What Are Push Notifications? Types, Benefits & Best Practices (2025)

What Are Push Notifications?

Push notifications are short, real-time messages that reach users instantly on apps or websites. They are delivered to devices such as iPhones, Android smartphones, tablets, and computers. These notifications appear as banners or pop-ups with sounds or vibrations, providing timely alerts about events, updates, or reminders. Businesses use them to improve engagement, retention, and deliver personalized, relevant content directly to users.

What Is the Origin of Push Notifications?

Push notifications were first introduced by Apple in 2009 with the Apple Push Notification Service (APNs). This innovation allowed iOS apps to send real-time alerts directly to iPhones, marking the beginning of mobile push technology.

Google followed soon after with its own push service for Android devices. Initially called Google Cloud Messaging (GCM), it later evolved into Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM), which powers Android push notifications today.

Suggested Read: Mastering iPhone Push Notifications

Over time, push notifications expanded beyond apps into web browsers. The arrival of web push notifications enabled websites to send instant alerts to both desktop and mobile users, extending the reach of this engagement channel far beyond app ecosystems.

What Are the Two Types of Push Notifications?

Push notifications can be divided into two main categories: mobile-based and web-based. Both serve the same purpose of delivering instant updates, but they differ in how they reach users. Mobile push notifications appear inside mobile operating systems like iOS and Android, while web push notifications work directly through internet browsers on desktop and mobile devices.

1. What Are Mobile Push Notifications?

Mobile push notifications send real-time updates directly to apps on iOS and Android devices. These alerts appear on a user’s lock screen or notification bar, even if the app is closed. For example, a shopping app can notify users about discounts, restocks, or flash sales instantly, boosting engagement and conversions.

2. What Are Web Push Notifications?

Web push notifications are browser-based alerts for both desktop and mobile users. They allow websites to deliver instant updates, reminders, or promotions without relying on email. Unlike traditional marketing channels, push notifications achieve higher open and click-through rates, helping brands improve retention and user activity. Because they bypass spam filters, they reach users directly, increasing visibility and engagement. To learn step-by-step setup, check out this guide on how to set up web push notifications.

How Do Push Notifications Appear on Devices?

Push notifications are displayed differently depending on the platform and device. While the core purpose remains the same—delivering timely alerts—the way users see and interact with them can vary across iOS, Android, and web browsers. Understanding these variations helps businesses design notifications that are consistent, clear, and engaging across all environments.

What Elements Do Push Notifications Typically Include?

Push notifications appear as concise alerts with visual and interactive elements. Push notifications are brief yet attention-grabbing alerts that provide timely information to users. Here is what they typically contain:

• Bold Title: A prominent title highlights the core message, making the alert stand out and easy to identify at a glance.
• Timestamp: Each notification includes the exact time it was sent, helping users assess the relevance and urgency of the message.
• App Icon: A recognizable app icon is displayed, allowing users to identify the message’s origin without opening the app.
• Brief Text: Additional information or context is presented in concise text, giving users further insight into the alert’s purpose.
• Action Buttons: Interactive buttons provide immediate options, such as “Reply,” “View,” or “Dismiss,” encouraging quick user engagement.
• Visual Enhancements: Some notifications use images, icons, or emojis to make the message visually appealing and boost interaction.
• Call-to-Action (CTA): Clear CTAs like “Shop Now,” “Check Status,” or “Learn More” prompt users to act without hesitation.

How Do Push Notifications Render Across Platforms?

Push notifications differ slightly by iOS, Android, and web browsers. Push notifications differ slightly in presentation depending on the platform—iOS, Android, or web browsers. Below is a breakdown of how these notifications appear across devices:

How Do iPhone Push Notifications Display?

Push notifications on iPhone show as banners, alerts, and stacks with granular controls. Notifications on iPhones appear as banners, alerts, or grouped stacks. They show up on the Lock Screen, Notification Center, and as pop-ups within apps. Users can swipe down from the top of the screen to access the Notification Center, where notifications are listed chronologically. iOS also allows customization at the app level, letting users decide where and how they receive notifications—on the Lock Screen, via banners, or just in the Notification Center. Users can mute or allow sounds and control whether the red badge indicating unread notifications shows on the app icon. Time-sensitive notifications, a feature introduced in newer iOS versions, allow apps to deliver critical alerts even during Focus Mode.

How Do Android Push Notifications Display?

Push notifications on Android appear on Lock Screen, shade, or as pop-ups. Android notifications appear on the Lock Screen, in the notification shade, or as pop-up alerts while using an app. Each notification contains a title, message preview, app icon, and action buttons. Some notifications can also include images or expandable content. Users cannot change the banner style at the system level but can manage settings like sound alerts and notification dots on the app icon. Android automatically enables notifications on app installation, though users can choose to turn off or snooze notifications for individual apps. Sensitive Notifications can also be enabled to protect certain messages from displaying on the Lock Screen.

How Do Web Push Notifications Display?

Push notifications in browsers appear as small banners with site identity. Web notifications appear as small banners on desktops and mobile browsers. On desktops, they usually appear at the bottom-right corner (Windows) or top-right (macOS). On mobile, web notifications blend into the native notification shade alongside app notifications. Each web notification includes a title, content snippet, and the website’s domain, often accompanied by an icon or image. Users need to manually allow notifications from websites through a permission prompt. If users are offline, notifications may only appear when they reconnect.

What Types of Push Notifications Exist?

Push notifications span transactional, promotional, personalized, and rich formats designed to boost user engagement. Each type serves a different purpose—whether it’s confirming user actions, promoting offers, sending reminders, or delivering personalized content. By understanding these types, businesses can choose the right notification strategy to maximize conversions, improve retention, and enhance customer experience.

• Transactional Notifications: Confirm user actions, such as purchases, resetting a password, bookings, or payments. Users receive real-time updates about order processing, shipping status, or account activities.
• Promotional Notifications: Deliver messages about discounts, special offers, and new product launches. They inform users about deals that can enhance customers’ shopping experiences.
• Personalized or Behavioral Notifications: Tailored to user preferences or actions within the app. They recommend products, content, or services based on browsing history or purchase patterns.
• Reminder Notifications: Prompt users to complete tasks or follow up on specific actions, such as bill payments, appointment reminders, or upcoming events.
• Location-Based Notifications: Trigger when users are near specific areas or stores, offering personalized deals or updates based on location.
• Rich Push Notifications: Include multimedia elements like images, videos, audio, or GIFs, enhancing user engagement.
• Interactive Notifications: Allow users to take quick actions directly from the notification without opening the app.
• Back-in-Stock Notifications: Inform users when previously unavailable items become available again.
• Notifications Asking for Feedback or Ratings: Sent after a purchase or service interaction to gather feedback or reviews.
• For-Your-Information (FYI) Notifications: Provide non-urgent updates or information, such as new policies, app updates, or general service alerts.

Why Do Businesses Rely on Push Notifications?

Push notifications give businesses a direct, real-time communication channel with users that boosts engagement and retention. Unlike emails that may land in spam folders or social posts that get lost in feeds, push notifications appear instantly on devices and demand attention. With higher open and click-through rates, they help brands re-engage inactive users, share timely promotions, and maintain consistent customer connections. A reliable push notification strategy ensures businesses can deliver personalized, relevant updates at the right time.

• Notify users about sales, discounts, and limited-time offers to drive purchases.
• Provide timely updates and personalized content to enhance user satisfaction.
• Use targeted messages to encourage app users to register or make their first purchase.
• Deliver order confirmations, receipts, or booking details in real time.
• Redirect users to follow social media accounts or engage with other platforms.
• Encourage interaction with personalized reminders, content recommendations, or new feature announcements.
• Remind users to revisit the app, reducing churn and keeping them engaged over time.
• Notify customers about reward points, exclusive deals, or loyalty milestones to maintain brand loyalty.

Push notifications resources provide deeper insights into platform-specific strategies. For example, explore the complete guide to Android push notifications to understand implementation and best practices in detail.

Why Should You Use Push Notifications?

Push notifications are essential for driving engagement, boosting conversions, and strengthening brand loyalty when used wisely. They allow businesses to reach users instantly with personalized updates, ensuring apps remain top-of-mind. By creating urgency and delivering timely alerts, push notifications encourage repeat visits, increase retention, and improve the overall customer journey. The key is to use them strategically so they inform and engage users without becoming intrusive or overwhelming.

• Boost User Engagement: Reminds users of the app’s value and encourages them to interact more.
• Increase Conversion Rates: Drives immediate action by creating urgency through timely alerts about promotions and limited-time offers.
• Improve Brand Consistency: Supports consistent messaging and reinforces brand identity through recognizable icons and logos.
• Target the Right Users: Uses location data and user preferences to tailor messages for higher relevance.
• Track Actionable Metrics: Provides analytics on delivery rates, open rates, and engagement to refine future strategies.
• Enhance Customer Care Strategy: Delivers essential information quickly and efficiently, improving the overall customer experience.

Push Notifications vs. Text Messages: Which Is More Effective?

Push notifications generally outperform text messages for engagement, personalization, and rich interactivity. Push notifications enable precise targeting, media-rich content, and instant re-engagement without SMS costs. Text messages offer broad reach but limited customization. For most app-driven use cases, push notifications drive higher click-throughs and better on-device actions.

Push notifications provide richer customization that supports conversions and retention. Push notifications combine opt-in consent, audience targeting, and multimedia to nudge timely actions. While SMS is ubiquitous, its costs and text-only format make push notifications a better fit for app-centric engagement strategies.

How Do Push Notifications Work?

Push notifications work by delivering server-generated messages through OS services directly to user devices. When a user clicks on a mobile push notification, they are taken directly to the relevant page. The process involves coordination between the app, server, and operating system to ensure secure, real-time delivery.

What Is the Operating System Push Notification Service?

Push notifications are routed through OS-level services like APNs and FCM. Each mobile operating system has its push notification service to handle message delivery. iOS uses the Apple Push Notification Service (APNs). Android relies on Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM). Fire OS and Windows both have dedicated systems for notifications. These services are responsible for routing notifications from servers to devices securely and efficiently.

Who Is the App Publisher in Push Notifications?

The app publisher integrates notification services and manages message delivery. The app publisher develops the app and integrates it with the OS notification service (APNs or FCM). After publishing the app, the developer can send notifications directly to users through the configured service.

What Role Does the Client App Play in Push Notifications?

The client app is responsible for receiving and displaying push notifications to users. Once installed, it connects with the operating system’s push service (such as APNs for iOS or FCM for Android) to register the device and handle alerts. Correct configuration ensures notifications are delivered reliably and appear properly across platforms. For a cost-effective way to build and configure apps, check out this comparison guide on the cheapest ways to build an app.

What Is the Step-by-Step Push Notification Process?

1. User Opt-In: Users must agree to receive notifications. On iOS, a permission request asks for approval. On Android, settings can be managed inside the app.
2. Device Token Generation: Once opted in, a unique device token is generated and sent to the app’s server as an identifier.
3. App Server Prepares Notification: The app server composes a concise, relevant notification message for the target user.
4. Delivery Request to OSPNS: The app server submits the message and device token to the OS push notification service, which processes the request.
5. Device Receives Notification: The push service delivers the notification to the device, where it displays as a banner, alert, or in the notification center.
6. User Interaction: Users engage by opening the app or dismissing the alert. These actions provide behavioral insights for future notification strategies.

What Is the History of Push Notifications?

Push notifications have evolved from simple alerts in 2009 to rich, interactive, real-time communication tools across platforms. Over the years, Apple and Google have introduced advanced features like media-rich content, interactive actions, notification channels, and personalization. These updates reflect a growing focus on user control, engagement, and cross-device consistency.

• 2009: The Launch of Apple Push Notification Services (APNs): Apple introduced APNs as the first official push notification system, allowing iOS apps to send real-time alerts to users’ devices.
• 2010: Google’s Cloud to Device Messaging (C2DM): Google launched C2DM, enabling Android apps to send notifications, though it lacked reliability and scalability.
• 2012: Transition to Google Cloud Messaging (GCM): C2DM evolved into GCM, offering better performance and the ability to send richer notifications.
• 2013–2016: Interactive and Rich Notifications Introduced:
  • 2013: Google added rich notifications, allowing Android users to interact with alerts using images and buttons.
  • 2014: Apple extended notification support to the Apple Watch.
  • 2016: With iOS 10, Apple introduced media-rich notifications with videos, GIFs, and interactive elements.
• 2017: Notification Categories and Dots: Google released notification channels in Android 8.0 (Oreo), giving users more control, and introduced notification dots on app icons.
• 2018–2021: Focus on User Control and Personalization:
  • 2018: Apple and Google improved notification management, letting users customize delivery preferences.
  • 2021: Apple added Focus Modes in iOS 15, while Android introduced notification snoozing.
• 2022: Android 13 made opt-in mandatory for notifications, and Apple launched Live Activities.
• 2023–2024: Push notifications integrated with wearables, smart home systems, and in-car displays, emphasizing real-time, interactive communication.

Push notifications continue to evolve as a powerful marketing and engagement tool. After years of innovation, they are becoming more personalized, real-time, and AI-driven. To explore what’s next, check out this article on the future of push notifications.

What Are Push Notification Best Practices?

Push notifications are most effective when they balance relevance, timing, and user control. Businesses should send concise, personalized alerts that provide real value without overwhelming users. By following best practices, brands can boost engagement while reducing opt-outs and notification fatigue.

• Ask for Permission: Display a well-worded permission message that informs users about the benefits before prompting them to subscribe.
• Write Concise and Relevant Messages: Keep notifications brief, purposeful, and personalized for maximum impact.
• Target the Right Audience: Segment users by behavior, preferences, and location to ensure messages feel relevant.
• Optimize Timing: Deliver notifications at times aligned with user activity patterns and time zones.
• Provide Real Value: Make every notification meaningful—whether it’s a promotion, update, or important reminder.
• Limit Frequency to Avoid Fatigue: Prevent overload by controlling how often notifications are sent.
• Use A/B Testing to Refine Messaging: Experiment with variations in wording, CTAs, or visuals to improve results.
• Enable Easy Opt-Out Options: Allow users to manage preferences or disable notifications if desired.
• Monitor Performance and Adjust Strategy: Track metrics like open and click-through rates to refine campaigns.

Push notification strategies align closely with app-building best practices. To learn more about creating apps that integrate effective notifications, explore this comprehensive 2025 guide on how to create an iPhone app.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is a push notification?

A push notification is a short, real-time alert sent directly to a user’s device by an app or website to instantly grab attention. They appear on the lock screen, notification center, or browser even when the app or site is not open. Push notifications are commonly used to deliver instant updates, reminders, promotional offers, and alerts, making them a powerful tool for improving user engagement and retention.

2. What are the types of push notifications?

The main types of push notifications include mobile, web, transactional, promotional, location-based, and rich media notifications. Mobile push notifications are delivered via apps on iOS or Android. Web push notifications are sent through browsers on desktop and mobile. Other common types include transactional notifications (e.g., order confirmations), promotional notifications (discounts or sales), location-based notifications (geo-targeted offers), and rich push notifications that include images, videos, or action buttons.

3. How do push notifications work?

Push notifications work by using a server-to-device system that delivers real-time messages through services like FCM or APNs once a user opts in. When a user opts in, their device or browser generates a unique “push token.” This token is stored by the app’s backend or a service like Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) or Apple Push Notification Service (APNs). When the app or site sends a notification, the server delivers it to the respective platform (iOS, Android, or browser), which then displays it on the user’s device in real time.

4. Are push notifications effective?

Yes, push notifications are very effective at boosting retention, engagement, and conversions when used strategically. Studies show that push notifications can improve user retention by up to 88% compared to email alone. They drive traffic back to apps and websites, remind users of abandoned carts, and increase conversions. However, sending too many irrelevant notifications may cause users to disable them or uninstall the app, so balance and personalization are key.

5. What are the best practices for push notifications?

The best practices for push notifications are to keep them short, personalized, timely, and user-friendly with clear opt-in/opt-out options. For maximum effectiveness, follow these best practices: keep messages short and clear, personalize content based on user behavior, and send them at the right time (avoiding late-night hours unless it’s urgent). Use segmentation to target the right audience, include a clear call-to-action, and avoid overloading users with too many messages. Always provide easy opt-in/opt-out options to build trust and long-term engagement.