Team Broadcast allows administrators to send urgent, critical information directly to users' apps via push notifications. This is a powerful tool designed for immediate communication when it matters most.

However, it's important for administrators to understand that the delivery of a push notification is not always guaranteed. While push notifications are highly effective and generally reliable for most situations, there are technical and user-controlled factors that can prevent a notification from reaching a user's device.

This article explains, at a high level, why push notifications cannot be 100% guaranteed.

Understanding "Best Effort" Delivery

Think of push notification services (like those provided by Apple and Google) as highly efficient postal services. When we send a push notification, we hand it over to these services. They then make their best effort to deliver it to the intended device. However, just like a letter can be undeliverable if an address is wrong or the mailbox is full, several things can prevent a push notification from being received.

Key Reasons Why a Push Notification Might Not Be Delivered:

Here are the primary factors that can impact whether a critical push notification reaches a user:

1. User Device Settings & Permissions:

   • Notifications Disabled: Users have the ability to turn off push notifications for our app, or even for all apps globally, in their device settings. If notifications are disabled, our app cannot send them.
   • "Do Not Disturb" Mode: If a user has their device set to "Do Not Disturb" or a similar focus mode, notifications may be silenced or held back by the operating system.
      

2. Device Connectivity & Status:

   • No Internet Connection: If a user's device is offline, has a weak signal, or is experiencing network issues (e.g., in an underground area, out of mobile coverage), the notification cannot be delivered until a stable connection is re-established.
   • Power Saving Modes: Many smartphones have aggressive battery optimization features. These can sometimes restrict background app activity, including the receipt of push notifications, to conserve battery life, especially when the device is not actively being used (e.g., in "Doze" mode on Android).
   • Low Battery: In extreme low-battery situations, operating systems may prioritize essential functions and temporarily suspend non-critical background activities like push notification delivery.
      

3. App & Operating System (OS) Factors:

   • App Not Installed: If a user has uninstalled the app, push notifications can no longer be sent to their device.
   • App Inactivity/Force Stop: If the app hasn't been opened in a very long time, or if the user has manually "force stopped" the app, the operating system might prevent it from receiving background notifications.
   • OS-Level Optimizations: Both iOS and Android operating systems constantly manage device resources. They may occasionally delay or drop notifications for various reasons, such as managing memory, CPU usage, or network traffic, particularly if many notifications are being sent.

What Does This Mean All Mean?

Given these limitations, administrators should be aware that while push notifications are excellent for immediate communication, they should not be considered the sole method for delivering truly life-critical or absolutely essential information that must be guaranteed to reach every single user.

Recommendations:

• Educate Users: Encourage users to keep notifications enabled for our app and to understand how their device's power-saving settings might affect notification delivery.
• Encourage App Opening: Regular use of the app helps ensure its background processes remain active and capable of receiving notifications.
• Combine with Other Methods (Where Applicable): For extremely critical or urgent messages where guaranteed delivery is paramount, consider instructing users to also check other communication channels that your organisation might use (e.g., internal communication platforms, or even direct contact for highly specific situations) in conjunction with, or as a fallback to, push notifications.

Our push notification feature is a vital tool for rapid communication in many health and safety scenarios. By understanding its limitations, administrators can use it most effectively and plan for alternative communication strategies when absolute delivery assurance is required.