Android 10's Annoying Notifications !?!?

Two days ago I got a new Android SmartPhone and like Android 10 a lot. My previous phone was Android 7. However, all the frequent notifications are grossly annoying!

I discovered that many apps are set by default to send notifications three times a week. You gotta be kidding.

As I am typing this, I get a notice from something called Google Assist. I check it's notification area and no notifications are granted (by default). So why do I get a notice?

I rarely use my phone for photography (yes, I still carry/use a digital camera). But I have taken some test photos. I get this message:

I don't want to automatically back up anything, I want to choose when to back up.So I decide to shut off Auto BackUp and get this message:

So just what will be deleted? Only photos and videos? Not .pdf scans that I may upload to GDrive with a scanning app from my phone? Not any Google Docs?

I back up important docs and images to Gdrive via my laptop. Will they be deleted too, or just phone stuff? Any insights would be appreciated!

I'd explore your Google ACCOUNT settings and it doesn't seem to me to be related to Android 10 per se. Now your Google Account may have been updated / changed with Android 10 too? Some Google Account settings will be on your device in that App and some will be in your online Google Account. It gets complicated, though Notifications should be straight forward.

As for what files will be deleted, if you can't find an online answer, then just back up everything, and then do a test and see what all files are removed. I haven't done what you are asking so I can't advise you if PDF's will be removed.

I used to backup files manually to the Google Drive account and have Automatic backup OFF, but the auto setting can be of help for those that forget or procrastinate or dislike tech etc..

Read your Google Account Backup settings and yes unfortunately it is VERY in depth and a real PITA and sometimes difficult to dig deep enough for some settings, but in my troubleshooting users of past versions of Android, many many "problems" were with personal Google Account settings and not the Android OS, or the app or the Mfg of the device. BUT each of these areas ALSO have settings that need to be explored and changed.

But now, I TURN OFF EVERYTHING GOOGLE POSSIBLE except the Play Services which cannot be disabled or removed and I side load all apps and am ruthless with exploring and customizing settings for EVERYTHING, every app, every function, everything that I possible can without Rooting the device. I have a Google Account but rarely log in an don't use it other than to keep it active. Everything Google is a device resource HOG, much of it is bloatware and there are many FOSS apps that do the same thing and better without the bloat and device resource take over. I do not use the Google Play Store and always back up apps anyway, so they can be side loaded to another device. I have only 1 paid app that MUST use the Google Play Store to be installed on a non Google Play Store device and since that is the case, I just don't use that app. A couple of others want to show adds as I can't install the license without the Play Store but for those apps, I just use them not connected to data / internet and so no ads. Works perfectly for me.

And I still backup everything manually, either to a cloud storage account or to a PC external drive.

Scour and customize your Google Account settings is my suggestion to explore first and then go through every other setting and app setting on your device.,

Only on Android 9, I'd guess mostly the same. I share some but not all the above post's dislike of Google intrusiveness, and a lot of the first few days with a device is spent disabling or deleting what's not wanted. I give Google / Android credit for permitting more independent user reconfiguration than Apple does. If notifications are a particular bother I'd suggest opening Android Settings and typing "notif" into the search box, for access to granular settings under various categories, for general and individual app behaviors. (I don't use my nonsense Gmail account (or Google) for anything personal, rarely save anything, and haven't seen a prompt for backing up to Google Drive.)

I'll throw in that a lot of internet-based apps are nothing but bloated, storage-hogging one-trick browsers for services that have excellent mobile-optimized websites. Those work perfectly well for the service via Chrome or anything else. Up in the cloud where they belong, they don't bother the user with battery-draining processes for nuisance alerts, notifications, pop-ups and constant updating through the Play Store.

Cariboo wrote:

I'd explore your Google ACCOUNT settings and it doesn't seem to me to be related to Android 10 per se. Now your Google Account may have been updated / changed with Android 10 too? Some Google Account settings will be on your device in that App and some will be in your online Google Account. It gets complicated, though Notifications should be straight forward.

Interesting suggestion. I typically check my settings inside and out but, at this point as a new Android 10 user, I find the phone settings daunting.

I think The Verge sums it up nicely:

"Android 10 offers a few splashy features, a few important privacy protections, and a surprising amount of confusion."

Can't believe the phone logs how may times you've opened an app, how much screen time per app, and how may notification an app received. I wonder if it has hidden coronavirus tracking.

I2K4 wrote:

I'd suggest opening Android Settings and typing "notif" into the search box, for access to granular settings under various categories,

Thanks for the tip. I did so and it sure brought up a lot of stuff. Right now the best way to tackle it for me is to check an app after an unwanted notification appears. I think I turned most of them off but there probably will be more surprises.

I think some of notifications are because the phone is being used for the first time and the notifications are trying to help one use the phone features. They probably won't appear again, at least I hope so.

fotografffic wrote:

. I wonder if it has hidden coronavirus tracking.

Didn't take me long to find the answer in the settings:

"Use the COVID-19 Exposure Notifications System on your Android phone...to let you understand whether you've been exposed to someone...

It gives the option to turn it on or off. To use the system, "you need to download an official app from your region's government public health authority."

It also says that "your Android phone regularly gets updates in the background."

It's allegedly off by default. I wonder how long it will remain that way.

I do use Google services, including Drive. I try to shut off as many of the intrusive stuff that I can find. I do back up important files to an external hard drive. Chrome is a CPU hog (!) and I don't like it, however if I use another browser like Firefox, I won't let it take my passwords, etc. and I won't sign into yet another account.

I have kept two screen shots taken many years ago as a reminder of Google's tracking ability, which I consider very intrusive. I inadvertently stumbled upon the setting and shut it off. We should be able to opt in, not opt out. I'm only moderately tech-savvy, most people are not and have no idea of what's going.

One shows my route when I got lost where I formerly lived years ago; the other shows a flight I took across county to visit a family member. Left image blurred; images reduced in size.