The Evolution of Push Notifications on iPhone: from a Full-Screen Popup to a Smart Concise Grouping
After the release of iOS 15.2 and 16, in which push notifications underwent interesting changes, I wanted to see how push notifications developed as a separate product line with the evolution of the operating system, and at what stage of development they are now. Let’s go on the timeline.
Versions before iOS 5 (before 2011)
At the very beginning of the iPhone's development, push notifications worked badly. Each notification popped up as a dialog box in the center of the screen, blocking the ability to perform in the interface. There was no hint of any Notification Center, banners, or grouping. Brrr… we forget it as a bad dream (or remember with nostalgia) and move on.
iOS 5–6 (2011–2012)
In more modern versions of iOS, Apple decided to finally save users from annoying notifications interrupting their work. Banner push notifications have been developed that drop down from the top of the screen, and the function of viewing missed notifications on the lock screen has been added (the Notification Center has appeared). When the screen was locked, notifications appeared immediately in the Notification Center, and after reading they were automatically deleted (before iOS 5, closing a push had to be confirmed with a button).
Another new feature added to notifications in iOS 6 was tweet sending directly from the Notification Center (in fact, this was a test of a feature that will be released in a few years for many applications).
iOS 7 (2013)
This version of iOS was remembered by many for a radical redesign of the entire system interface. Serious restyling affected pushes, which have become more compact and concise. Three blocks appeared in the Notification Center: “Today”, “All” and “Missed” (soon removed) and data of the push receiving time began to display. Also, notifications began to be synchronized between devices.
Thus, Apple has taken the first step toward advanced notification grouping. From year to year, the need for upgrades became more obvious: users receive dozens of notifications every day, which in many cases can be filtered, grouped, given more control, or shown when it is most convenient for the user.
iOS 8–10 (2014–2016)
Widgets were introduced to the Notification Center in 2014. App developers have been given the option to display some alerts in a more functional dropdown form with limited actions right through the Notification Center. The simplest grouping of notifications by the app has been implemented.
In 2016, Apple gave users the long-awaited feature to delete all unread notifications at once using 3D Touch (RIP). Also, applications were able to update the content in the push after delivery to the Notification Center. For example, messengers were able to update messages if edited by the user after sending them.
iOS 11–12 (2017–2018)
With the release of the iPhone 10, a control button was added to push notifications in the Notification Center by swiping to the left. So users got the opportunity to manage the pushes of a particular application — assign notifications without sound or disable them altogether — without going into the settings.
A year later, Apple tried to solve the problem that users rarely allow applications to send notifications immediately after downloading an app. Now app developers can deliver push notifications without initially asking users for permission so that they can first test the content that will be sent to them, and if they don’t like it, immediately ban receiving.
Also in iOS 12 advanced grouping of notifications by apps, as we know it now, appeared and notifications became more complete: photo preview, more complex user input, and advanced action scripts from the Notification Center took place.
iOS 15 (2021)
In 2021, Apple introduced perhaps the most significant notification changes in the history of iOS development.
A Summary feature has been implemented that allows users to create a group of applications that can only deliver alerts at preset times. For example, if you don’t need to respond to emails instantly, you can add the mail app to Summary and receive emails multiple times a day, whenever it’s most convenient for you.
Notifications have become even smarter: they are now grouped not only by applications but also by content and sender. For example, if one contact sent you 20 emails, you will not see an ocean of letters in the notification center — just one neat block.
Notification design has not changed since iOS 11. In the new version, we were shown a cool restyling. In messengers and social networks, the sender’s avatar is now displayed, the application logo is reduced and shifted below the avatar, and the application name has disappeared. As a result, notifications have become more concise and about one and a half times narrower. And it’s even more logical: when someone writes to you, it’s more important to immediately see the person, not the name of the social network. And the user gets used to the logo pretty quickly — there’s no point in showing the name every time.
iOS 15.2 and 16 (2022)
More recently, Summary has received an unexpected upgrade: key alerts from Summary have become widgetized, displaying key information on an external screen. Also, in the expanded format, Summary was separated from other notifications by a single background, which made the division into regular notifications and pushes from Summary even more obvious.
With the release of a new Lock Screen in iOS 16, the changes slightly affected pushes. They are now stored at the bottom of the screen and can be expanded by a tap. This is done to provide users with a clear view on a new more personal Lock Screen, so the focus is now switched from notifications to the time, photo, and widgets. This is quite a tenable continuation of the main Apple strategy in terms of pushes.
Besides, one of the most interesting parts of push notifications lurking behind the new Dynamic Island on iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max (read my recent article on this new feature). The notifications are now placed higher and the interaction with them might change. We’ll see what exactly will happen when app developers will get clear documentation on how they can embed the Island into their apps. Can’t wait to know whether this changes the concept of pushes!
About strategy and the future
It is noticeable that Apple takes the development of notifications quite seriously. For several years, the guys have come a long way from the text displayed on the screen to an advanced system that can be customized. Apple has developed many scenarios for managing notifications: manual settings, Summary, Focus and Do Not Disturb modes. In addition, notifications have become smarter: they are grouped in different ways, they can come quietly, they show only key information, and they are constantly becoming more compact and suitable for a modern clip-thinking user.
Today, notifications are an integral part of everyone’s life, as well as a unique tool for a company to communicate with a client. Apple understands this and is trying to create a comfortable environment for both companies and users, in which some can talk about their products and engage the user, while others can receive important information conveniently. During the development of push notifications, both users and app developers have received many management tools, and the Notification Center has become an intermediary for these parties, helping to interact on an equal footing.
It is interesting how Apple will develop this product in the future, but it is obvious that there will be an emphasis on smart grouping, displaying more actions outside the application, as well as non-text formats for presenting content. Further, as we get more and more notifications, there will be less tolerance for apps that disturb the user’s peace of mind. Therefore, most likely, Apple will begin to deal with such applications not only by blocking but also by “cleansing” the Notification Center from information unworthy of the user’s attention.
