I've been having a frustrating experience with "smart" notifications on my Garmin, particularly with Telegram alerts, but this seems like a broader issue. These notifications seem to do the opposite of enhancing my ride—they actually disrupt it. Here are the main issues:
Repeating Notifications:
The same Telegram notifications keep popping up repeatedly. Every time any new notification comes in, all the old ones come back too, one after another, making it impossible to actually see or use the screen. With multiple notifications this is extremely annoying and dangerous. I can’t dismiss or read them in full mid-ride, which should be the whole point of "smart" notifications.
Telegram Message Previews and Clickability:
Telegram notifications don't show a proper preview of the message. Instead, the chat name appears twice where the message text should be. This completely defeats the purpose of having message previews! Plus, I can't click on the notification to read the full message, which is another flaw. This notification setup just isn’t practical on the go.
It's crazy that Garmin hasn't fixed this and is instead blaming it on notifications needing to be marked as "read" on the phone. Expecting users to manage notifications on their phone while cycling at 30-50 km/h isn’t realistic or safe. The whole smart notification system needs better customization, dismissal options, and full-message previews on popups. Right now, it’s not practical and doesn’t feel "smart" at all.