Samsung Plans Fix For Galaxy Notification Ad Spam

Samsung is on the verge of solving a popular request to bring relief from push-notification ad clutter found on Galaxy phones. One such tool in One UI 8.5 can automatically pull the reins on apps delivering too much ad-like spam, according to a fresh leak which implies a significant change in how the company upholds notification spam across its oeuvre.

What Samsung Is Testing in One UI 8.5 for Notifications

Screenshots shared by tipster Tarun Vats indicate that with One UI 8.5, users can use an option to block apps that send out “excessive ads” through notifications.

Samsung’s software, according to the leak, is capable of putting offending apps into a kind of “deep sleep,” essentially severing their ability to wake up in the background or force out fresh alert spam until you’ve opened them again yourself.

Another toggle, called “intelligent blocking,” seems to look through what the device deems notification content, in an effort to determine if it should allow or silence the received notification. If true, the logic would run on-device, so that sensitive data never leaves the phone — an important privacy consideration for any system that inspects message content.

How Deep Sleep Tries to Stamp Out Notification Spam

Samsung’s deep sleep already exists for less-used apps; it pauses background activity and suspends network access to save battery. Applying it to spam control is a neat idea: it penalizes repeat offenders without imposing the burden on users of removing them. If an app abuses notification privileges — say, spamming you with relentless promos or disguised ads — the system can sever its push lifeline while keeping utility intact when and if it’s beneficial to you.

That’s a balance that Android has long had trouble with. From Android 8 and on, Google has provided granular notification channels that allow users to mute marketing alerts while still receiving important ones. In practice, many apps overuse “high priority” channels or barrage everyone with requests and questions in one stream, leaving users with all-or-nothing choices. A system-wide disincentive to spammy behavior might reset the incentives for developers who lean on push as a growth hack.

On-device analysis and privacy in Samsung’s approach

On-device analysis matters. Apple popularized scheduled summaries that group lower-priority notifications, and both Apple and Google are doing more classification — such as for spam detection — without having to upload content to servers. If Samsung instead scans notification text on the device to look for ad-like patterns or repeated promo markers, it could provide the advantages of smarter filtering with fewer privacy trade-offs.

The key will be precision. Aggressive filters could accidentally block transactional messages like delivery notifications or ride-hailing drivers approaching. In an ideal scenario, Samsung will provide users with confidence thresholds, per-app exclusions, and clear logs that explain what was blocked and why, so if it ends up blocking something necessary at least the user can quickly fix the mistake.

Why it matters for Galaxy users and notification sanity

Push fatigue is a leading reason that users opt out of all notifications or uninstall apps, according to long-running benchmarking from mobile messaging platforms including Airship. The runtime permission in Android 13 already put a damper on some abuse by requiring apps to request the ability before spewing alerts, but spam remains — with app stores and marketing-heavy services (looking at you, preinstalled utilities) still sending regular promotions.

Galaxy owners are frustrated with receiving promotional pings from third-party apps and occasionally even from Samsung’s own services. An enforcement mechanism that’s built in and can automatically tamp down offenders might do more than clean up the shade: it might extend battery life, prevent distractions, and restore faith that notifications are a helpful signal rather than background noise.

How it fits with One UI 8.5 and broader notification goals

Beyond spam controls, One UI 8.5 is rumored to add a new look and greater flexibility to quick settings. Crucially for alert management, leaks also indicate iOS-like notification summaries that group non-urgent updates, and finer refinements to Samsung’s system status and interactions. Taken together, these adjustments suggest a larger move toward making notifications more thoughtful, rather than simply more abundant.

What to do today to reduce notification spam on Galaxy

Here’s what users can do while waiting for a rollout. Open Settings, go into Notifications, and drill down to each app’s notification categories — when developers do it right, you can mute promotions while keeping chats or orders or system alerts turned on. And, in Battery settings, you can limit offending apps by putting them into deep sleep manually (this puts a stop to background wakes and most push activity until you open the app).

If an app just plain doesn’t have the right channels and ignores the spirit of the rules, Samsung’s upcoming automated solution might be a final backstop that can finally enable notification hygiene without constant micromanagement.

What to watch next as One UI 8.5 beta testing expands

All eyes are on the next One UI beta round, when these controls should be easier to confirm in the wild. If Samsung hits the balance — strong defaults, clear controls, and as few false positives as possible — Galaxy owners could have one of the most practical quality-of-life additions in years. And if it proves successful, you can bet that other Android vendors will follow.