the same way you have answered others. Do you guys even read these boards???

No, I don't see any dots. Yes, I know all the functions that were updated in Oreo. And no, I am not happy nor was your response even remotely helpful.

This is the system my problems and you're not doing anything to help.

[PETCAR42]

I have the same issue. And I too take offense at AlbertoR_VZW's answer.

Like are we idiots and don't know what dots or badge counts are.  Did he read the original post?

I have a similar thread and I have been asked to uninstall and install Message+, even though the stock Message and Email apps are behaving "incorrectly" after the Oreo update.

It's not like we had a choice to update to Oreo, it was forced on to us.

When I reported my issue, the Chat rep said they had not received any issues like mine. Hah! right ....

[PETCAR42]

not sure why the post removed the word i-d-i-o-t-s , its not like I was swearing

[jrh4054]

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. 

[tbtilton]

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. 

[DORASH7]

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.

[mikesc400]

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!!

[RLEGREG]

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!!!!

[ccam87]

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.

[jrh4054]

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.

[Bluediamond325]

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?

[Bluediamond325]

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. 

[jrh4054]

This is great news!  But, Samsung should have broadcast this fix to all S7,8,9 users.