What Apple and Google are doing to push notifications

Apple and Google are implementing new measures to regulate push notifications, giving users more control and increasing platform intervention. These developments could reshape notification management across iOS and Android devices, affecting app developers and user experience alike. These developments could reshape notification management across iOS and Android devices, affecting app developers and user experience alike. For example, malicious actors may exploit notification controls for spam or malware distribution.

Apple introduced a new notification taxonomy in iOS 15 in September 2021, including categories like time-sensitive and critical alerts, explicitly advising against using these for marketing purposes. In August 2022, Android 13 made the POST_NOTIFICATIONS permission a runtime, requiring explicit user approval—leading to a significant drop in opt-in rates, especially among gaming and news apps. Both companies are now exploring further controls, such as enhanced filtering, prioritization, and user customization options, to better manage notification overload. While specific features are still being finalized, these changes aim to reduce unwanted interruptions and increase transparency around notification delivery.

Why It Matters

This matters because push notifications are a primary channel for user engagement, marketing, and information delivery. Increased platform control could limit spam, improve user experience, and shift the power dynamics between app developers and platform providers. However, it may also restrict certain marketing strategies and alter how apps communicate with users.

Background

Over the past decade, both Apple and Google have gradually increased platform intervention in notifications, starting with Android’s notification channels in 2017 and Apple’s focus on interruption levels in 2021. The move to require explicit user permission on Android in 2022 significantly reduced opt-in rates, highlighting growing concerns over notification fatigue. For more on privacy and security implications, see our coverage of regulatory actions and user data protection. These developments are part of a broader trend toward platform-centric moderation of user attention, with implications for app monetization and user privacy.

“Our focus is on providing users with meaningful control over their notifications while maintaining system integrity.”

— Apple spokesperson

“Requiring explicit permission for notifications helps users make informed choices and reduces unwanted interruptions.”

— Google Android team member

What Remains Unclear

It is not yet clear how extensively these new controls will be rolled out across all apps or how they will interact with existing notification settings. The specific features and their impact on app developers’ ability to deliver timely messages remain under development.

What’s Next

Both Apple and Google are expected to announce detailed implementation plans and developer tools in the coming months. Monitoring updates to iOS and Android SDKs will be crucial to understanding the full scope and impact of these changes.

Key Questions

How will these changes affect app notifications?

They will likely introduce more user controls, filtering options, and platform interventions to reduce unwanted notifications and improve relevance.

Will this limit marketing opportunities?

Potentially, as stricter controls and reduced opt-in rates may limit the volume and targeting of notifications used for marketing purposes.

Are these changes mandatory for all apps?

While some features, like Android’s runtime permission, are mandatory, the full scope of new controls is still being finalized and may vary by platform and app category.

When will these new notification controls be fully implemented?

Specific timelines are still uncertain, but both companies are expected to release detailed updates and developer tools within the next few months.

Source: Hacker News