Apple’s latest iOS 17 Redesigned notification banners update introduces several enhancements to the iPhone user experience, including a redesigned notification banner system. These new iOS 17 Redesigned notification bannersaim to provide users with more control over managing notifications, while introducing a fresh new look.
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Introduction
The iOS 17 Redesigned notification banners feature a completely overhauled design. Rather than plain rectangular banners, the new banners have pill-shaped edges and a bubbly appearance. This new aesthetic aligns closely with the pill-shaped Dynamic Island introduced in the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max.
In addition to the visual redesign, the new banner system also brings functionality improvements. Users can now easily triage notifications right from the banners themselves. There are also options to customize banner behavior on a per-app basis.
Let’s take a closer look at the key changes to the redesigned notification banners in iOS 17.
Redesigned Banner Appearance
The most immediately noticeable change in iOS 17 is the radically different banner design. Instead of the plain rectangular banners in earlier iOS versions, banners now feature a capsule-shaped design with rounded edges.
This matches the aesthetics of the Dynamic Island feature exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max models. Maintaining a consistent design language between the two makes for a more cohesive user experience.
The new banner style utilizes opacity to provide users more context. Newer banners maintain full opacity, while older ones become more transparent. This allows users to quickly distinguish between recent and older notifications.
The bubbly shape and opacity effect give the new banners a sleek modern look. But the redesign isn’t just about aesthetics – there are also functional improvements baked in.
Enhanced User Control
In addition to overhauling the visual design, Apple has also introduced new user control capabilities in the redesigned banners. Users can now easily manage notifications right from the banners themselves.
Some of the key improvements include:
- Triage notifications – Users can tap and hold a banner to access notification management options. From here, they can mute the app’s notifications, open the app directly, or access notification settings.
- Customize per-app behavior – The notification behavior can now be customized on an per-app basis. Users can choose to always display banners, show a count, or hide them entirely.
- Expanded interactivity – Certain types of notifications now come with expanded interactivity options right within the banner. Users can now take actions like liking social media posts, responding to messages, etc without having to open the app.
Together, these enhancements allow users much finer-grained control over notification management. Customizing notifications is easier than ever in iOS 17 thanks to the redesigned banners.
Integration with Focus Modes
The new notification banners integrate tightly with the Focus modes feature introduced back in iOS 15. Focus modes allow users to filter notifications based on contexts like Work, Sleep, Fitness, and more.
In iOS 17, Focus modes now dynamically adapt the appearance of notification banners. When a particular Focus mode is active, banners from apps outside of that mode’s allowed list will be muted and collapsed by default.
This allows users to maintain separation between various contexts and only see relevant notifications for their current mode. The redesigned banners reflect the active Focus mode through their appearance and behavior.
Accessibility Improvements
Like all software updates from Apple, iOS 17 comes with its share of accessibility enhancements. The redesigned notification banners introduce tweaks to improve the experience for users with disabilities.
Some of the notable accessibility additions include:
- Adjustable opacity – Users can increase the opacity of banners if they have trouble distinguishing new and old notifications.
- Bold text support – Bold text settings now apply to text within banners, increasing legibility.
- Sound cues – iOS 17 adds optional sound effects when banners appear, helping those with vision impairments.
- Haptics – Support for haptic feedback when interacting with banners expands accessibility.
Apple continues its tradition of enhancing iOS accessibility with these banner improvements aimed at helping users with disabilities.
Compatible Devices
The revamped notification banner system is available on all devices compatible with iOS 17. This includes:
- iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max
- iPhone 14 and 14 Plus
- iPhone 13 and 13 Mini
- iPhone 12 and 12 Mini
- iPhone 11 series
- iPhone XR/XS/XS Max
- iPhone X
- iPhone 8/8 Plus
- iPhone 7/7Plus
- iPhone 6s/6s Plus
- iPhone SE (1st and 2nd gen)
Essentially, the redesigned banners can be enjoyed on any iPhone model dating back to the iPhone 6s and newer. Only the earliest models like the iPhone 5s and below aren’t supported.
For iPads, the new banners are available on models with iPadOS 17 installed. This is supported on:
- iPad Pro 12.9 5th gen and newer
- iPad Pro 11 3rd gen and newer
- iPad Air 3rd gen and newer
- iPad 7th gen and newer
- iPad Mini 5th gen and newer
As long as your device can run iOS 17/iPadOS 17, you’ll be able to take advantage of the notification banner redesign.
Customizing Notification Banners
The increased customization abilities allow users to really fine tune banner behavior to their preferences. Here are some ways notification banners can be customized in iOS 17:
Per-App Settings
The most granular control is available on a per-app level. To configure app-specific settings:
- Go to Settings > Notifications
- Select the app
- Choose notification style:
- Always Display Banners
- Count in Icon Badge
- Do Not Display Alerts
This allows muting banners for distracting apps while keeping others visible.
Global Settings
There are also a few global banner settings under Settings > Notifications > Display As:
- Count: Display just a numbered count
- Stack: Collapse into a stack
- List: Keep all expanded
The opacity can also be adjusted under Notification History Duration to keep banners visible longer.
Focus Modes
The notifications allowed in a Focus mode will determine which apps generate banners when that mode is active. Turning on Do Not Disturb hides all banners temporarily.
With these options, users have unmatched control in iOS 17. Configuring notifications is easier than ever.
New Interactivity Features
The increased interactivity in iOS 17 banners allows users to accomplish quick tasks without needing to open the full app.
Some examples include:
- Like/comment on social media notifications
- Archive/delete emails
- Quick text replies
- Mark messages as read
- Approve friend requests
- Check off reminders
Support for these actions depends on the individual app. Apple provides developers the tools to build interactive notifications, and many major apps have added support in their iOS 17 updates.
The integration of new banner interactions again ties back to enhancing user control. Rather than disrupting workflow to handle notifications, crucial tasks can often be completed right from the banners themselves.
iOS 17 – FAQs
Here are some commonly asked questions about notifications in iOS 17:
How do I clear all notifications at once?
Swipe down from the top-right of the screen and tap the “X” button to clear all notifications.
Can I customize notifications based on Focus modes?
Yes, Focus modes will automatically filter notifications to only show relevant apps while in that mode.
Is there a way to group notifications from the same app?
The per-app settings allow enabling notification stacking, which will collapse multiple banners from the same app into one expandable stack.
How do I temporarily mute notifications?
Enable Do Not Disturb to hide banners and mute sounds for 1 hour up to indefinitely. Pull down from top-right and hold to access this option.
Can I change the appearance of banners like color or transparency?
Unfortunately, iOS 17 doesn’t include options to customize the visual appearance of banners beyond the default design. The opacity can be adjusted globally.
Do redesigned banners increase battery drain?
No, Apple has optimized the banners to have minimal battery impact. In fact, their new efficiency may slightly improve battery life.
What happens if I accidentally swipe away a notification banner?
Swiped away banners can always be found again in the Notification Center by swiping down from the top of the screen.
Conclusion
The introduction of redesigned notification banners is one of the most useful quality-of-life improvements in iOS 17. Both form and function have been enhanced for the better.
The pill-shaped aesthetic brings banners up to date with the rest of the OS visuals. The increased interactivity cuts down on distractions. And the focus on customization gives users unmatched control.
While relatively minor in the broader scheme of iOS 17 updates, the notification banner rethink has major impacts on the iPhone experience. Small refinements like this continue to make iOS the gold standard for mobile operating systems.
For iPhone users frustrated with managing notifications, the banners’ overhaul should come as very welcome news. And with notifications only becoming more prevalent over time, the enhancements are arriving not a moment too soon.
So while dynamic islands and always-on displays grab the headlines, don’t overlook the tremendous improvements coming to notification banners. They may just end up being one of your favorite iOS 17 features after all.
Table Summary iOS 17 Notification Banner Changes
| Old Banners | New iOS 17 Banners |
| Plain rectangular design | Pill-shaped with rounded edges |
| Static appearance | Animated bubble effect |
| No customization options | Per-app notification overrides |
| BASIC INTERACTIVITY | ENHANCED INTERACTIVITY like replying |
| Focus modes hidden all notifications | Focus modes adapt banner visibility |
| Minimal accessibility adaptations | Improved legibility and audio cues |
| Opaque with no visual priority | Opacity indicates notification age |
| Users could only open or dismiss | New triage menu from banners |
