<page xmlns="http://projectmallard.org/1.0/"
      type="topic" style="ui"
      id="shell-notifications">

  <info>

    <link type="guide" xref="shell-overview#desktop" />

    <desc>Messages pop-up at the bottom of the screen telling you when certain
    events happen.</desc>

    <revision pkgversion="3.6.2" version="0.2" date="2012-11-12" status="review"/>

    <credit type="author">
      <name>Marina Zhurakhinskaya</name>
      <email>marinaz@redhat.com</email>
    </credit>
    <credit type="editor">
      <name>Michael Hill</name>
      <email>mdhillca@gmail.com</email>
    </credit>
    <include href="legal.xml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude"/>
  </info>


<title>Notifications and the message tray</title>

<section id="what">
<title>What is a notification?</title>
  <p>If an application or a system component wants to get your attention, a
 notification will be shown at the bottom of the screen.</p>
  <p>For example, if you get a new chat message, plug in an external device
 (like a USB stick), new updates are available for your computer, or your
 computer’s battery is low, you will get a notification informing you.</p>
  <p>To minimize distraction, some notifications first appear as a single
 line. You can move your mouse over them to see their full content.</p>

<media type="image" width="700" src="figures/shell-notification.png"/>

  <p>Other notifications have selectable option buttons. To close one of these
 notifications without selecting one of its options, click the close button.</p>

<media type="image" width="500" src="figures/notification-buttons.png"/>

  <p>Clicking the close button on some notifications dismisses them. Others,
 like Rhythmbox or your chat application, will stay hidden in the message tray.</p>

</section>

<section id="messagingtray">

<title>The message tray</title>
  <p>The message tray gives you a way to get back to your notifications when it
 is convenient for you. It appears when you move your mouse to the bottom right
 corner of the screen, or press
 <keyseq><key xref="windows-key">Super</key><key>M</key></keyseq>. The message
 tray contains all the notifications that you have not acted upon or that
 permanently reside in it.</p>
  <p>You can view the notifications by clicking on the message tray items. These
 are usually messages sent by applications. However, chat notifications are
 given special treatment, and are represented by the individual contacts who sent
 you the chat messages.</p>
  <p>You can close the message tray by pressing <key>Esc</key> (unless you are
 in the activities overview, where it is always visible).</p>

  <note style="tip"><p>If the <link xref="keyboard-osk">screen keyboard</link>
   is open, you'll need to click the <gui>tray button</gui> to show the message
   tray.</p>
  </note>

</section>

<section id="hidenotifications">
<title>Hiding notifications</title>

  <p>If you're working on something and don't want to be bothered, you can
 switch off notifications. Just click your name on the top bar and change the
 <gui>Notifications</gui> toggle to <gui>OFF</gui>.</p>

  <p>When switched off, most notifications will not pop up at the bottom of the
 screen. Very important notifications, such as when your battery is critically
 low, will still pop up. Notifications will still be available in the messaging
 tray when you display it (by moving your mouse to the bottom right corner, or
 pressing <keyseq><key xref="windows-key">Super</key><key>M</key></keyseq>),
 and they will redisplay when you switch the toggle to <gui>ON</gui> again.</p>

</section>
</page>
