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Mobile web push notifications can be an invaluable engagement tool, especially for web-first companies. Learn more about how iOS web push is changing the game for web-first companies. Unlike on Android devices, sending mobile Safari web push notifications (iOS and iPadOS 16.4+) requires notification recipients to add your app to their home screen. That process involves:
  1. Visit your website on your Safari browser on a mobile Apple device on 16.4+
  2. Click on the Share button of their Safari browser on a mobile device.
  3. Click on the Add to home screen option.
  4. Save the app on their device.
  5. Open it the app from the home screen.
  6. Subscribe to notifications (they must click a subscribe button before a native permission prompt can be displayed).
As this is not a straightforward user experience, it is critical that your website is equipped to help your audience understand the benefits of subscribing to your notifications and how they can achieve them. Here are some examples of iOS apps prompting audiences to their app to the home screen:

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Website banners

Banners can be added to your website to inform your audience of the value of mobile web push notifications and how they can subscribe. You can see some example banners here. We recommend incorporating a banner on your website that displays on mobile Apple devices to lead site visitors to the share button and the add to home screen option. There is also a popular open-source project that can help you provide this guidance to your audience:

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Bottom banner example

Github Link: https://github.com/rajatsehgal/add-to-home-screen

Example of an Add to Home Screen banner prompt from an open source project by rajatsehgal.

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