Abstract: Inventive embodiments described herein relate to a universal approach for handling user interface notifications. A notification pipeline on a device acts as an intermediary between applications on the device and notification surfaces on the device. Notification surfaces register themselves with the notification pipeline to become active subscribers. Applications or other processes submit notifications complying with a same format, schema, structure, etc. to the notification pipeline. The notification pipeline broadcasts the notification to the subscribed notification surfaces, which in turn determine whether or how to handle and perhaps display the notification based on the content of the notification.

Abstract: Providing context from a dynamic icon to an underlying application. A method includes displaying dynamically, at a dynamic icon, a plurality of context elements. Each of the context elements corresponds to an item available in an application underlying the dynamic icon. The method further includes receiving user input at the dynamic icon indicating a desire to open an application underlying the dynamic icon. The method further includes, providing to the application underlying the dynamic icon an indication of a context element that was being displayed at the dynamic icon when the user input was received.

Abstract: Inventive embodiments described herein relate to a universal approach for handling user interface notifications. A notification pipeline on a device acts as an intermediary between applications on the device and notification surfaces on the device. Notification surfaces register themselves with the notification pipeline to become active subscribers. Applications or other processes submit notifications complying with a same format, schema, structure, etc. to the notification pipeline. The notification pipeline broadcasts the notification to the subscribed notification surfaces, which in turn determine whether or how to handle and perhaps display the notification based on the content of the notification.

Abstract: Providing context from a dynamic icon to an underlying application. A method includes displaying dynamically, at a dynamic icon, a plurality of context elements. Each of the context elements corresponds to an item available in an application underlying the dynamic icon. The method further includes receiving user input at the dynamic icon indicating a desire to open an application underlying the dynamic icon. The method further includes, providing to the application underlying the dynamic icon an indication of a context element that was being displayed at the dynamic icon when the user input was received.