How do you get more people to allow notifications?

Put a primer screen in front of the notification permission ask that explains how opting in helps the user reach their goal. A primer does better than no primer, and it matters more when there is more anxiety or commitment at stake. Yazio cites a 78% opt-in rate on its notification permission screen. Frame the ask as coaching toward the user's goal, and the user thinks "now we're on the same team" instead of "they want to spam me."

People struggle a lot with notification opt-in. I'm Michael Berliner. This is what I found in teardowns of over 100 apps and showed at Business of Apps in New York.

Does a notification primer beat asking straight away?

Yes. Having a primer before the notification permission ask does better than no primer. A primer is a screen before the permission ask that explains the result the user will get and the benefit. Yazio cites a 78% opt-in on its notification permission screen. One of the key drivers of that is having the primer explain to people why.

It is the same psychology as explaining why you ask every onboarding question, and it becomes even more important when it is a bigger ask, or at least a medium ask. The ask is a bit bigger than just entering your name, which is why apps give it a dedicated screen.

Doesn't an extra screen cause explanation fatigue?

It costs a screen, and the primer is still worth it. It is another step to go through, which is explanation fatigue. The alternative is to go straight to the ask, since people already know what notification permissions are. But a dedicated screen gives them an introduction rather than dumping them right into it, and that matters more when there is more anxiety or commitment at stake.

What does a good primer say?

It ties the notifications to the person's goal. Runna does a great job here. Its primer says, "Runners who opt in are 2x more likely to finish their plan." That gives users something that directly relates back to their goal. Great, well, now we're on the same team. They want the same goals as me, and these notification permissions aren't just so they can spam me with a bunch of push notifications to get me to come back to the app. They're actually going to help me with my goals. I should opt in because it's going to help me, not because it's going to help the app drive more trial starts and keep me engaged.

Should a notification ask sound like an alert or like coaching?

Like coaching. Frame notifications as coaching, not alerts: "We'll help you stay on track" versus "Enable notifications" is the same permission request with a totally different opt-in rate. Notification asks tend to read like marketing, not like something that delivers value, so reframe the ask as the value they are getting toward their goals.

Is there another way to get people to opt in?

Headway is interesting here. It had toggles that work almost like a mailing list, where you could choose some notifications on and others off. That makes people potentially more likely to opt in, because you can turn some off and think, okay, but I'll do just these. I haven't seen a ton of other apps do that, but I thought it was interesting.

What to do with it

Before the notification ask, give them a primer that shows how opting in helps them with their goals. For the rest of the flow, see what makes subscription app onboarding convert.

FAQ

Should I show a screen before the notification permission ask? Yes. A primer does better than no primer, and it matters more when there is more anxiety or commitment at stake.

What opt-in rate can a notification primer reach? Yazio cites a 78% opt-in rate on its notification permission screen, and one of the key drivers is a primer that explains to people why.

What should the primer say? How opting in helps them with their goals. Runna says runners who opt in are 2x more likely to finish their plan.

Michael Berliner advises founders and product leaders at consumer subscription apps on growth, pricing and product strategy through Otter Growth Advisory.