Observed Signal · May 12, 2026 · Technical Release · Source: t3n · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Negative
Samsung adds feature to block annoying app notifications
Samsung is rolling out an update to its built-in Device Care (device maintenance) app that can suppress notifications from apps identified as sending excessive advertising. The feature reportedly uses two modes — “basic blocking” (blocking known frequent ad-senders) and “intelligent blocking” (analyzing notification content to detect ads) — and will put offending apps into a "deep sleep" (hibernation) so their notifications are suppressed. Users can manually whitelist apps and view blocked apps under Settings → Device Care → Maintenance Report → Excessive Notifications. The capability appears tied to Device Care version 13.8.80.7 and was reported by Android Police. Android Police notes the automatic detection is not always fully accurate.
A device-vendor feature that suppresses ads/notifications can reduce the reach of app-driven ad notifications and affect app monetization and ad strategies in the in-app ecosystem, making it moderately important to advertisers and app publishers.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Samsung is adding a notification-suppression feature to its built-in Device Care (device maintenance) app.
- The feature differentiates between “basic blocking” and “intelligent blocking” to identify apps that send excessive ad notifications.
- Apps identified as excessive ad senders are put into a "deep sleep" (hibernation) so their notifications are suppressed rather than the app being fully blocked.
- Users can whitelist apps and view suppressed apps via Settings → Device Care → Maintenance Report → Excessive Notifications.
- The change is tied to Device Care app version 13.8.80.7 and was reported by Android Police.
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