Getting users to download your app is just the first part of the equation. Keeping them active and engaged takes thoughtful, ongoing communication.
And notifications play a central role in that.
In-app and push notifications are two of the most effective ways your app can interact with its users. They can inform, motivate, and retain users by guiding them at key moments in their journey.
In this post, we'll unpack what makes them different, when to use each, and what types of notifications drive results. You'll also find practical examples, use cases, and best practices to help your team design a proper notification strategy.
At a glance:
- In-app notifications appear while users are actively using your product and help guide, inform, or unblock them in context.
- Push notifications reach users outside the app and are designed to re-engage them or deliver time-sensitive updates.
- In-app = guidance and continuity during a session.
- Push = interruption and re-entry into the product.
- Most high-engagement products use both, with clear rules for when each applies.
What Are In-App Notifications?
In-app notifications are messages or alerts that appear while a user is actively using your app.
They can show up as banners or pop-ups within the interface, usually at the top, bottom, or center of the screen, depending on the importance of the message.
Types of In-App Notifications
There are several types of in-app notifications, and choosing the right one helps you reduce friction and keep the flow smooth.
Banners
Banners are small horizontal messages that slide in from the top or bottom of the screen.
They sometimes dim the background and draw the eye toward a message or set of actions.
Modals or Pop-Ups
Modals appear in the center of the screen and require the user to take an action before continuing. They are best for high-stakes moments, such as confirming a purchase.
Tooltips
Tooltips are tiny instructional bubbles that appear near buttons or features to guide new users or highlight recent updates.
They appear only when triggered, keeping the interface clean. They often contain a short sentence and a small pointer arrow that anchors them to the element they describe.
Badges
Badges are small visual indicators, like red dots or number counters, placed on tabs, icons, or menu items. These help users understand where they should look next.
Checklists
Checklists appear as structured task lists that guide users through multi-step processes. They give users a clear path with a label, a tick mark, or a progress bar that shows completion.
Full-Screen Interstitials
These are large, immersive notifications used for major product updates or offers. Because they are highly visible, teams must keep in mind to use them only when a message truly matters.
What Are Push Notifications?
Push notifications are brief messages that appear on a user's device even when the app is not open.
They show up on the lock screen, home screen, or notification tray, depending on the device's settings. Their style is often compact, with a title, short text, and sometimes a small icon. Many push notifications expand with more details when tapped or swiped.
In contrast with in-app notifications, users must explicitly grant permission to your app to enable them.
Types of Push Notifications
Now let's look at the most common push notification types to get a better idea of how they work.
Transactional
Transactional messages are short confirmations that acknowledge a completed action. These often include text with order updates, such as a simple message stating, "Your receipt for Order #19827 is ready," that closes the loop after a purchase.
Promotional
Promotional notifications highlight offers or new content.
They can announce something timely, like the restocking of a favorite item, which nudges users toward a product they've shown interest in before.
Behavioral or Triggered
Behavioral or triggered notifications respond to what someone does or does not do inside the app. These messages follow patterns in activity to create gentle reminders, such as "It's been three days since your last meditation" in a meditation app, which encourages users to return.
Rich Notifications
Rich notifications add visual or interactive elements, so the message carries more context at a glance. These can include images, short videos, or CTA buttons that let people act directly from the notification instead of opening the app first.
Location-Based
Location-based notifications appear when someone enters or leaves a specific area. They rely on real-time proximity cues. For example, a user might receive a message like "You're near your gym, ready for a workout?" from a fitness app, which connects their physical context with a helpful prompt.
In-App vs Push Notifications: Quick Comparison
When deciding which notification type to use, the key differences come down to timing, context, and attention.
This quick comparison shows how in-app and push notifications play distinct roles in the user experience.
| Aspect | In-App Notifications | Push Notifications |
|---|---|---|
| Where They Appear | Inside the app interface while a user is active | On the lock screen, home screen, or notification tray |
| Key Purpose | Guide, inform, and support users during tasks | Bring users back, inform them instantly, and prompt action |
| Dependency | User must already be in the app | Works even when the app is closed |
| Best For | Onboarding, feature discovery, preventing errors, and task completion | Re-engagement, urgent updates, limited-time offers, and reminders |
| User Attention Level | Higher — user is already in context | Lower — user is busy, distracted, or doing something else |
| Visual Style | Banners, modals, tooltips, badges, and checklists | Compact text blocks and rich media |
| User Control | Can dismiss or skip; doesn’t require OS-level permission | Users can disable at device level; consent required |
| Examples | Progress bar, error message, tooltip, and feature announcement | Delivery update, re-engagement nudge, and promo alert |
Let's look at how to choose between in-app and push notifications based on user intent and product context.
When Should You Use In-App vs Push Notifications?
Choosing between in-app and push notifications comes down to context and intent. Understanding what the user is doing (and where they are) makes it easier to place messages where they'll be most effective.
Examining Their Differences
In-app and push notifications serve different roles because one appears while the user is already present, and the other reaches them wherever they are:
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In-app messages blend into the interface and support users as they move through tasks.
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Push notifications reach people outside the app and depend on timing, relevance, and consent.
Another difference lies in the level of attention they demand. In-app notifications compete only with the rest of the interface. They can be read, dismissed, or returned to.
Push notifications appear in a more crowded space. Users glance at these messages quickly and often while doing something else, like commuting or finishing a task at work. This means push content has to get to the point immediately.
When to Use In-App
Onboarding and Activation
New app users often arrive with curiosity but little familiarity. In-app notifications can help them complete early tasks without feeling lost.
For example, an edtech app can display a simple progress bar that nudges learners to finish their first lesson or maintain a streak.
You can also use short tooltips during onboarding flows to point out must-try actions, such as joining a class or customizing a profile. These make the first few minutes smoother, which matters because early wins often set the tone for long-term engagement.
Feature Introduction
Apps change, features grow, and users may not always notice. In-app notifications create gentle moments of discovery.
For instance, a collaboration tool might surface a tooltip near the calendar booking tab saying, "You can now schedule meetings directly from here." Because the user is already in the right context, they can try the feature immediately.
Celebrating Milestones or Achievements
Users respond well to recognition, especially when it reflects effort or progress. This type of notification offers a simple way to celebrate these moments while reinforcing user retention and routine use. For instance:
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Duolingo uses small bursts of confetti to mark daily streaks.
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Fitness apps like Strava show banners that celebrate accomplishments like the longest workout session of the month.
Preventing Drop-Offs or Errors
When something goes wrong, in-app notifications offer immediate guidance on what needs attention and how to fix it.
For example, during a checkout flow, a marketplace app might show a non-intrusive banner saying, "Your payment method failed, update it to continue." Because the user sees the issue inside the same screen, the next step feels clear and manageable.
Guiding Users During Complex Flows
Some tasks require multiple steps, and users can easily lose track. In-app notifications help maintain orientation. They can highlight the next step, explain why something matters, or reassure the user that they're on the right path.
A dating app might use a simple checklist during onboarding to help users finish their profile, like:
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Upload photos
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Complete prompts
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Verify identity
These cues build confidence and reduce the cognitive weight of long processes.
Announcing Relevant Updates or Events
When there's something important to share, like new versions, system updates, events, or product changes, in-app messages give users information at the right moment. This could be a small modal about an upcoming maintenance window or an embedded card announcing an upcoming feature.
When to Use Push
Re-Engagement After Drop-Offs
People step away from apps for many reasons, from busy schedules to simple forgetfulness. Push notifications help remind them of what they left unfinished or what might interest them again.
For instance, Headspace sends a calm reminder after a few days of inactivity to encourage users to return to their meditation practice.
Real-Time or Urgent Updates
Some updates matter only when delivered instantly. Push notifications handle these time-sensitive moments well because they appear on the lock screen. They might look like:
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A sports app that sends live score updates or final match results.
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A delivery app that uses short messages like "Your driver is arriving in 2 minutes."
These quick alerts keep users informed without making them open the app every few minutes.
Limited-Time Offers or Announcements
Push notifications work well for creating timely awareness that drives user action.
DoorDash entices hungry users to place orders with occasional limited-time promotional notifications.
Personal Milestones and Motivation
Push notifications can strengthen emotional connection when they recognize personal progress. For example, a fintech app might say, "You've saved $250 this month!"
Duolingo is well-known for its motivational push messages that reinforce language-learning streaks with positive reminders or playful threats and guilt trips.
Cross-Platform Reconnection
Users often switch devices or stop a task midway. Push notifications can help them return to the exact point they left off.
When users switch platforms, a livestreaming app might send a nudge like, 'Want to jump back into the live match?' This helps users rejoin the experience without searching or repeating steps.
Best Practices for Both
These best practices help teams shape both channels with clarity, intention, and respect for the user's attention.
Define Clear Roles for Each Channel
Decide upfront what belongs in-app and what goes out via push, then treat that decision as design law. Keep the mapping simple so teams don't second-guess it, and users develop predictable expectations.
Consider a dating app that:
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Sends new match alerts as push notifications since they spark immediate engagement
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Delivers profile insights and compatibility tips in-app for users to read when ready
Decide What Should Go Into the Notification Feed
Many apps that use both push and in-app notifications also maintain a notification feed or inbox. This feed acts as the long-term record of important messages, while push and in-app surfaces handle immediate delivery. Because these three channels often work together, you need clear rules for which messages deserve a permanent place.
Not every alert should stay in the feed:
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Quick nudges, streak updates, and momentary reminders can disappear.
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High-weight items like fraud alerts, billing issues, policy changes, or major feature announcements should remain accessible.
Segment and Personalize
Avoid sending the same notification to every user. A learner on their first lesson doesn't need the same message as someone preparing for a final assessment.
User segmentation can be done by maturity, recent activity, role, and feature adoption. Even small changes help the experience feel thoughtful and reduce noise, such as displaying a checklist only to first-time users or sending progress nudges exclusively to active ones.
Design for Emotion and Context
The tone and design should match the moment. A milestone may call for bright visuals or light celebratory language. A system update may need calm, concise wording.
Alongside this, help users stay in control by adding clear exit points like dismiss buttons, close icons, or the option to view it later.
Measure The Right Signals
Every notification should have measurable outcomes. Track:
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Impression rate: How many users saw the notification.
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Action rate: How many tapped or continued.
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Conversion rate: Whether the intended action happened.
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Dismiss rate: How often users closed or ignored it.
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Frequency impact: Whether repeated exposure helps or harms.
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Opt-out rate: A warning sign that the experience is overstepping.
Set guardrails to roll back to a previous pattern if an experiment triggers more than a small rise in opt-outs. These checks keep the experience healthy and user-first.
Choose Your Build Approach Early
Before designing notifications, decide whether your team will build the system(s) internally or rely on a prebuilt solution.
In-app and push notifications may look simple on the surface, but scaling them across platforms, handling edge cases, and maintaining them over time can add hidden complexity. Making this call early helps teams avoid rework and keeps notification efforts aligned with both product goals and engineering capacity.
Localize Thoughtfully
Adapt notifications to local languages, cultural norms, and content sensitivities. Make sure your delivery system or vendor supports diverse scripts and character sets so messages display clearly across regions.
If a telemedicine mobile app sends medication reminders in Arabic, the system must support right-to-left scripts to display the message correctly on the lock screen.
Conclusion
In-app and push notifications give product teams flexible ways to support users in different moments. With so many formats to choose from, the value comes from picking the right type for the situation.
When each channel has a clear purpose, and the messages stay focused on what people actually need, these touchpoints strengthen the experience in a steady way. It's a straightforward path to improving user engagement without adding extra complexity.