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Category Social
Program license Free
Version 2.1.2
Size 13 MB
Works under: Android
Program available in English
Content rating Everyone
Package name com.snowball.app
Program by Squanda

Review
Screenshots
What is new
(36) Permissions
Comments

Snowball is an Android app designed to streamline and simplify the management of multiple notifications from various services and apps on your smartphone.

Functionality and Use

The Snowball app serves as a consolidated hub for all your smartphone notifications. It allows you to avoid clutter and potential oversight of important messages by creating a dedicated section within your notifications bar. This section aggregates all the notifications from multiple platforms, ensuring that you never miss a beat.

The app is compatible with a wide array of popular communication services, including Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Snapchat, SMS, Hangouts, Twitter, LINE, WeChat, Slack, Telegram, Viber, and Skype. It's important to note that while Snowball notifies you of incoming messages, responding to them requires opening the respective app.

Key Features and Advantages

Snowball offers an improvement over the standard Android notification system through clearer organization and enhanced accessibility. One key feature is the ability to check messages directly from the lock screen, which is particularly handy when multiple messages are waiting at once.

If there are multiple notifications, a bubble appears indicating the number of pending notifications. This immediate visibility helps users keep track of their incoming messages, regardless of the number of apps they have installed on their device.

Overall Verdict

Snowball is a convenient tool for those who use numerous communication apps and services on their Android devices. By aggregating all notifications into one accessible section, it offers an effective solution to manage the bombardment of messages from multiple sources.

Despite requiring users to open each individual app to respond to messages, the benefits of Snowball's organized and consolidated notification system outweigh this minor inconvenience.

Pros

Consolidates notifications from multiple platforms
Allows checking of messages directly from the lock screen
Displays the number of pending notifications clearly

Cons

Does not allow for responses within the app itself
Requires opening each individual app to respond to messages

- Big performance improvements in speed and data use

- Fixes bug where user could be repeatedly logged out

- Access Settings by swiping down in Snowball (just like stock Android)

- Search for apps and contacts from Snowball

Potentially dangerous permissions

ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION: Allows an app to access approximate location. Alternatively, you might want ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION.
ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION: Allows an app to access precise location. Alternatively, you might want ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION.
CALL_PHONE: Allows an application to initiate a phone call without going through the Dialer user interface for the user to confirm the call.
CAMERA: Required to be able to access the camera device.
GET_ACCOUNTS: Allows access to the list of accounts in the Accounts Service.
READ_CALENDAR: Allows an application to read the user's calendar data.
READ_CONTACTS: Allows an application to read the user's contacts data.
READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE: Allows an application to read from external storage.
READ_PHONE_STATE: Allows read only access to phone state, including the phone number of the device, current cellular network information, the status of any ongoing calls, and a list of any PhoneAccounts registered on the device.
READ_SMS: Allows an application to read SMS messages.
RECEIVE_MMS: Allows an application to monitor incoming MMS messages.
RECEIVE_SMS: Allows an application to receive SMS messages.
SEND_SMS: Allows an application to send SMS messages.
WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE: Allows an application to write to external storage.

Other permissions

ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE: Allows applications to access information about networks.
ACCESS_WIFI_STATE: Allows applications to access information about Wi-Fi networks.
BLUETOOTH: Allows applications to connect to paired bluetooth devices.
BLUETOOTH_ADMIN: Allows applications to discover and pair bluetooth devices.
CHANGE_NETWORK_STATE: Allows applications to change network connectivity state.
CHANGE_WIFI_STATE: Allows applications to change Wi-Fi connectivity state.
DISABLE_KEYGUARD: Allows applications to disable the keyguard if it is not secure.
EXPAND_STATUS_BAR: Allows an application to expand or collapse the status bar.
GET_TASKS: This constant was deprecated in API level 21. No longer enforced.
INTERNET: Allows applications to open network sockets.
MODIFY_AUDIO_SETTINGS: Allows an application to modify global audio settings.
RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED: Allows an application to receive the ACTION_BOOT_COMPLETED that is broadcast after the system finishes booting. If you don't request this permission, you will not receive the broadcast at that time. Though holding this permission does not have any security implications, it can have a negative impact on the user experience by increasing the amount of time it takes the system to start and allowing applications to have themselves running without the user being aware of them. As such, you must explicitly declare your use of this facility to make that visible to the user.
SET_ALARM: Allows an application to broadcast an Intent to set an alarm for the user.
SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW: Allows an app to create windows using the type TYPE_SYSTEM_ALERT, shown on top of all other apps. Very few apps should use this permission; these windows are intended for system-level interaction with the user.
VIBRATE: Allows access to the vibrator.
WAKE_LOCK: Allows using PowerManager WakeLocks to keep processor from sleeping or screen from dimming.
WRITE_SETTINGS: Allows an application to read or write the system settings.
android.permission.FLASHLIGHT
android.permission.WRITE_SMS
com.google.android.c2dm.permission.RECEIVE
com.snowball.app.gcm.permission.C2D_MESSAGE
com.snowball.app.permission.BIND_SERVICE