Push notifications are short, clickable messages delivered directly to your members' mobile devices, even when they're not actively using your app.
They're one of the most effective tools for re-engaging your audience, promoting new content, and reducing churn.
With Uscreen, you can write, preview, schedule, and segment push notifications directly from the admin area and send them to all your mobile app users or a specific audience segment.
ℹ️ INFO: Push notifications are available for iOS and Android mobile apps. Members must have your app installed and have notifications enabled on their device to receive them.
Sending a Push Notification
Navigate to Marketing > Push Notifications
Click New Notification
In the Content tab:
Title: Up to 65 characters, including spaces, automatically displayed in bold
Message: Up to 178 characters, including spaces
In the Audience tab:
Use the dropdown to select your target audience
In the Delivery tab:
Link to Content (optional): Deep-link the notification to a specific video, live event, collection, category, or community post in your app. Use the search field to find and select content
Choose Send Now to broadcast immediately, or Schedule to pick a future date and time
📝 NOTE: Scheduled notifications use your store's timezone, not your local timezone. Double-check your store's timezone under Settings before scheduling.
Counts and Delivery Rates
When you send a push notification, the recipient count shown is an approximation, not a guaranteed delivery number. Here's why:
Device-level settings: iOS and Android require users to allow push notifications from each app explicitly. Users who have denied permission will not receive notifications, and for privacy reasons, neither Uscreen nor your app can see who has opted out.
In-app settings: Members can also disable notifications inside your app under More > General > Notification Settings
💡 TIP: Think of push notifications like email campaigns that not every message reaches every inbox, but they remain one of the most powerful engagement tools available. Members who opt in are already invested in your content.
Testing a Push Notification
Before sending to your full audience, test your notification to make sure it looks and behaves exactly as intended.
Create a private test bundle
Go to Bundles in the admin area
Create a new bundle (e.g., "Test Bundle") and set it to Private
🔗 Learn more about Creating Bundles
Assign the bundle to your test account
Go to People, find your test account, and grant access to the test bundle
Make sure this account is signed in on your mobile device
Send a notification to the test bundle
Go to Marketing > Push Notifications > New Notification
Fill in your title, message, and optional deep link
In the Audience tab, select Bundle Owner and choose your test bundle
Click Send Now
Verify on your device
Confirm push notifications are enabled on your device (Device Settings > Notifications > [Your App])
Confirm notifications are enabled in the app (More > General > Notification Settings)
Check that the text, formatting, and any deep links work as expected
💡 TIP: Always test deep links before sending to your full audience. A broken link in a push notification can't be recalled once sent.
Push Notification Ideas
Not sure what to send? Push notifications work best when they feel timely and relevant.
Here are some ideas to get started:
🎬 New content drop: Let members know when a new video or series is live
📅 Live event reminder: Send a heads-up before an upcoming live stream
💬 Community highlight: Share a popular or featured community post
🎁 Trial conversion: Encourage trial users to subscribe before their trial ends
🔄 Win-back campaign: Re-engage lapsed members with a compelling reason to return
📆 Plan upgrade nudge: Invite active monthly subscribers to switch to an annual plan and save
Notification Best Practices
Follow these guidelines to make sure your notifications display correctly and drive action:
✅ Do | ❌ Don't |
Use plain text and emojis | Use HTML formatting or special characters like |
Use the title as part of the message flow | Repeat the same information in both the title and body |
Keep it short and action-oriented | Write long messages that get cut off on the lock screen |
Test before sending to your full audience | Send without previewing on a real device |
📝 NOTE: HTML tags and special characters (e.g., &, <b>) are not supported in push notifications. Text will appear exactly as entered, including any unrendered code.
Troubleshooting Push Notifications
If you or a member isn't receiving push notifications, work through these checks:
Device-level permissions
Go to Device Settings > Notifications > [Your App]
Make sure notifications are set to On
In-app notification settings
Open the app and go to More > General > Notification Settings
Make sure General Notifications is enabled
App installation
Confirm the member has your branded app installed
Push notifications are only delivered through your branded iOS/Android app
Firebase setup
If push notifications have never worked for your store, your Firebase configuration may need to be reviewed
🔗 Learn more about the Firebase Push Notification Tool
iOS-specific issues
🔗 Learn more about Troubleshooting Notifications on iPhone/iPad
FAQs
Do admins receive push notifications?
Do admins receive push notifications?
Yes, admins receive push notifications just like regular members, as long as they have the app installed and notifications enabled on their device. If a specific admin isn't receiving notifications, check the iOS troubleshooting guide. 🔗 Learn more about Troubleshooting Notifications on iPhone/iPad
Can I schedule multiple push notifications at once?
Can I schedule multiple push notifications at once?
Yes, you can schedule multiple notifications in advance. Each notification is scheduled independently. Just make sure the delivery time is set in your store's timezone, not your local timezone.
Why does my recipient count show 0 for a draft notification?
Why does my recipient count show 0 for a draft notification?
The count shown on the notifications list for drafts is based on cached data. Open the notification's edit form to see the live, up-to-date recipient count loaded in real time.
Can I send push notifications to web-only members?
Can I send push notifications to web-only members?
No, push notifications are only delivered to members who have your branded iOS or Android app installed and have notifications enabled on their device. Web-only members will not receive them. Use Email Broadcasts instead. 🔗 Learn more about Sending Email Broadcasts
Why is my recipient count lower than my total member count?
Why is my recipient count lower than my total member count?
Push notification delivery depends on whether each member has opted in to receive notifications at the device level and within the app. Members who have denied permission or disabled in-app notifications won't be counted. This is by design, as iOS and Android protect user privacy by not exposing opt-out status to app developers.
Can I recall or edit a notification after it's been sent?
Can I recall or edit a notification after it's been sent?
No, once a push notification is sent, it cannot be recalled or edited. Scheduled notifications can be edited or deleted before their send time. Always test before sending to your full audience.