Chrome Cuts Back on Annoying Website Notifications

Google has been quietly tackling annoying website notification spam in Chrome, and the results are significant. According to Google, the company's protections have reduced the volume of unwanted notifications by a substantial amount.

One of the key features is Chrome's ability to revoke notification permissions from inactive or abusive websites. This means that if you haven't used a particular website recently, it will no longer be able to send you notifications unless you explicitly allow it. Google can also limit heavy senders and throttle disruptive websites through Firebase Cloud Messaging.

These protections have been building for years, with Chrome's Safety Check gaining automatic removal of unused permissions in 2023 and a one-tap Unsubscribe option being added in 2024. The latter reduced notification volume by 30% on supported Pixel devices.

The changes also include a redesigned permission prompt in Chrome 155 that allows users to continue browsing without being interrupted by notifications. Additionally, Android's one-tap unsubscribe feature gives users more control over website notifications.