You know that sinking feeling when your phone buzzes with yet another notification from a shop you walked past three weeks ago? Or when an app keeps pinging you about offers from restaurants in completely different cities? I've been developing mobile apps for years, and I see this problem everywhere—location notifications that feel more like digital harassment than helpful suggestions.
The truth is, location-based messaging has incredible potential. When done right, GPS notifications can genuinely help users discover relevant offers, find nearby services, and get timely information exactly when they need it. But here's the problem: most apps get it spectacularly wrong. They bombard users with irrelevant geofencing alerts, send proximity marketing messages at terrible times, and generally make people want to switch off location services altogether.
The best location notifications feel like helpful suggestions from a friend, not aggressive sales pitches from a pushy shop assistant
This creates a real challenge for app developers and businesses. We want to use location technology to connect with our users in meaningful ways, but we're fighting against years of bad experiences that have made people suspicious of any app requesting location permissions. The good news? It doesn't have to be this way. With the right approach, you can create location-based messaging that users actually appreciate—messages that feel helpful rather than intrusive, timely rather than annoying, and relevant rather than spam. Let's explore how to get location notifications right without driving your users away.
Understanding Location Technology
Location technology in mobile apps works through several different methods, and understanding these will help you choose the right approach for your push notifications. Most smartphones use a combination of GPS satellites, mobile network towers, and Wi-Fi signals to pinpoint where someone is—each method has its own strengths and weaknesses that affect how accurate your location-based messages can be.
GPS is the most accurate option, getting within a few metres of someone's actual position, but it drains battery life quickly and doesn't work well indoors or in built-up areas with tall buildings. Mobile network positioning is less accurate but works almost everywhere and uses less power; Wi-Fi positioning sits somewhere in the middle for both accuracy and battery usage.
How Apps Actually Track Location
Your app can request location data in two main ways: continuously tracking someone's movement or checking their location only when needed. Continuous tracking gives you real-time updates but will annoy users because it kills their battery fast—nobody wants an app that makes their phone die by lunchtime.
The smarter approach is using what's called "significant location change" monitoring, which only updates when someone moves a meaningful distance. This uses much less battery whilst still giving you the information you need for effective push notifications.
Location Accuracy Levels
Different apps need different levels of location accuracy. A coffee shop app might only need to know when someone's within 500 metres, but a parking app needs precise positioning. The more accurate you try to be, the more battery you'll use—so think carefully about what level of precision you actually need for your notifications to work properly.
Setting Up Geofencing Boundaries
Getting your geofencing boundaries right is probably one of the most overlooked aspects of location notifications—and honestly, it's where most apps go wrong. You can't just draw a circle around a location and call it a day. Well, you can, but your users will hate you for it!
The size of your geofence makes all the difference. Too small and people won't have enough time to act on your notification; too large and you'll be sending irrelevant messages to people who are nowhere near your actual location. I've seen apps with geofences so massive they cover entire cities—that's not geofencing, that's just spam with GPS coordinates.
Choosing the Right Radius
Here's what works in practice: retail stores need boundaries between 100-500 metres, restaurants can get away with 50-200 metres, and event venues might need 1-2 kilometres depending on the size. The key is thinking about how people actually move around your location.
Test your geofences by walking or driving around the area at different times of day. What feels right during quiet periods might be completely wrong during rush hour traffic.
Don't forget about accuracy either. GPS can be off by 3-5 metres on a good day, and much worse indoors or in built-up areas. Always account for this wiggle room when setting your boundaries.
Multiple Boundaries for Better Control
Smart apps use multiple geofences around the same location. You might have a large outer boundary for awareness messages and a smaller inner one for immediate offers. This layered approach gives you much better control over your messaging timing.
- Outer boundary (500m): "You're near our store!"
- Inner boundary (100m): "Show this message at the till for 10% off"
- Exit boundary: "Thanks for visiting—rate your experience?"
Timing Your Location Messages
Getting the timing right with location-based push notifications can make or break your user experience. Send them at the wrong moment and you'll have people switching off notifications faster than you can say "uninstall". The key is understanding when your users actually want to hear from you—and when they definitely don't.
Think about your user's daily routine. Someone walking past a coffee shop at 7am might welcome a notification about their morning special, but that same message at 11pm? Not so much. The best location messages feel helpful rather than intrusive, and timing plays a huge part in that perception.
When to Send Location Messages
Your timing strategy should consider both the type of business and your user's behaviour patterns. A restaurant notification works well during meal times; a gym message might be perfect in the early morning or evening when people typically work out. But here's where it gets interesting—you can use data from your app to learn when individual users are most active.
- Business hours for retail and service locations
- Meal times for restaurants and food services
- Evening hours for entertainment venues
- Commuting times for transport-related services
- Weekend mornings for leisure activities
Frequency Matters Too
Even perfectly timed messages can become annoying if you send too many. If someone walks past your shop three times in one day, they probably don't need three separate notifications. Set up frequency caps—maybe one message per location per day, or per week for regular commuters who pass by daily. This prevents notification fatigue whilst keeping your messages relevant and welcome.
Giving Users Control Over Location Permissions
Here's the thing about location permissions—users are getting smarter and more cautious about sharing their data. And rightfully so! When someone downloads your app, asking for their location straight away feels a bit pushy. It's like asking someone where they live before you've even introduced yourself properly.
The best approach I've found is to explain why you need location access before requesting it. Tell users exactly what they'll get in return for sharing their GPS data. Will they receive helpful proximity marketing alerts when they're near your store? Will the geofencing alerts help them find the nearest coffee shop? Be specific about the benefits.
Transparency Builds Trust
Give users different levels of control over their location notifications. Some people want everything—every single alert and update. Others prefer just the important stuff. Your app should offer granular settings where users can choose which types of location-based messaging they receive and when they receive them.
The moment users feel like they're losing control over their privacy, they'll either disable location services entirely or delete your app altogether.
Make Opting Out Easy
Always provide a clear way to turn off GPS notifications without jumping through hoops. Bury these settings deep in your app's menu system and you'll frustrate users. Put them front and centre in your notification preferences. Users should be able to disable specific types of geofencing alerts whilst keeping others active—maybe they want store promotions but not event reminders.
Remember that respecting user choice isn't just good practice; it's what keeps people using your app long-term. Trust me, a smaller list of engaged users beats a large list of annoyed ones every time.
Best Practices for Location-Based Content
Getting your location-based content right can make the difference between users loving your app and deleting it within hours. After working on countless location-aware apps, I've learnt that the content itself is just as important as the timing and targeting—sometimes more so.
The golden rule? Make every message feel like it was written specifically for that moment and place. Generic "Welcome to our store!" messages feel robotic and lazy. Instead, craft messages that acknowledge where users are and what they might actually need. "Running low on coffee? We've got fresh beans brewing just inside" works so much better than "Check out our coffee selection."
Content That Actually Helps
Your location-based messages should solve problems, not create them. Think about what someone at that specific location might genuinely want to know. Are they near your restaurant at lunchtime? Tell them about today's specials or current wait times. Walking past your shop after hours? Let them know when you'll be open next.
Keep your messages short—really short. People are usually moving when they receive location notifications, so they need to understand your message in seconds. Aim for one clear action or piece of information per message.
Personalisation Without Being Creepy
Use what you know about your users, but don't make it obvious you're tracking everything they do. "Based on your previous visits" is fine; "We noticed you always buy chocolate on Tuesdays" crosses into uncomfortable territory. Consider how protecting your mobile app data builds trust with users who are already wary of location tracking.
- Include clear value propositions in every message
- Use local references and familiar landmarks when relevant
- Offer exclusive location-specific deals or information
- Test different message styles with small user groups first
- Keep a consistent brand voice across all locations
Remember, your users chose to share their location with you—that's a privilege, not a right to bombard them with marketing messages. For luxury brands especially, understanding how to make your app feel as exclusive as your physical store can help create the premium experience users expect when they engage with location-based offers.
The key to successful location notifications lies in understanding your users' needs and respecting their boundaries. Luxury retail apps that focus on brand loyalty demonstrate how thoughtful location messaging can enhance rather than interrupt the customer experience.
It's also worth considering your broader approach to mobile app strategy when implementing location features. These notifications shouldn't be an afterthought—they should be part of a comprehensive plan for user engagement that takes into account current mobile app development trends and user expectations.
As mobile technology continues to evolve, so do user expectations around privacy and control. Recent iOS updates have given users even more granular control over location permissions, which means your app needs to work even harder to justify why users should share their location data with you.
Finally, remember that maintaining these location features requires ongoing attention. Just like any other part of your app, modifying and updating your location functionality will be necessary as user behaviour changes and technology improves. Plan for this maintenance from the beginning rather than treating it as an unexpected cost later.
Conclusion
Getting location notifications right isn't rocket science, but it does require some careful thinking. The difference between a helpful notification and an annoying one often comes down to timing, relevance, and respect for your users' choices. When someone gets a notification about a coffee shop discount just as they're walking past at 8am on their way to work—that's useful. When they get bombarded with restaurant offers at midnight whilst they're trying to sleep—that's just irritating.
The key takeaway here is that location-based messaging works best when it feels like a helpful nudge rather than pushy marketing. Your geofencing alerts should solve real problems or offer genuine value; not just shout about your brand whenever someone happens to be nearby. Users are becoming increasingly protective of their privacy and their attention, so every GPS notification needs to earn its place on their screen.
Remember that giving people control over their location permissions isn't just good practice—it's good business. Users who feel in control of their experience are more likely to keep your app installed and actually engage with your proximity marketing efforts. They'll also be more forgiving if you occasionally get the timing slightly wrong.
Start small with your location notifications strategy. Test different approaches, monitor your engagement rates, and listen to user feedback. The technology behind geofencing has made location-based messaging more accessible than ever, but success still depends on understanding your users and respecting their digital boundaries. Get this balance right, and location notifications can become one of your most powerful tools for building lasting user relationships.
