Modern messaging often overwhelms users with a barrage of notifications, especially in active group chats where multiple short messages arrive in rapid succession. Each ping demands attention, creating distraction fatigue, making important messages hard to spot, and draining battery life. A feature that intelligently bundles these rapid-fire messages into single notifications could significantly improve the experience.

How the Bundling Works

The proposed solution would merge multiple short messages from the same sender or conversation when they arrive within a brief time window (e.g., 30 seconds). Instead of showing separate alerts for each "ok," "thanks," or emoji reaction, users would see one notification displaying:

• The sender's name and conversation context
• A preview of the bundled messages (e.g., "3 new messages")
• An expandable view to see all content without opening the app

Algorithms would determine what counts as a short message through customizable thresholds. Users could adjust settings like time windows between messages, minimum character counts to trigger bundling, or create exceptions for important contacts.

Implementation Strategy

A minimal viable product might start with:

1. Basic bundling logic tested with sample message patterns
2. A simple interface showing merged notifications that expand on tap
3. Core customization options for time windows and message length

This differs from existing solutions like Android's notification grouping (which shows messages separately within app groups) or iOS's scheduled summaries (which delay notifications). The approach maintains real-time delivery while reducing clutter through actual content merging rather than just organizational grouping.

Balancing Control and Convenience

To address concerns about missing urgent messages, the system could allow users to mark certain conversations as "never bundle" or detect keywords indicating importance. Compared to third-party notification managers that require broad permissions, building this directly into messaging apps would offer better privacy and reliability while giving users control over their attention.

For professionals and active group chat participants, this bundling approach could transform messaging from a constant interruption into a more manageable flow of information, striking a balance between staying connected and maintaining focus.