| name | notifications-permissions |
| description | Design notification systems and permission requests that respect users. Covers push notification patterns, permission priming, notification center design, grouping, frequency management, and the complete permission request flow. Use when designing notification systems, permission dialogs, or re-engagement strategies. Triggers on: "push notification", "permission dialog", "permission priming", "notification center", "re-engagement", "notification design", "permission UX".
|
Notifications & Permissions
Notifications are a privilege, not a right. Abuse them and users disable them permanently — or delete your app.
Permission Requests
The Golden Rule
Ask for permission in context, immediately after the user experienced the value. Never on first launch.
The Permission Flow
User Action → Soft Prompt (in-app) → System Dialog (OS level)
↑ ↑ ↑
Context Explain value Irreversible (only once)
Soft Prompt Pattern
Before the system dialog (which can only be shown once), use an in-app screen:
Structure:
- Contextual hook — "Stay on top of your orders"
- Specific benefit — "Get notified when your package ships and arrives"
- Two clear options — "Enable Notifications" / "Not Now"
- Skip if declined — don't ask again for 30 days
Timing by Permission Type
| Permission | Best Time to Ask |
|---|
| Push notifications | After user completes a valuable action (places order, gets a match) |
| Camera | When user taps "Take photo" |
| Location | When user needs location for a feature (find nearby stores) |
| Contacts | When user chooses "Find friends" |
| Microphone | When user starts a voice feature |
If Permission Is Denied
- Never ask again immediately — respect the decision
- Show how to enable in Settings — if user tries the feature again
- Provide alternative path — web upload if camera denied
- Wait 30+ days before re-prompting — and only with new context
Push Notification Design
Structure
┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│ [App Icon] App Name 2m ago │
│ │
│ Headline (bold, 1 line) │
│ Body text (2 lines max, specific) │
│ │
│ [Action 1] [Action 2] [Dismiss] │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘
Rules
- Headline: Specific, actionable. "Your order shipped" not "Update available"
- Body: Personal and relevant. "Package #1234 arrives Tuesday" not "Tap to open"
- Max 2 action buttons — primary action + dismiss
- Deep link to the right screen — not just the app home
Notification Categories
| Type | Example | Frequency |
|---|
| Transactional | "Your password was changed" | Event-driven only |
| Status update | "Your order shipped" | Per user action |
| Reminder | "Your appointment is in 1 hour" | Scheduled, relevant |
| Re-engagement | "You have 3 unread messages" | Sparingly |
| Marketing | "20% off this weekend" | Rarely, segment-targeted |
Frequency Guidelines
- Transactional: unlimited (user-triggered)
- Status: 1-2 per user action lifecycle
- Re-engagement: max 1 per day, only if user has pending activity
- Marketing: max 1-2 per week, segment-targeted
- Batch non-urgent — daily digest instead of individual pings
Rich Notifications
- Images — increase engagement ~20%, but keep under 200KB
- Action buttons — let users act without opening the app
- Grouped/stacked — combine multiple notifications from same app
Notification Settings
Provide Granular Control
Let users choose which types of notifications they receive:
Quiet Hours
Respect local time. Default quiet hours: 10 PM – 8 AM.
Related Skills
- For onboarding patterns → use
onboarding-ux
- For UX writing → use
ux-writing-content-design
- For ethical considerations → use
ethical-design-patterns
