A push notification is a message that appears on your phone or tablet without you opening an app
A push notification is a short message sent from an app or website to your device. It arrives whether the app is open, closed, or running in the background. The message pops up on your lock screen, in your notification center, or as a banner across the top of your screen. You do not have to be using the app to receive it — the sender initiates the message and it travels to your device through the internet.
Push notifications are different from text messages or email. A text message goes through your phone carrier's network. An email sits in your inbox until you check it. A push notification is delivered directly by the app or service that sent it, and it appears when ready on your device as an alert. The app developer or company controls when the message arrives, what it says, and whether it includes a sound or vibration.
Your phone stores these notifications in a notification center or notification panel. On iPhone, swipe down from the top of the screen. On Android, swipe down from the top twice or swipe down once depending on your phone model. You can review old notifications there, tap them to open the app, or dismiss them without taking action.
Key Takeaways
- Push notifications arrive on your device without you opening the app, sent directly by the company or developer who controls the message.
- They appear as alerts on your lock screen, in a banner, or in your notification center, and can include sound and vibration.
- You control which apps can send notifications through your phone's settings, and you can turn off notifications per app or by category.
- Apps use push notifications to alert you to messages, updates, reminders, sales, or activity on your account — not all of these are equally important to you.
- Turning off notifications you do not need reduces interruptions and can improve battery life and data usage.
How push notifications reach your device
When an app or website wants to send you a notification, it does not contact your phone directly. Instead, it sends the message to a push notification service — Apple uses APNs (Apple Push Notification service), and Google uses Firebase Cloud Messaging. These services act as intermediaries. They receive the message from the app developer, then forward it to your device over the internet.
Your phone maintains a constant connection to these services while it is powered on. When a message arrives for you, the service delivers it to your device, and your phone displays it. This is why push notifications can arrive when ready, even if you have not opened the app in weeks. The app does not need to be running — the push service handles the delivery.
For this system to work, you must have granted the app permission to send notifications. When you first install an app, it usually asks: "Allow notifications?" If you say yes, the app registers with the push service and can send you messages. If you say no or later turn off notifications in settings, the app cannot send them anymore.
What kinds of messages count as push notifications
Apps use push notifications for many different purposes. A messaging app like WhatsApp or Telegram sends a notification when someone sends you a message. A social media app like Instagram or TikTok notifies you when someone likes your post or follows you. A shopping app like Amazon sends notifications about order status, price drops, or flash sales. A weather app sends severe weather alerts. A calendar app reminds you of an upcoming appointment.
Some notifications are time-sensitive and important to you — a message from a friend, an alert that your package arrived, a reminder that your medication is due. Others are designed to bring you back into the app — a sale notification, a "you have not used this app in a while" message, or a notification that someone you follow posted something new. Understanding which notifications matter to you is the first step in controlling them.
Apps can also send notifications based on your location, the time of day, or your behavior in the app. A restaurant app might notify you when you are near one of its locations. A fitness app might send a reminder in the morning to log your workout. A news app might notify you about breaking news in a category you follow. These are all push notifications, even though they are triggered by different conditions.
The difference between notifications and other alerts
Your phone sends you alerts in several ways, and they are not all push notifications. A text message is an SMS alert sent through your carrier. An email notification is a message about a new email in your inbox. A phone call is a direct connection. A push notification is specifically a message sent by an app or service through a push notification service to your device.
Some apps send both push notifications and emails. A banking app might send a push notification when you log in from a new device, and also send an email about the same event. A social media app might send a push notification when someone messages you, and also send an email digest of your activity. You control each type of alert separately — turning off push notifications does not turn off emails, and vice versa.
Why apps send push notifications
App developers send push notifications for three main reasons: to deliver information you asked for, to remind you to use the app, and to encourage you to make a purchase or take an action.
The first category includes notifications you probably want: a message from a friend, a delivery update, a calendar reminder, a weather alert, or a news story in a topic you follow. These are informational and time-sensitive. You subscribed to them or enabled them because they are useful to you.
The second category includes reminders and engagement notifications: "You have not used this app in three days," "Your friend just posted a photo," "Check out what is trending." These are designed to bring you back into the app. They may be useful, or they may be distracting.
The third category includes promotional notifications: "Sale ends today," "New product in your size," "Limited-time offer." These are designed to drive sales or engagement. They are rarely urgent, and many people find them annoying.
How to see which apps have notification permission
On iPhone, go to Settings, then Notifications. You will see a list of every app that has asked for notification permission. Tap any app to see what type of notifications it sends — alerts, badges (the red number on the app icon), or sounds. You can turn off notifications entirely for that app, or customize which types of notifications it sends.
On Android, go to Settings, then Apps and Notifications, then Notifications. You will see a list of apps sorted by how recently they sent a notification. Tap any app to see its notification settings. You can turn off all notifications, or customize notifications by category if the app offers that option.
Some apps let you customize notifications within the app itself. Open the app, go to Settings or Preferences, and look for a Notifications section. You might be able to turn off promotional notifications while keeping message notifications, or turn off notifications from certain people or categories. Check both your phone settings and the app settings to see all your options.
The cost of push notifications to your phone
Push notifications use very little data — usually just a few kilobytes per notification. If you receive 50 notifications a day, they might use less than 1 megabyte of data total. This is negligible for most people with a data plan.
The bigger impact is on battery life. Every time your phone receives a notification, the screen lights up, the processor wakes up, and the speaker or vibration motor activates. If you receive hundreds of notifications a day, this constant activity drains your battery faster than if you received fewer. Turning off notifications you do not need can extend your battery life by an hour or more per day, depending on how many notifications you were receiving.
Push notifications also affect your attention and focus. Each notification is an interruption. Even if you do not look at your phone, hearing or feeling a notification can break your concentration. Reducing notifications is one way to reduce interruptions and reclaim focus time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I turn off notifications from one app but keep them from another?
Yes. On both iPhone and Android, you control notifications per app in your phone settings. You can turn off all notifications from one app while keeping them fully enabled for another. Some apps also let you customize which types of notifications they send — for example, allowing messages but blocking promotional alerts.
Do I need to uninstall an app to stop its notifications?
No. Uninstalling removes the app entirely. To stop notifications without removing the app, go to your phone settings, find the app in your notification settings, and turn off notifications. The app stays on your phone and works normally — it just cannot send you alerts.
Why do some notifications appear on my lock screen and others do not?
Each app can be set to send different types of notifications. Some apps send alerts that appear on your lock screen and make a sound. Others send silent notifications that only appear in your notification center. You can customize this per app in your phone settings.
If I turn off notifications, will I miss important messages?
It depends on which notifications you turn off. If you turn off notifications from a messaging app, you will not see alerts when someone messages you — but the messages will still arrive in the app. You will see them the next time you open it. For truly urgent alerts like emergency weather warnings, keep those notifications on.
Do push notifications work without Wi-Fi or cellular data?
No. Push notifications require an internet connection to be delivered. If your phone is in airplane mode, connected to Wi-Fi but the Wi-Fi is not connected to the internet, or has no cellular signal, push notifications cannot arrive. They will be delivered once your phone reconnects to the internet.