# TIP: Don't Use Push as a Communication Protocol

DevFeed: [TIP: Don't Use Push as a Communication Protocol](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/tip-don-t-use-push-as-a-communication-protocol-19576.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://www.codenameone.com/blog/tip-dont-use-push-as-communication-protocol/>)

Author: Shai Almog

Published: 2018-11-12T00:00:00Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [CodeName One](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/codename-one.md>)

Topics: [push-notification](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/push-notification.md>), [WebSocket](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/websocket.md>), [networking](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/networking.md>), [Android](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/android.md>), [iOS](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/ios.md>)

Tags: [android](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/android.md>), [ios](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ios.md>), [networking](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/networking.md>), [push-notification](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/push-notification.md>), [websocket](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/websocket.md>)

## AI overview

The article argues that push notifications should not be used as an application's primary communication protocol. It recommends WebSockets and web services for application communication, reserving push for marketing notifications and background notices because of platform dependencies, permissions, delivery limitations, and message-size constraints.

## Source excerpt

Apple introduced push notification at a time when iOS apps didn't support multi-tasking. It was used as an intrusive notification system that allowed an app to communicate it had something important to tell you. Back then push messages would trigger a dialog box as it predated the pull down notification tray pioneered by Android. The purpose of push on iOS is visual notification. You can send non-visual meta-data but that's almost an afterthought in iOS.