Push Registration
This document summarizes the main steps to enable push notifications and test if the notifications are received properly. It also documents edge cases |
Push Registration Push TokensTo receive push notifications, push tokens are required. If a device doesn’t have a push token, there is no way to send push to it.
Push tokens are a unique anonymous identifier generated by a user’s device and sent to Braze to identify where to send each recipient’s notification.
Push tokens are a unique anonymous identifier generated by a user’s device and sent to Braze to identify where to send each recipient’s notification.
Braze connects with push service providers like Firebase Cloud Messaging Service (FCMs) for Android and Apple Push Notification Service (APNs) for iOS, and those providers send unique device tokens that identify your app
There are 2 types of push tokens:
Foreground push provide the ability to send regular visible push notifications to the foreground of a user’s device.
Background push are available regardless of whether a particular device has opted-in to receive push notifications from that brand. Background push allows brands to send silent push notifications.
If you only have background push enabled, you won’t be seeing marketing push notification |
Braze provides a specific segmentation filter, Push enabled for App, to help identify the users who have enabled push notifications.
To identify the users you can contact, you need to filter for
|
Push Registration by Device Android:
Android 13: Push permission must be asked of and granted by the user. Receives a token after permission is granted by the user.
Android 12 and earlier: All users are considered Subscribed upon their first session when Braze automatically requests a push token.
iOS: Not automatically registered for push.
iOS 12 (with Provisional Authorization):
Your app can request provisional authorization or authorized push. Authorized push requires explicit permission from a user before sending any notifications (receives a token after permission is granted by user), whereas [provisional push][provisional-blog] lets you send notifications quietly, directly to the notification center without any sound or alert.
iOS 11 and later & iOS 12 (without Provisional Authorization):
All users must explicitly opt-in to receive push notifications. Will receive a token after users opted-in.
Web: You must request explicit opt-in from users via the native browser permission dialog. Will receive a token after users opt-ed in.
Step by step guest facing enablementApplicable to all IOS device and Android 13 and above |
The first time you download the app, there is a native device push prompt
Accept notifications from the push prompt
Check push primer chapter for some recommendations on how to increase likelihood of people accepting the notification prompt
Check push primer chapter for some recommendations on how to increase likelihood of people accepting the notification prompt
Opt-in to notification also in the app setting (sign up page/communication preference page)
Open your iPhone’s Settings app. You’ll find this gray gear icon on your Home screen, in your App Library, or by searching.
Tap Notifications. This option has a red icon with a white bell and is usually in the second group of settings.
Choose whether to show notification previews.
‘Always’ to show all previews,
‘When unlocked’ to show them only when your screen is unlocked,
‘Never’ if you prefer to see just the name of the app with a notification.
Tap the app you want to manage. Each app on your iPhone has its own push notification settings.
Toggle the “Allow Notifications” switch to On. Select the app you want and enable notification. As long as this switch is enabled, you’ll receive push notifications for this app.
Choose your alert preferences. You can select where you want to see the notifications: on the Lock Screen, in the Notification Center, or as Banners. You can also choose the banner style—‘Persistent’ or 'Temporary’.
Choose whether to hear notification sounds and whether to show notification badges on the app icon.
Go to the app you want to receive notifications, and make sure to opt-in in the app notification center as well
If the user does not have both device opted in & app opt in, we should not expect they receive notifications. Please find below more details:
|
How to check if notifications are enabled? Go to the app setting, and check in the communication center that you have opted in
Go to the device setting, and check that you have granted permission from the device
Look up for your user in Braze
Check under engagement if the user has correctly registered push tokens
Do not use test accounts to perform these checks. Often, test accounts are source of duplicated profiles, which causes unpredictable behaviors. On top of that, if I have multiple devices, and I log in with the same emails in 2 different devices, the push token could be moved around from one account to the other. |
Type of notifications Name | Description | Devices |
|---|---|---|
Background push notification | Push notifications that are not rendered for the device. Usually used to send packets of information down to the app for background processes and uninstall tracking. A Background-enabled push token is required for background push to be sent. |
|
Regular push notifications | These appear on your user's device with a notification sound and message which slides in or appears in a notification bar or stack. |
|
Silent push notifications | A push notification that does not wake up the device when rendering on the device. Instead, the notification will be stored in the device's notification tray. |
|
HTML Push Notifications | Coded push notifications that don’t follow Braze templates. They allow more customization |
|
Notification IDs & Channel IDs | Notification IDs and Channel IDs allow you to replace or update push notifications already received, but not opened, by the user. |
|
Provisional Push Notifications | Introduced by Apple in iOS 12, provisional authorization automatically occurs on install for iOS apps, allowing brands to send silent notifications without displaying a push prompt to users. When the silent push is sent and viewed in the device's notification tray, users will be given the option to allow or discontinue push notifications.  |
|
Push Stories | Push Stories are immersive messages that take your user through a visual journey in the form of a carousel. These are available for mobile devices only  |
|
Push with Action Buttons | Push with action buttons are messages that allow you to provide options to your users and offer several calls to action.  |
|
Wearable Push | These push notifications allow brands to send messages directly to wearable devices like the Apple Watch. |
|
According to the opt-in channels, we can leverage emails and/or in-app messages to educate the guests and prompt them to go to their device setting and activate their notifications. This is a common practice in the industry, see below.
If you are sending IAM to IOS users, you can leverage this deep linking path to link directly to the notification center of the phone: app-settings:root=Notifications&path=Burger King
User have to opt-in to receive push notifications
To optimize the chances that users will accept to receive push notifications, you can set up a push primer (in-app message explaining why the user should opt-in to notifications).
Push primers are beneficial as they allow us to send the message with:
Optimized design (a/b test copy and visuals)
Best time (avoid overwhelming the guests at the first interaction). It is recommended to do it based on specific user activity (post high engagement moments)
Push primers are beneficial as they allow us to send the message with:
Optimized design (a/b test copy and visuals)
Best time (avoid overwhelming the guests at the first interaction). It is recommended to do it based on specific user activity (post high engagement moments)
Leverage the button on-click behavior “Request Push Permission” when creating an in-app message for iOS, Android, or Web.
For iOS, push campaigns are relevant as foreground push notifications (such as notifications that wake up the device) are not enabled until a user explicitly opts into iOS' native push prompt.
Guide on how to set up a push primer:https://www.braze.com/docs/user_guide/message_building_by_channel/push/best_practices/push_primer_messages/#step-5-target-users
