Bug 505036 - Feature Request: Add dropdown menu in notification settings to choose sort order of notifications.
Summary: Feature Request: Add dropdown menu in notification settings to choose sort or...
Status: RESOLVED DUPLICATE of bug 471130
Alias: None
Product: plasmashell
Classification: Plasma
Component: Notifications (other bugs)
Version First Reported In: master
Platform: Arch Linux Linux
: NOR wishlist
Target Milestone: 1.0
Assignee: Plasma Bugs List
URL:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2025-05-30 23:06 UTC by bugs.kde.org.spleen385
Modified: 2025-06-03 22:47 UTC (History)
4 users (show)

See Also:
Latest Commit:
Version Fixed/Implemented In:
Sentry Crash Report:


Attachments
An example of the new sorting order. (107.53 KB, image/png)
2025-05-30 23:06 UTC, bugs.kde.org.spleen385
Details

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Description bugs.kde.org.spleen385 2025-05-30 23:06:18 UTC
Created attachment 181911 [details]
An example of the new sorting order.

Summary: Provide user-configurable options to change the sorting order of notifications displayed in the notification history/panel, including sorting by date (newest first).

Current Behavior:
The KDE Plasma notification history currently sorts notifications primarily by type and what appears to be date, ascending. Within these groupings, newer notifications appear at the bottom of the list, requiring users to scroll down to view the most recent activity. There is no user-facing option in System Settings to change or customize this sorting order.

Desired Feature:
The addition of a dropdown menu or similar configuration options within the "Notifications" section of System Settings. This menu should allow users to choose their preferred sorting order for the notification history. 

Desired sorting options include:
- Date (Newest First/Descending): Display the most recent notifications at the top of the list.
- Date (Oldest First/Ascending): The opposite of the previous option.
- Type And Urgency: Sorts by type of app and its urgency. 
- Combination Sorting: Allow for more complex sorting criteria, such as "Date (Newest First), then Type, then Urgency."

Why this feature is needed and its benefits:
For users who constantly monitor notifications for new emails, messages, system alerts, or other time-sensitive information, the current "oldest at top" sorting due to the type and urgency prioritization is a significant hindrance. It forces users to consistently scroll to the bottom of the notification list per-app to see the latest incoming notifications.

The primary benefit of this feature is greatly improved usability and efficiency, especially for users who rely on notifications for timely information. Sorting by date (newest first) is a common and intuitive paradigm adopted by many other operating systems and applications, leading to a more consistent and expected user experience across platforms.

Comparison to other systems:
This requested behavior aligns with common user expectations from other popular platforms. For example, most mobile operating systems (e.g., Android, iOS) display the newest notifications prominently at the bottom of their respective notification shades or history lists, due to the method of access being top-to-bottom.

Reference to previous work:
It appears there has been prior discussion and an attempt to implement a similar change. Please refer to the following merge request on KDE Invent, which aimed to address notification ordering:
- https://invent.kde.org/plasma/plasma-workspace/-/merge_requests/2659

System Information:
- Operating System: CachyOS Linux
- KDE Plasma Version: 6.3.5
- KDE Frameworks Version: 6.14.0
- Qt Version: 6.9.0
- Kernel Version: 6.15.0-2-cachyos (64-bit)
- Graphics Platform: Wayland
- Architecture: 64-bit
Comment 1 David Edmundson 2025-06-01 10:23:43 UTC
This won't help, you'd still have to scroll to not miss a notification.  I don't see this working.
Comment 2 bugs.kde.org.spleen385 2025-06-02 06:37:46 UTC
(In reply to David Edmundson from comment #1)
> This won't help, you'd still have to scroll to not miss a notification.  I
> don't see this working.

Why would you have to scroll down if you do it by date descending? Fundamentally with that sorting order, newest would be at the top. That's how sorting orders work
Comment 3 Nate Graham 2025-06-03 22:47:06 UTC
Seems everyone wants newest first; let's just do that.

*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of bug 471130 ***