Android Tutorial => Heads Up Notification with Ticker for older...

Example

Here is how to make a Heads Up Notification for capable devices, and use a Ticker for older devices.

// Tapping the Notification will open up MainActivity
Intent i = new Intent(this, MainActivity.class);

// an action to use later
// defined as an app constant:
// public static final String MESSAGE_CONSTANT = "com.example.myapp.notification";
i.setAction(MainActivity.MESSAGE_CONSTANT);
// you can use extras as well
i.putExtra("some_extra", "testValue");

i.setFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_REORDER_TO_FRONT | Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_SINGLE_TOP);
PendingIntent notificationIntent = PendingIntent.getActivity(this, 999, i, PendingIntent.FLAG_UPDATE_CURRENT);
NotificationCompat.Builder builder = new NotificationCompat.Builder(this.getApplicationContext());
builder.setContentIntent(notificationIntent);
builder.setAutoCancel(true);
builder.setLargeIcon(BitmapFactory.decodeResource(this.getResources(), android.R.drawable.ic_menu_view));
builder.setSmallIcon(android.R.drawable.ic_dialog_map);
builder.setContentText("Test Message Text");
builder.setTicker("Test Ticker Text");
builder.setContentTitle("Test Message Title");

// set high priority for Heads Up Notification
builder.setPriority(NotificationCompat.PRIORITY_HIGH);
builder.setVisibility(NotificationCompat.VISIBILITY_PUBLIC);

// It won't show "Heads Up" unless it plays a sound
if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= 21) builder.setVibrate(new long[0]);

NotificationManager mNotificationManager = (NotificationManager)getSystemService(Context.NOTIFICATION_SERVICE);
mNotificationManager.notify(999, builder.build());