Here's what BuzzKill can do
BuzzKill is a notification manager for Android. You write rules in plain English, like “when I get a notification from WhatsApp that contains ‘urgent’ then alarm”, and BuzzKill does the rest. The first half of a rule is the condition (which app, what it says, what time it is, and so on). The second half is the action, i.e. what it does.
This post is a little tour of BuzzKill’s actions and what each can do. Exactly how people use BuzzKill is up to them, and as BuzzKill is fully offline and private I don’t really know what they’re using it for. But here’s some suggestions if you’re new to BuzzKill and just getting started.
Silence actions
Mute
What it does
Stops a notification from making a sound or vibrating but it will still show up in the notification shade/tray.
What you could use it for
- Mute everything from a shopping app except order updates, by using a filter/condition on the text.
Cooldown
What it does
Lets the first notification through and then mutes (or dismisses) any more from the same app or conversation for a set amount of time.
What you could use it for
- Someone who sends every sentence as a separate message or a noisy group chat.
Attention actions
Alarm
What it does
Turns a notification into a full screen alarm. It plays through the alarm volume, so it cuts through silent mode and Do Not Disturb, and shows over the lock screen.
What you could use it for
- On call for work and need to wake up for a pager style alert.
- Your kid’s school, or a specific family member messaging you.
Pocket check
What it does
Press the power button while your phone is in your pocket. It vibrates three times if something important arrived since you last unlocked, or once if nothing did.
What you could use it for
- Checking for a message from your partner in a meeting without taking your phone out.
Remind me
What it does
Replays a sound and vibration at an interval until you dismiss or open the notification.
What you could use it for
- Missed calls and messages from people you must not forget to reply to.
- Calendar reminders or anything else that shouldn’t sit there unnoticed.
Speak
What it does
Reads the notification out loud using text to speech. You can have it say the title, the text, or a custom phrase.
What you could use it for
- Driving, cooking or cycling and wanting to hear who a message is from without looking.
- If it’s difficult to read the screen or access your phone
Unsilence
What it does
Lets a single notification or call make noise even when the phone is on silent or vibrate.
What you could use it for
- Phone on silent overnight, but calls from family still ring.
- Do Not Disturb during work, but messages containing “urgent” still get through.
Delay actions
Batch
What it does
Hides matching notifications during the hours you set and restores them when the window ends.
What you could use it for
- Hold all social media notifications from 9 to 5 and get them in one batch when you finish work.
- Email that isn’t urgent, checked a few times a day rather than as it arrives.
- Staying focused. See How to use BuzzKill to stay focused.
Add snooze button
What it does
Adds a “Snooze” button to the notification. Pressing it hides the notification and brings it back later.
What you could use it for
- A message you want to deal with after lunch without leaving it cluttering your notifications.
Change actions
Custom alert
What it does
Gives a notification its own sound or vibration pattern which replaces the app’s normal one.
What you could use it for
- A distinct vibration for your boss, your partner, or a delivery so you know what a notification is without looking.
Flashlight
What it does
Blinks the camera flash in a pattern you choose.
What you could use it for
- Phone face down on your desk with headphones on. See How I use BuzzKill for package deliveries.
- A visual alert if you’re hard of hearing or in a loud environment.
Secret
What it does
Replaces the notification with a generic one showing your own title and “New notification”. The real content stays hidden until you choose to read it.
What you could use it for
- Banking or health app notifications you don’t want visible on the lock screen.
- Hiding message previews from a specific person when your phone is on the table.
Sticky
What it does
Stops a notification from being swiped away.
What you could use it for
- Reminders and to-dos that you accidentally swipe away sometimes.
- A message you need to reply to later that shouldn’t get lost by clearing all notifications.
Summarize
What it does
Collects matching notifications into a single notification.
What you could use it for
- Bundling all your news app notifications so they can be swiped away together.
Add share button
What it does
Adds a “Share” button to the notification that sends its text to another app.
What you could use it for
- Forwarding a delivery code, address or todo task to someone
- Sending an interesting headline straight into your notes.
Dismiss actions
Dismiss
What it does
Removes the notification, either immediately or after a delay.
What you could use it for
- Dismiss a promotional notification after 10 minutes if you haven’t touched it.
- A noisy work group where you only want to see messages containing your name or “emergency”.
- A shopping app where you only care about “shipped” and “delivered”.
Undo dismiss
What it does
When you swipe away a matching notification, BuzzKill shows a “Restore” prompt for 20 seconds.
What you could use it for
- This can be useful if you accidentally dismiss a notification and want to recover it.
Automation actions
Open notification
What it does
Taps the notification for you, immediately or after a delay.
What you could use it for
- Automatically open your ride share or food delivery app when the driver arrives.
- Open a specific app’s notification so it’s ready when you pick up the phone.
Press button
What it does
Presses a button on the notification, like “Mark as read” or “Archive”.
What you could use it for
- Auto-archive newsletters in your email app.
- Mark messages from a bot or automated account as read.
Reply
What it does
Sends a message through the notification’s quick reply. It can reply immediately, after a delay.
What you could use it for
- “I’m driving, will reply soon” to anyone who messages you whilst you’re connected to your car’s bluetooth
- Auto-reply to a specific person when you’re asleep or not at home
Copy actions
Copy verification code
What it does
Finds a one time code in the notification, copies it to the clipboard, and dismisses the notification.
What you could use it for
- Logging into anything that texts you a code. The code is already on your clipboard by the time you switch back to the app.
System actions
Restore after reboot
What it does
Remembers which notifications were on screen before a restart and re-posts them afterwards.
What you could use it for
- Don’t lose notifications that you were planning on looking at later because your battery died.
Set ringer
What it does
Changes the ringer mode to sound, vibrate or silent, and optionally switches Do Not Disturb on or off.
What you could use it for
- Switch to silent when your calendar app says a meeting has started.
- Turn the ringer back on when a message from a specific person arrives.
Trigger Tasker and Trigger MacroDroid
What it does
Hands the notification’s title, text, app name and package name to Tasker or MacroDroid to do whatever you like.
What you could use it for
- Turn on smart lights when a doorbell notification arrives.
- Log every notification from an app to a spreadsheet.
Conclusion
Every one of these actions can be combined with conditions on the app, the text, the time, whether the screen is on, whether your phone is on the tablet or in a certain location and more.