Push Notifications play a vital role in your app’s success. They give you a platform on which you can engage with your users, send them the latest updates, change the app’s data, and considerably more.
While push notifications for android apps are a vital part of the app development process, they are more difficult to build and that’s where using an SDK comes to play. What’s the reason? While customizable chat APIs only require configuration within the app, notifications generally require additional configuration, such as handling user tokens and sending notifications with those tokens.
Want to integrate push notifications into an Android App? If so, continue reading this blog.
Without further ado, let’s dive in!
What Exactly Is a Push Notification?
Push notifications are small pop-up messages that a mobile app sends to a user’s device that show up even when the white-label messaging app is not active. These alerts can deliver reminders, updates, promotions, and other information in an effort to get people’s attention.
Push notifications include a title, text, image, or URL. They can also include graphics, emoticons, and other things. On many operating systems, like Google Android and Apple OS, push notifications to display differently. However, depending on the user’s device settings, push notifications may appear even after an application has been closed. When users receive these notifications, they can tap them to open the corresponding application or take another action associated with the notification.
Businesses generally use push notifications as a marketing or communication channel, but they can also be used as a security mechanism.
How Do Push Notifications Function?
Now you know what push notifications are and how they show up, let’s take a look at how they work. Every computer and mobile device will have a unique operating system (OS), such as iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac. These operating systems are usually equipped with their notification systems:: (OSPNS).
Developers use these platforms to send push alerts. After developing a Chat App for Android (application server and client app), an app publisher must enable each OSPNS.
How does the push notification feature on Android work? With Android, push notifications are automatically sent and received.
How do push notifications on iOS work? In iOS, they are disabled by default. Therefore, you should get your users’ consent. In the long run, this is more effective, especially given the GDPR rules – you secure the customer’s opt-in, which puts you in a secure position.
Why Push Notifications Are Necessary?
Being competitive is now more crucial than ever. Push messages are the best and most efficient way to gain an advantage while providing your customers with what they want. While e-commerce, media, banking, financial, and insurance companies are the most common users of these messages, there are almost no restrictions on how they can be used.
The top reasons why push notifications should be included in an Android app are outlined below;
- Customers can get push notifications for free. With no additional costs, it is easier to gain their support.
- Customers have the option of receiving or not receiving these messages. As users choose when to opt-in or opt out, your company will face no compliance issues.
- Deliver messages to the appropriate recipients at the proper time. Push notifications based on time and location give you greater control over how and when customers see your messages.
- You’ll see increased participation. Push messages outperform emails and other forms of marketing.
Push Notifications; How to Integrate This Feature Into an Android App?
- The White-Label Instant Messaging App Android developer registers with the OS push notification web service.
- The OS benefit provides the publisher with an Application Programming Interface (API). The API enables application and publisher interaction.
- The publisher then integrates the Customizable Chat SDK into the application. The SDK is a code library that is specific to the OS’s Push Notification Web Service.
- Finally, the publisher publishes the Chat App for Android in the Google Play Store.
Android Push Notifications for Programmable Chat
Push notifications are a vital part of the Android experience. Push notifications are now mainstream in almost every application used by users.
Step 1: Make push notifications available for your Service instance.
The activated flag for new Service implementations would be by default set to false for all Push Notifications. It indicates that it won’t be enabled until you choose to enable Push.
Step 2: Setup Firebase
Before configuring notifications, the developer must first set up Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM). Google offers a user-friendly Firebase Console for managing Firebase services and configurations.
Step 3: Enter your API Key
Once we’ve configured the app to get push notifications, the next step is to upload the API Key by creating a credential resource.
Step 4 – Your access token should comprise the Sid API Credential.
This step is to make sure that your Chat JS SDK client Access Token comprises the appropriate credential side.
Step 5: Launch Firebase in your Android App
The Firebase has to be initialized with a sample code.
Step 6: Ask the User for Push Permissions and Obtain Your Fcm Token.
In this stage, we ask the user for their consent to subscribe to and view notifications.
Step 7: Fill out the Chat JS SDK with the FCM token, then register an event listener for brand-new push arrivals.
If you’ve reached this point, you’ve correctly configured Firebase and have an FCM token ready to be registered with the Chat SDK.
What Features Do Push Notifications Focus on providing?
The following are a few advantages of push notifications:
- Draws in More Clients
At certain touchpoints, push notifications can help you pull in more customers. Even if your audience isn’t aware of it, they can help you by giving timely updates and reminders that motivate them to consistently interact with your business.
- Increases Brand Visibility
Notifying customers about last-minute deals, coupons, and special offers is an effective way to add a new touchpoint to your marketing funnel. Push notifications are an additional marketing channel you can use to spread more useful details about your business.
- Targets Right People at the Right Time
One great aspect of push notifications is the ability to target different groups according to interests and purpose. Automation can be used to deliver the right messages to the right audiences at the right moments.
- Increases Engagement
Push notifications go beyond simply increasing organic engagement. They can also be an effective monetization tool for increasing revenue and delivering value to advertising partners. Tracks Useful Metrics Push alerts deliver predictive analysis, which includes information on engagement, open rates, open times, and delivery receipts.
- Tracks Actionable Metrics
Push notifications provide predictive analysis, including data on delivery receipts, open rates, open times, and engagement. Push notifications can give you useful information on user activity, such as click-through rates and interaction times, so you can choose the messages that are most likely to be viewed. Based on data about user behavior, you can start campaigns that interact with users more effectively.
Conclusion
Mobile push notifications are effective marketing tools for businesses. Therefore, sending thoughtful, pertinent, and timely notification messages to those who are already interested in your business is an effective marketing tactic. Push notifications can help you grow and retain your customer base if used strategically and with your company’s goals in mind.