What's the Best Way to Use Push Notifications at Launch?

Apps lose about three quarters of their users within the first week after download, which makes those first few days absolutely critical for building a relationship that lasts. I've watched this pattern repeat itself across hundreds of launches now, where teams pour months into building their product and then fumble the communication strategy in those crucial early days. The problem is that push notifications get treated like an afterthought when they should be one of your primary tools for keeping users engaged and coming back to your app.

Getting push notifications right at launch means understanding that you're not just sending messages, you're establishing a communication pattern that will shape how users interact with your app for months to come. Send too many and people turn off notifications completely (or worse, delete your app). Send too few or send them at the wrong times and users forget you exist. The sweet spot varies depending on your app category, your user demographics, and what value you're actually providing through those messages, but there's definitely a framework that works across different types of apps.

The first notification you send sets expectations for every notification that follows, so getting that initial message right matters more than most teams realise

What makes this tricky is that you're working with limited information about your users at launch. You don't have behavioural data yet, you don't know their preferences, and you're still figuring out what messaging resonates with your audience. This guide walks through how to build a notification strategy that works from day one, based on what I've learned from launching apps across healthcare, retail, and finance sectors where getting communication right can make or break user retention.

Understanding Push Notifications and Why They Matter

Push notifications are messages that appear on a user's phone screen even when they're not actively using your app, and they represent one of the most direct communication channels you'll ever have with your users. The problem is that most apps treat them as a broadcast tool rather than a conversation starter, which is why the average opt-in rate on iOS has dropped to around 43% while Android sits higher at roughly 81% (though that's partly because Android enables them by default). When I built a fitness app three years back, we were sending daily workout reminders to everyone... only to watch our uninstall rate climb 34% in the first fortnight.

The real power of push notifications isn't in their ability to bring users back to your app, it's in their capacity to deliver genuine value at exactly the right moment. A banking app that alerts you to a suspicious transaction is using push perfectly. A recipe app that buzzes your phone every morning with a generic "Good morning!" message is just annoying people.

What Makes a Push Notification Worth Sending

Here's what actually works based on apps I've shipped:

• Time-sensitive information the user actually asked for (delivery updates, appointment reminders, price alerts)
• Personalised content based on behaviour patterns rather than demographic guesses
• Transactional updates that relate to something the user initiated (order confirmations, payment receipts)
• Actionable messages that let users complete a task without opening the app

The apps that get this right see 88% higher retention rates in month two compared to apps that either don't use notifications or spam users with irrelevant messages.

Common Mistakes Apps Make at Launch

The biggest mistake I see is apps sending their first push notification within hours of someone installing the app, before the user has had any chance to understand what value the app provides. I've worked with apps that sent three notifications in the first day and watched their uninstall rate triple compared to apps that waited 48 hours before sending anything. The problem is that you only get one chance to make a good impression with notifications, and if you waste it by asking for a favour before you've given value, users will either turn off notifications completely or just delete your app. Understanding why users abandon apps after one session can help you avoid these early mistakes that push people away.

Another problem happens when apps ask for notification permission at completely the wrong moment, like on the welcome screen before someone has even seen the main interface. Apple's iOS system means you only get one shot at asking for permission, so if someone says no, you need to convince them to manually enable notifications in their device settings. Android is a bit more forgiving but users still get annoyed if you ask too early. The best time to ask is right after someone has completed an action where a notification would genuinely help them, like setting up their first reminder or completing a purchase they want to track.

Apps also send far too many notifications in the first week. Three per week maximum.

Wait at least 24 hours after install before sending your first notification, and make sure it relates directly to something the user has already done in your app.

Common Launch Notification Mistakes

• Sending generic welcome messages that don't relate to user behaviour
• Asking for permission before showing any app value
• Using notification settings that came with your development template
• Sending notifications at random times without considering time zones
• Treating all users the same regardless of how they use your app
• Not testing notifications on actual devices before launch day

Building Your Pre-Launch Notification Strategy

The work on your notification strategy needs to start well before your app goes live, not the day after you launch when you suddenly realise you need to communicate with users. I've watched apps scramble to piece together their messaging approach after launch, and it never goes well because you end up sending random notifications without any real structure or purpose behind them. Consider how you can build an email list before your app launches as part of your broader pre-launch communication strategy.

Your pre-launch planning should map out the user journey from the moment someone opens your app through their first week of usage. What actions do you want them to take, and when does a notification genuinely help them do that? A fitness app I worked on planned their entire first week of messages before a single line of code was written for the notifications themselves... they knew exactly what message would go out on day one (a simple welcome that pointed to the workout library), day three (a gentle reminder if no workouts had been logged), and day seven (celebrating if they'd hit their first week milestone).

Your Pre-Launch Checklist

Here's what you need sorted before launch day arrives:

• Write your permission request copy and decide when you'll ask for it (not on first open)
• Create message templates for your first week, including variations for active and inactive users
• Set up your notification infrastructure and test it works on both platforms
• Define what user actions will trigger which notifications
• Decide on quiet hours when you won't send anything (typically 10pm to 8am)
• Plan your frequency caps so users never get bombarded

The biggest mistake here is leaving everything vague... you'll see teams say "we'll send helpful reminders" without defining what helpful means or when those reminders should arrive. Be specific about every notification you plan to send, write the actual copy, and know exactly what you're trying to achieve with each one. It's worth understanding the broader context of common mistakes people make with mobile apps to ensure your notification strategy doesn't fall into these traps.

Timing Your First Notifications After Launch

The first notification you send needs to arrive when a user has actually experienced what your app does, which means waiting at least 24 hours after they've completed their first proper action (not just signed up, but actually used a core feature). I've watched apps send welcome messages within minutes of someone downloading, and the opt-out rate on those sits around 40% because the user hasn't decided if they want a relationship with your app yet.

The Three-Day Window

Most users will open an app three times in the first week if they're going to stick around at all. Your notification schedule needs to work with this natural behaviour rather than trying to force daily engagement from people who are still deciding if your app solves their problem. A fintech app we built held back notifications for 72 hours after signup, then sent a single message about a feature the user had started but not finished (like connecting a bank account). The completion rate jumped from 22% to 61% compared to the previous version that pestered people on day one.

The best time to notify someone is when they've forgotten about your app but haven't deleted it yet

That sweet spot usually lands between days three and five after download. Any earlier and you're interrupting their natural exploration of your app, any later and you're competing with the 67% of apps that get abandoned in the first week. The data shows that a single well-timed notification in this window can recover 15-20% of users who would otherwise have churned.

What Content Actually Works in Push Messages

The messages that get people to open apps tend to be really specific about what someone will get when they tap through, not vague promises about checking something out. I've tested probably 40 different message types across retail apps and the ones that say "Your order from Brown's Bakery arrives in 20 minutes" get opened about eight times more than "You have a new update". People need to know exactly why they should stop what they're doing and open your app right now. The principles that make subject lines work in email marketing apply equally to push notifications - specificity and value drive engagement.

Personalisation makes a massive difference but it needs to be based on actual behaviour rather than just dropping someone's name into a generic message. When we built a fitness app we sent messages like "You normally run on Tuesday mornings... fancy a 5k route near your office?" and the open rates were around 43% compared to 11% for "Time for your workout". The data shows that mentioning something someone actually did in your app (like items they viewed or actions they started but didn't finish) works better than promotional content in those first few weeks. Understanding design patterns for personalised mobile experiences can help you create more targeted and relevant notifications.

Brevity matters more on mobile than anywhere else because people see maybe five or six words before they decide to swipe away. Front-load the value in your first three words and avoid corporate language that sounds like it came from a marketing department. Test everything with real users before you schedule it to go out to thousands of people.

Permission Requests and Opt-In Rates

The iOS permission dialogue for notifications can only be shown once, and if a user declines it...well, you're going to have a really hard time getting them to change their mind later (they'd need to dig into their device settings manually, which maybe one in fifty people will actually do). I've watched apps lose access to probably their most valuable communication channel within seconds of launch because they asked for permission at the wrong moment, and the user just tapped "Don't Allow" without thinking.

The timing of this request matters more than almost anything else in your launch sequence. Look, the mistake most apps make is asking for notification permissions immediately when someone opens the app for the first time, before they've had any chance to understand what the app does or why notifications might be useful to them. We built a fitness tracking app a while back where we initially asked straight away, and got about 32% opt-in rates...which felt sort of okay until we delayed the request until after users had completed their first workout and saw their results. That same prompt, shown after someone had experienced the value of the app, jumped to 68% acceptance.

When to Ask for Permission

The best moment to request notification access is right after a user has completed an action where notifications would provide clear value. For a food delivery app, that's after they've placed their first order and naturally want to know when it's arriving. For a messaging app, it's after they've sent their first message and would want to see replies. For a habit tracking app, it's after they've logged their first habit and set up a reminder schedule. This approach aligns with creating onboarding flows that reduce app abandonment by ensuring users understand value before making permission requests.

Before showing the actual system permission dialogue (the one from iOS or Android that you only get one shot at), many apps now use what we call a pre-permission prompt...which is just a screen or modal that you control, explaining why notifications will be helpful and giving users a chance to say yes or no in a low-stakes environment. If they decline your pre-permission screen, you don't burn your one opportunity with the system dialogue, you can ask again later when they're more engaged with the app.

What Actually Drives Opt-In Rates

The wording and framing of your permission request changes acceptance rates by 20-30% in my experience. Rather than the generic "AppName would like to send you notifications," create your pre-permission screen with specific, user-focused benefits.

Android users are generally more permissive with notification access because the operating system lets them adjust notification settings more granularly after the fact, but that doesn't mean you should be lazy about when and how you ask. Getting someone to enable notifications is only half the battle...if they find your notifications annoying or irrelevant in the first week, they'll either turn them off entirely or just delete your app.

Context matters too. We worked on a shopping app where we tested asking for permission at three different points: immediately at launch (31% opt-in), after browsing three products (43% opt-in), and after adding an item to their basket (67% opt-in). That last group also had much better notification engagement rates over the following month because they'd already shown purchase intent and understood why getting alerts about price drops or stock availability would be useful.

One thing I've noticed across probably fifty app launches now is that opt-in rates vary massively by app category. News apps and messaging apps tend to get 60-80% opt-in rates because the value is obvious...people want to know when something has happened. Shopping and productivity apps sit around 40-50% when the request is well-timed. Gaming apps can struggle to break 30% unless there's a clear competitive advantage to enabling notifications, like knowing when your lives have refilled or when a friend has challenged you. For gaming specifically, it's worth understanding what permissions gaming apps need before launch to ensure you're requesting the right access at the right time.

The other factor that influences opt-in rates is your app's overall perceived value and trustworthiness. If someone downloads your app and the first few screens look poorly designed, load slowly, or feel buggy...they're much less likely to grant permissions because they've already mentally categorised your app as low quality. We've seen the same permission request get 45% acceptance on a polished onboarding flow and only 28% on a clunky one, even though the actual wording was identical.

Show users what a notification will look like before asking for permission. Create a mock notification in your pre-permission screen that displays exactly what message they'll receive and when, so they can make an informed decision rather than guessing.

For apps targeting older demographics, opt-in rates tend to be lower (sometimes 15-20% lower) because there's more scepticism about privacy and a general wariness of being interrupted. Younger users are more comfortable with notifications as a communication channel, but they're also quicker to disable them if they become annoying...so you need to be more careful about frequency and relevance with that group.

There's been a shift over the last few years where users have become much more protective of their notification permission. Back when I started building apps, you could get 70-80% opt-in rates just by asking at the right time with a half-decent explanation. Now, users have been burned by too many spammy apps, and they're more cautious...which means your request needs to be even more compelling and your follow-through needs to be respectful of the access they've granted you.

One approach that works well is the gradual permission model, where you demonstrate the value of notifications within your app's interface first. A meditation app we developed shows users a preview of what their daily reminder would look like, lets them customise the time and message, and only after they've set all that up (and are clearly interested) do we ask for system-level permission. That flow got us to 72% opt-in compared to 39% when we asked upfront.

If your app has different types of notifications (order updates, marketing messages, friend activity), consider asking for permission separately for each type as they become relevant, rather than bundling everything into one request. Users are much more likely to grant access when they understand exactly what they're signing up for, and Android's notification channels make this kind of granular control easier to implement and communicate. This segmentation approach works similarly to how you might segment your email list for better marketing results - by treating different user needs and preferences distinctly.

Measuring What Matters in Your First Month

The data you collect in those first thirty days will shape every notification decision you make going forward, and I've learned through plenty of trial and error that tracking the wrong things can send you down a completely unhelpful path. Most teams obsess over open rates and nothing else... but a 40% open rate means absolutely nothing if those users immediately close your app or worse, head straight to their settings to turn notifications off. Understanding how long it takes to see results from a mobile app helps set realistic expectations for when your notification strategy will show meaningful impact.

You need to track three things together rather than separately. Open rate tells you if your message was compelling enough to tap, but then you need to look at the action completion rate which shows whether users actually did what you hoped they would do once inside the app, and finally the 24-hour retention rate which reveals if that notification experience made them more or less likely to come back the next day. I've seen apps with 25% open rates outperform apps with 50% open rates simply because the lower-performing app was annoying people into opening notifications out of frustration.

Set up a simple spreadsheet to track each notification you send with these three numbers alongside it. The patterns become obvious really quickly. Within two weeks you'll know which message types work for your specific audience and which ones damage the relationship, and that knowledge becomes the foundation for everything that follows.

Setting Up Long-Term Notification Habits

Look, the apps that still have decent open rates two years after launch are the ones that treated their notification strategy like a conversation that needs to keep evolving... not something you set up once and forget about. I worked with a fitness app that sent the same "time to work out" message for six months straight, and their opt-out rate climbed to 34% before they realised what was happening (took them way too long honestly). The pattern you establish in your first few weeks becomes what users expect from you forever, so if you start with three pushy messages a day, that's what they'll associate with your app.

What works is building in natural rhythm changes based on how people actually use your product. A meal planning app might send recipe ideas three times a week at first, then drop to twice weekly for users who only cook on weekends, then shift to just Friday mornings for those who plan their shopping then. You need systems that let you test different cadences without manually rebuilding everything... which means setting up user segments from day one and tracking which notification patterns lead to the longest retention periods, not just the highest immediate open rates.

The best notification strategy is one that gets quieter as users get more engaged, not louder

The technical bit that matters here is making sure your notification service can handle conditional logic... so you can say "only send this if the user hasn't opened the app in four days" or "skip this notification if they've already completed the action we're prompting". Too many apps treat every user the same way regardless of their behaviour, and that's when people start switching off notifications entirely.

Conclusion

Getting push notifications right at launch comes down to treating them as a conversation rather than a broadcast channel, and I've watched apps succeed or fail based entirely on how they handle those first few weeks. The apps that do well are the ones that use notifications sparingly at first (maybe just two or three in the first week), focus on genuinely useful information rather than promotional messages, and spend serious time testing every single word in those early notifications before they go out. You need to remember that every notification you send is either building trust or breaking it.

Start small. Test everything.

The technical setup matters less than the strategy behind it, which is why I always tell clients to spend more time on their notification calendar than on the implementation code. Your push notification system should be ready to go before launch day, but that doesn't mean you should use it aggressively from day one. The best approach is to have your first notification planned for 24 hours after someone completes a key action in your app (not immediately after they download it), and then gradually increase frequency based on how people respond. Track your opt-in rates, open rates, and most importantly your app uninstall rate in the days following each notification, because that last metric tells you everything you need to know about whether your messaging is working or annoying people.