Notifications Guide¶
Configure and manage desktop and mobile notifications.
Quick Setup
Enable notifications in 3 steps: Grant browser permission → Subscribe to topics → Configure preferences.
Notification Types¶
Notifer supports multiple notification channels:
- Desktop Notifications - Browser push notifications (Chrome, Firefox, Safari)
- Mobile Push - Native iOS and Android notifications
- In-App Notifications - Notification center for system events
Desktop Notifications¶
Enabling Desktop Notifications¶
First Time Setup: 1. Navigate to any topic 2. Click "Subscribe" button 3. Browser prompts: "Allow notifications?" 4. Click "Allow" 5. Test notification appears
Alternative - Via Settings: 1. Go to Settings → Notifications 2. Click "Enable Desktop Notifications" 3. Grant browser permission 4. Configure preferences
Browser Compatibility¶
| Browser | Desktop | Mobile | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chrome | ✅ | ✅ | Full support |
| Firefox | ✅ | ✅ | Full support |
| Safari | ✅ | ⚠️ | Limited on iOS |
| Edge | ✅ | ✅ | Chromium-based |
| Brave | ✅ | ✅ | Privacy mode may block |
Notification Behavior¶
When notifications appear: - App closed - System notification (always) - App in background - System notification (default) - App active - In-app notification (optional)
Configure in Settings: - ✅ Show when active - Notify even when app is open - ❌ Quiet when active - Only in-app banner
Notification Settings¶
Global Settings (all topics): 1. Go to Settings → Notifications 2. Configure: - Enable/Disable - Master switch - Sound - Play notification sound - Show preview - Display message content - Badge count - Show unread count on icon
Per-Topic Settings (override global): 1. Go to topic in "Subscribed" tab 2. Click bell icon or notification settings 3. Configure: - Priority threshold - Only priority N or higher - Tag filter - Only specific tags - Sound override - Different sound per topic - Quiet hours - Don't notify during specific times
Priority-Based Notifications¶
Control which messages trigger notifications:
| Priority | Level | Default Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Min | Silent (no notification) |
| 2 | Low | Silent (optional) |
| 3 | Default | Notify |
| 4 | High | Notify + sound |
| 5 | Max | Notify + sound + persistent |
Set Priority Threshold:
# Subscribe to topic with priority 4+ only
- Go to topic subscription settings
- Set "Priority threshold" to 4
- Save settings
# Now only priority 4 and 5 messages will notify
Example Use Cases: - Personal reminders - Threshold: 3 (all messages) - CI/CD alerts - Threshold: 4 (failures only) - Server monitoring - Threshold: 5 (critical only)
Tag-Based Filtering¶
Subscribe to specific message types:
Example:
# Topic: "deployments"
# Messages have tags: production, staging, dev
# Your filter: "production" only
# Result: Only production deployment notifications
Configure Tag Filter:
1. Go to topic subscription settings
2. Enable "Tag filter"
3. Enter tags (comma-separated): production,critical
4. Select filter mode:
- Any - Message has any of these tags
- All - Message has all these tags
5. Save settings
Notification Sound¶
Global Sound: - Default system sound - Or select from Notifer sounds - Upload custom sound (ESSENTIALS plan)
Per-Topic Sound: 1. Go to topic notification settings 2. Enable "Custom sound" 3. Select sound from dropdown 4. Test sound with preview button
Available Sounds: - 🔔 Default - 🎵 Chime - 📢 Alert - 🚨 Emergency - 🎺 Fanfare - 🔕 Silent
Quiet Hours¶
Don't receive notifications during specific times:
Configure:
1. Go to Settings → Notifications
2. Enable "Quiet hours"
3. Set time range: 22:00 - 08:00
4. Select days: Weekdays or All days
5. Exceptions - Always notify for priority 5
Per-Topic Override: - Allow specific topics to bypass quiet hours - Useful for critical alerts that need immediate attention
Mobile Push Notifications¶
Setting Up Mobile App¶
- Install Notifer App
- iOS: Download from App Store
-
Android: Download from Google Play
-
Grant Notification Permission
- App prompts on first launch
-
Or enable in device Settings
-
Sign In
-
Use same account as web
-
Subscribe to Topics
- All subscriptions sync across devices
See Mobile App Guide for detailed setup.
Mobile Notification Settings¶
Global Settings (mobile app): - Settings → Notifications - Enable/Disable push - Sound, vibration, badge - Notification preview
Per-Topic Settings: 1. Open topic in app 2. Tap notification settings icon 3. Configure: - Priority threshold - Tag filter - Sound (override) - Vibration pattern - LED color (Android)
Mobile Notification Behavior¶
App States: - Closed - Push notification → tap opens app - Background - Push notification + optional background sync - Foreground - In-app notification + WebSocket real-time
Deep Linking: - Tap notification → Opens specific topic - Shows message that triggered notification - Mark as read automatically
iOS-Specific¶
Critical Alerts (Priority 5): - Bypass Do Not Disturb - Bypass silent mode - Requires iOS permission
Notification Grouping: - Messages grouped by topic - Thread ID: topic name
Badge Count: - Shows unread message count - Cleared when topic opened
Android-Specific¶
Notification Channels: - Separate channel per topic - Per-channel settings in Android Settings - Sound, vibration, importance level
Notification Priority: | Notifer Priority | Android Importance | |-----------------|-------------------| | 1-2 | Low (silent) | | 3 | Default | | 4 | High (sound) | | 5 | Urgent (heads-up) |
Battery Optimization: - Disable battery optimization for Notifer app - Ensures reliable notifications - Settings → Apps → Notifer → Battery
In-App Notifications (Notification Center)¶
Besides message notifications, Notifer has an in-app notification center that informs you about important system events related to your subscriptions and account.
Accessing Notification Center¶
Click the bell icon (🔔) in the bottom-right corner of the web app to:
- View recent notifications in a dropdown
- Click "View all notifications" to open the full notification center
- Filter between All and Unread notifications
- Mark notifications as read or delete them
Notification Types¶
| Type | Icon | When You Receive It |
|---|---|---|
| Topic Deleted | 🗑️ | A topic you're subscribed to was deleted by its owner |
| Topic Made Private | 🔒 | A public topic you're subscribed to became private |
| Topic Made Public | 🔓 | A private topic you have access to became public |
| Access Granted | ✅ | You were granted access to a private topic |
| Access Revoked | ❌ | Your access to a private topic was revoked |
| Subscription Removed | ⚠️ | You were unsubscribed from a topic |
| Team Invite | 👥 | You were invited to join a team |
| Team Role Changed | 👥 | Your role in a team was changed |
| Team Removed | ❌ | You were removed from a team |
| System | ⚡ | General system announcements |
Who Receives These Notifications?¶
Topic Notifications:
- Topic Deleted → All subscribers (except the owner who deleted it)
- Topic Made Private → All subscribers who will lose access
- Topic Made Public → All users with existing access
- Access Granted/Revoked → The specific user whose access changed
- Subscription Removed → The user who was unsubscribed
Team Notifications:
- Team Invite → The invited user
- Team Role Changed → The user whose role changed
- Team Removed → The user who was removed
Managing Notifications¶
Mark as Read:
- Click on a notification to mark it as read
- Or use "Mark all as read" button
Delete Notifications:
- Hover over a notification and click the delete button
- Deleted notifications cannot be recovered
Notification Retention:
- Notifications are kept for 30 days
- After 30 days, they are automatically deleted
- You can manually delete notifications anytime
Notification Center Features¶
The full notification center (opened via "View all") provides:
- Infinite scroll - Load more notifications as you scroll
- Filter tabs - Switch between All and Unread
- Full message display - See complete notification text
- Bulk actions - Mark all as read
- Timestamps - See when each notification was sent
Troubleshooting¶
Desktop Notifications Not Working¶
Problem: No notifications appear
Solution:
1. Check browser permission
- Chrome: Settings → Privacy → Notifications
- Ensure app.notifer.io is allowed
2. Check system settings
- Windows: Settings → System → Notifications
- macOS: System Preferences → Notifications
- Enable for Chrome/Firefox
3. Test notification
- Settings → Notifications → "Send Test"
- Should see notification immediately
4. Check topic subscription
- Verify you're subscribed
- Check priority threshold settings
Mobile Push Not Received¶
Problem: Mobile app doesn't show notifications
Solution: 1. Check app permission - iOS: Settings → Notifer → Notifications → Allow - Android: Settings → Apps → Notifer → Notifications → Enabled 2. Check battery optimization - Android: Disable for Notifer app 3. Verify subscription - Open app → Check subscribed topics - Push token should be registered 4. Test notification - Publish test message with priority 4+ - Should arrive within seconds
Next Steps¶
- Topic Settings - Configure per-topic notifications
- Mobile App - Install and setup mobile app
- User Settings - Global notification preferences