Push notifications – What to push, what not to push, and how often
Push notifications are widely seen as intrusive when used for unsolicited marketing rather than time‑sensitive, user-initiated updates, leading many people to block them entirely or uninstall offending apps. Commenters argue that current platform controls (like Android notification channels and iOS summaries) are underused or easily abused by developers who lump critical and promotional messages together, making granular opt‑out difficult. Several propose stricter OS-level enforcement, clearer separation of transactional vs. marketing alerts, and penalties for abusive behavior, warning that overuse of pushes erodes trust, degrades user experience, and fuels “product addiction.”
Overall sentiment toward push notifications
- Strong majority view unsolicited, non-time-sensitive pushes—especially ads—as spam and “rage-inducing.”
- Many say a single unwanted push is enough to revoke notification permission or uninstall the app.
- Some feel the linked article treats pushes primarily as a marketing/revenue lever and underplays user harm.
Transactional vs promotional notifications
- Clear distinction demanded:
- Transactional: security alerts, banking/payment events, delivery/taxi status, messages from people. Generally accepted.
- Promotional/re-engagement: sales, “we miss you,” engagement nudges. Widely rejected.
- Frustration when apps bundle both into one channel so users can’t disable ads without losing essential alerts.
- Some see even “discount on favorited item” pushes as spam unless the user explicitly opted into that purpose.
User strategies and expectations
- Common pattern: block all notifications by default; selectively enable only messaging, a few banking or habit apps.
- Others allow them initially but mute/disable at the first irrelevant or repetitive push.
- Several argue even IM doesn’t truly “need” push; periodic manual checking is fine for many.
Platform-level controls and limitations
- Android: notification channels praised, but often misused (all traffic in one channel) or hidden behind clumsy OEM UIs. Apps can detect disabled notifications and nag users.
- iOS: summaries, time-sensitive category, Live Activities, and prompts to disable unused apps’ notifications noted. Time-sensitive can still be abused.
- Web push is almost universally disliked.
- Unclear from discussion whether disabling “notifications” always blocks silent, app-only push payloads.
Proposed improvements
- OS-level distinction and separate opt-in for “transactional” vs “marketing” pushes.
- Per-app caps, time windows, or “only if app used recently” rules.
- Spam-reporting for notifications with platform-enforced penalties, though some worry about abuse/anti-competitive use.
- More granular user control: template-level filtering, AI-based prioritization, or mandatory, honest categorization of channels.
Marketing and business perspective
- One marketer describes large-scale systems: ranking campaigns, daily caps, and adaptive frequency based on engagement and predicted opt-outs.
- Many users respond that “one promotional notification per day” is already unacceptable and effectively punishes only less tech-savvy users.
Ethical concerns and broader impact
- Several argue aggressive push marketing drives “product addiction” and smartphone overuse, comparing it to intentionally addictive tobacco design.
- Some see push-spam as an “antifeature” that should carry real consequences from platform owners.