A Timeline of Push: What Users Expect in 2025 (and Beyond)

Push notifications are one of the few marketing channels that have been around since the dawn of the modern smartphone era. Apple first introduced push in 2009 with iOS 3.0, and at the time, it was little more than a way for apps to tap users on the shoulder (most of the time, rather intrusively.) Fast forward to 2025, and push has become a natural extension of how all of us interact with our apps.

We expect all of our notifications to be woven into the fabric of the entire experience, regardless of the channel it started on.

But how did we get here? The history of push is really the history of user expectations, and knowing that arc is the key to keeping your messaging relevant now and resilient in the future.

2009–2011: The dawn of push

When Apple launched the Apple Push Notification Service (APNs) in 2009, followed by Google’s early push service (C2DM), the mobile world got its first taste of real-time app-to-user communication.

• What push looked like: Simple alerts. A breaking news headline, a friend request ping, a score update.
  
• Why it worked: Novelty did a lot of the heavy lifting here. With so few apps sending notifications, users paid attention to every one. Ah, what a time to be alive.
  
• User mindset: “Wow, my app is talking to me!”

👉 Lesson for today

The honeymoon phase couldn’t be more long-gone. Push must always earn its spot with value.

That means every notification must serve a clear purpose, whether it’s delivering time-sensitive utility (like an order update), reinforcing emotional connection (like celebrating a user milestone), or sparking curiosity with personalized content. If a notification doesn’t create immediate benefit, it will 100% be dismissed as noise.

As new formats continue to emerge (richer media, real-time feeds, AI-driven suggestions) the apps that win won’t be those chasing the shiniest tech just to keep up, but those that consistently ground their messaging in genuine usefulness. Novelty might get attention for a moment, but only ongoing relevance earns long-term app retention and trust!

2012–2014: The growth (and spam) years

As the app economy exploded, so did push. By 2012, the average smartphone owner had dozens of apps vying for space on their home screen, and many treated push as a broadcast tool.

• What push looked like: Generic blasts, frequent alerts, limited personalization.
  
• Why it backfired: With Notification Center (iOS 5) making all alerts visible, users quickly realized how noisy apps could be... sometimes without even making much sense at all.
  
• User mindset: “These notifications are distracting. Which ones can I turn off?”
  

👉 Lesson for today

Early missteps proved a lasting truth: if you misuse push, you lose push. Trust is fragile, and every irrelevant notification puts opt-in rates at risk.

This era reminds us that users are constantly recalibrating their tolerance for mobile notifications. Today, we must treat frequency and personalization as levers to be tested and balanced. Brute-force is a dead-end street. Our users expect to receive alerts based on their behavior, the ability to set preferences when possible, and access to opt-down strategies instead of forcing opt-outs.

Looking forward, the “spam years” remind us that over-saturation is always lurking. As automation and AI make it easier to scale messaging, restraint will become the new competitive advantage. The brands that thrive will be the ones that use automation to sharpen precision, not just turn up pressure on the firehose.

2015–2016: The first push renaissance

Marketers finally begin experimenting with more sophisticated tactics. Segmentation, message personalization, and A/B testing entered the mainstream, and OS features gave push richer functionality.

• What push looked like: Not just “Come back to our app!” but contextual nudges.
  
• OS updates: Actionable notifications (iOS 8/9) introduced quick replies and tappable buttons.
  
• User mindset: “Notifications should at least feel relevant to me.”

👉 Lesson for today

Personalization has graduated beyond a differentiator, and has become part of our collective baseline. As mobile-focused marketers, we must move beyond first-name inserts and segment-level targeting to deliver contextually relevant pushes tied to real user behaviors and milestones. Even small tweaks, like adjusting the CTA based on lifecycle stage, go a long way.

Looking forward, the rise of interactivity in this era foreshadows what’s next: users expect to do more from the notification itself. As push continues to evolve, success will depend on designing notifications that are not just relevant, but actionable and friction-reducing.

2017–2018: Smarter targeting & geo-triggered push

By this point, developers and marketers had better tools for data-driven targeting. Geotargeting and behavioral triggers became more accessible, and push began to feel timely rather than purely promotional.

• What push looked like: Location-based reminders, triggered alerts tied to user behavior.
  
• OS updates: Android introduced Notification Channels (2018), giving users granular control over notification categories.
  
• User mindset: “I want notifications precisely when they’re most useful, but I’ll silence the ones that aren’t.”

👉 Lesson for today

With Android’s Notification Channels and iOS’s growing controls, users gained more power over how (and if) they hear from you. That means today, we must always design notification strategies with transparency and user choice in mind. Let them manage preferences by category, cadence, or topic.

Looking forward, this shift points to a larger trend: users will only tolerate channels where they feel in control. The future of push will be less about “how much you can send” and more about “how much control you’re willing to give.” The brands that hand users the steering wheel will keep the lane.

2019–2020: Privacy reckoning & permission sensitivity

The late 2010s brought a new dynamic: data privacy. Regulations like GDPR (2018) and CCPA (2020), combined with OS features like iOS 12’s grouped notifications and “Deliver Quietly,” put power squarely in users’ hands.

• What push looked like: A mix of transactional utility (flight status, deliveries) and promotional messaging.
  
• User mindset: “I’ll allow push… but only if I know what’s in it for me.”
  
• Brand response: More strategic onboarding flows that explained the value of receiving notifications and earned the opt-in.

👉 Lesson for today

Asking for push permission is now its own funnel. That means app onboarding must highlight the value exchange upfront: What will users gain? What problems will notifications solve? Pair the opt-in request with contextual cues and value (e.g., “Get notified when your order ships”) rather than a generic “Allow push?” pop-up.

Looking forward, this privacy reckoning was just the beginning. As regulations expand and platform policies tighten, the apps that win will be those that treat trust as an active strategy, instead of just another compliance checkbox. Future-proof push strategies will be built on transparency, consent, and respect.

2021–2022: Omnichannel becomes the standard

By now, push had matured into one piece of a larger engagement puzzle. Apps no longer relied on push alone, instead orchestrating omnichannel campaigns across email, SMS, in-app, and app inbox.

• What push looked like: A first-touch channel, paired with richer follow-ups across other channels.
  
• User expectation: A coordinated experience. No redundant pings, no channel overload.
  
• Example: Push delivers urgency (“Flash sale ends in 2 hours”), while email provides the full details.

👉 Lesson for today

Push isn’t a soloist anymore; it’s part of a larger band. We need to be mapping out journeys that coordinate push with in-app, email, SMS, and Live Activities, ensuring each channel plays its unique role. Use push for immediacy, email for depth, IAM for guidance, SMS for urgency—and avoid redundancy at all costs.

Looking forward, the lesson is clear: the future belongs to orchestrators, not operators. As channels continue to converge, the strongest brands will treat push as the connective tissue that harmonizes a user’s journey.

2023–2024: Hyper-personalization & AI influence

AI and automation tools transformed personalization. Instead of just segmenting, marketers could deliver predictive send times, individualized recommendations, and dynamic notifications.

• What push looked like: Messages that seemed to anticipate user needs (e.g., suggested content, reminders timed to daily routines).
  
• User mindset: “It’s great when apps know me, but it’s getting creepy when they know too much.”
  
• Risk: Over-personalization crossing into overreach.

👉 Lesson for today

AI-driven recommendations and predictive delivery are powerful, but they must be handled with care. Personalization should always feel like a benefit, not surveillance. Yes, we should be leveraging AI to sharpen timing, relevance, and content. But this must always be paired with transparency (“We thought you’d like this because…”) and user choice.

Looking forward, this is the tension that will define push for years to come: intelligence vs. intrusion. The future of AI in push hinges on ethical targeting. The goal here should be to use AI to enhance human connection, not replace it.

2025 & beyond: From push to presence

So far in 2025, one thing is clear: push is trending towards an always-available, AI-enhanced companion that surfaces value in real time.

• Today’s reality: Notifications are expected to be less about “summoning” users back into an app and more about solving something instantly on the surface. A food delivery update, a fraud alert, a sports score—all now deliver standalone value without demanding another tap.
  
• The AI shift: Generative and predictive AI are beginning to shape not just when a notification is sent, but what it says and why it matters in that exact moment.
  
• User expectation: Push should feel like part of their environment: ambient, helpful, contextually intelligent. No more disruptions!

⭐️ The LARGEST lesson for today

Looking back at the journey makes this clearer:

• In 2009, novelty was enough.
• By 2014, restraint was required.
• In 2016, personalization was expected.
• Come 2018, users demanded more control.
• 2020 arrives, with trust and privacy becoming central.
• By 2022, push was one piece of a bigger omnichannel puzzle.
• And by 2024, AI reshaped not just what we send, but how carefully we balance intelligence with respect.

Each of those eras leaves us with a building block for today: value, restraint, personalization, control, trust, orchestration, and intelligence. Stack them together, and you start to see the new narrative of push emerging in 2025.

Push has evolved past a message, and into much more of an ongoing presence.

Anyone can get attention. But don’t forget that everyone can tell when that’s all you’re trying to do. We must earn attention, moment by moment, in ways that feel ambient, trustworthy, and genuinely useful. The future of push will belong to those who understand that novelty fades, but presence endures.

The future of push starts here

At OneSignal, we’ve watched push evolve from a novelty into one of the most personal ways a brand can show up for its users. And we’ve kept up.

Our mission is to help you create the kind of presence we just talked about: journeys that feel seamless, personalization that feels genuine, and AI that supports rather than overwhelms. The future of push lies in purpose, with every notification earning its place by delivering clear value.

We invite you to give us a try for free and see just how easy it is to make push a channel users actually welcome.