Push notifications display differently on individual browsers, such as Chrome and Firefox. Whenever these browsers get an update, your push notifications can be affected again!
We’ve put together an up-to-date guide on the ideal character length for your push notifications, taking into account the latest browser updates and bearing in mind different subscriber devices.
Follow this guide to make sure your push notification titles and messages are displayed properly so the text doesn’t get cut off. Let’s start with the different browsers used on the Windows platform:
Chrome for Windows
For Windows 10, Chrome supports a 63-character title before the text gets cut off. The character limit for message content is 128 characters. This is the same limit whether your message includes a hero image, or not. The maximum length for the call-to-action (CTA) button is 21 characters.
For older versions of Chrome, such as Windows 8 and lower, you can input up to 57 characters before the title gets truncated. The character limit for the push notification message length is 126, and this is the same with or without a hero image.
On Chrome for Windows, two different push notification types are displayed. The most recent version of Windows has a black background, while older versions have a white layout. This is just something to bear in mind, as the same notification may look different on user devices.
Firefox for Windows
Firefox doesn’t support hero images for push notifications and that’s the case for all Windows versions. Up to 49 characters can be used for the title on Windows 10 before the text is truncated. You have considerably more space concerning your message length, however. Up to 200 characters can be displayed.
Older versions of Windows (Windows 8 and lower) show a title of up to 54 characters without the text being cut off. You can use up to 200 characters in the message content, just like with the newer Windows version.
Ideal push notification length for Android devices
On Android devices, the best title length to consider is 49 characters. It’s difficult to put a definite ideal character length on the message, as the end result depends on whether or not you include a hero image. On another note, if you use only one CTA button, you can include CTA text of up to 20 characters. But if you use multiple buttons, the text gets truncated after 13 characters on each button.
Optimal push notification length for Apple devices
On Mac, the character limits vary for both the title and message length. This is the same for all browsers before the text gets cut off. Additionally, the width of the characters used matters too. To be on the safe side, we recommend using up to 30 characters for your title and keeping the message content under 40 characters. Short and sweet is best!
Additionally, the width of the characters used matters too. To be on the safe side, we recommend using up to 30 characters for your title and keeping the message content under 40 characters. Short and sweet is best!
Top takeaways when designing your push notifications
With its support for hero images and higher character limits before the text gets cut off, you can be more creative when designing with Chrome in mind. The titles really matter on push notifications – it’s the first thing your subscriber will notice. Chrome gives you that bit more space to play around with your title.
That said, you should bear in mind that Mac and Firefox users, in particular, may not see your notifications as they’re intended if you don’t bear in mind the restrictions we’ve outlined above.
The best approach is to prioritize quality above quantity for your push notification content. Use powerful words that grab attention while getting your message across succinctly. Don’t forget the all-important hero image to draw the eye for your subscribers that use Chrome.
This article originally appeared in the FirePush blog and has been published here with permission.
