• Bell 0.13.0: Reply, Mark read and react from notifications
  • The actions
  • Which account is used
  • Watch-only accounts
  • Privacy and permissions
  • Translation
  • Get it

§Bell 0.13.0: Reply, Mark read and react from notifications

Bell 0.13.0 adds actions to incoming notifications. When the notification belongs to a connected account, expanding it shows three buttons: Reply, Mark read, and a reaction that uses that account’s first favorite emoji. You can handle a reply from the notification shade and open Bell later to see the full conversation.

§The actions

Reply opens Bell’s targeted composer with the notification’s account already selected. You write and send the reply the same way you would inside the app.

Mark read marks the displayed incoming post as read in Bell’s local activity. Earlier unread posts stay unread, so dealing with the newest notification doesn’t clear the rest of your queue. Read state is stored on your device.

Favorite reaction starts a reaction with the account’s first favorite emoji. It uses the same Amber signing flow as reactions inside Bell, with the same permissions and approval prompts. Tapping the button starts that flow, and relays then handle the reaction as they normally would. If the account has no usable first favorite, the button reads React and opens the emoji picker.

§Which account is used

One incoming post can reach more than one of the accounts you monitor. Bell picks one eligible receiving account for the notification and saves that choice with it. Reply and the reaction use that account.

Mark read applies only to the displayed post, for the recipients saved with that notification.

§Watch-only accounts

Accounts added by public key alone are watch-only. Their notifications have Reply and Mark read but no reaction button. Reply still opens the composer, but you can only send after connecting the account through Amber.

§Privacy and permissions

When Android shows the redacted public version of a notification on the lock screen, that version has no action buttons. Reply and the reaction require device authentication. Android’s notification permission and Bell’s notification channel settings still apply.

§Translation

Translation works the same as in 0.12.1. It is a reading feature inside Bell that uses the optional Offline Translator engine and whichever language packs you have installed. The original text is kept, and the footer language icon switches between the original and the translation.

§Get it

Bell 0.13.0 is available from Bell on Zapstore. The source code is in Bell’s ngit repository.