Push Notifications
Push notifications are coming to Balance mobile apps! This guide explains what to expect and how they’ll help you stay on top of your budget.
Coming Soon!
Current Status: Push notifications are actively being developed for iOS and Android.
Expected availability: We’re working to bring notifications to you soon. Stay tuned for our announcement!
What Are Push Notifications?
Push notifications are alerts sent directly to your phone from the Balance app:
- Lock screen alerts - See notifications even when phone locked
- Banner notifications - Brief messages at top of screen
- Badge counts - Number indicators on app icon
- Sound and vibration - Optional audio and haptic alerts
- Notification center - View all past notifications
Even when the app is closed, you’ll receive important updates about your budget and transactions.
Why Notifications Matter
Stay Informed
- New transactions - Know when purchases post
- Budget alerts - Get warned before overspending
- Bank connection issues - Fix sync problems quickly
- Partner activity - See when your partner updates budget
Take Quick Action
- Tap to categorize - Open transaction directly from notification
- Dismiss if not needed - Swipe away if you already know
- Snooze reminders - Get reminded later
Better Budgeting
- Real-time awareness - Know your spending as it happens
- Avoid overdrafts - Low balance warnings
- Meet goals - Positive reinforcement for staying under budget
- Partner coordination - Both stay informed
Types of Notifications (Coming)
Transaction Notifications
New transactions synced:
- “5 new transactions from Chase Checking”
- Tap to view and categorize
Large purchases:
- “Large expense detected: $450.00 at Best Buy”
- Alert you to significant spending
Duplicate transactions (potential):
- “Possible duplicate: Starbucks $5.50”
- Help identify sync issues
Uncategorized reminders:
- “You have 12 uncategorized transactions”
- Keep your budget accurate
Budget Alerts
Approaching limit:
- “Groceries: 80% of budget used ($480/$600)”
- Warning before you go over
Over budget:
- “Dining Out is $35 over budget this month”
- Know when you’ve exceeded category
Monthly progress:
- “You’ve used 65% of your total budget (Day 18 of 30)”
- Stay on track
Positive reinforcement:
- “Great job! You’re under budget in 8 categories”
- Celebrate wins
Account & Sync Notifications
Bank connection issues:
- “Please reconnect Chase Bank to continue syncing”
- Fix problems quickly
Sync completed:
- “15 new transactions synced from your accounts”
- Know when data is current
Connection restored:
- “Chase Bank successfully reconnected”
- Confirmation of fix
Partner Activity (For Couples)
Partner categorized:
- “Sarah categorized 8 transactions”
- Stay coordinated
Partner added transaction:
- “John added manual transaction: $65 groceries”
- See partner’s entries
Budget changes:
- “Sarah updated Groceries budget to $650”
- Aware of budget adjustments
New category:
- “John created new category: Pet Care”
- Stay in sync
Billing & Subscription
Trial ending:
- “Your free trial ends in 3 days”
- Don’t lose access
Payment successful:
- “Premium subscription renewed - $5.99”
- Confirm charge
Payment failed:
- “Please update payment method”
- Prevent service interruption
Subscription expiring:
- “Your subscription expires tomorrow”
- Renew to keep access
Notification Settings (Future)
Once available, you’ll have complete control:
Notification Types
Choose which you want to receive:
- ✅ Transaction alerts (On/Off)
- ✅ Budget warnings (On/Off)
- ✅ Sync notifications (On/Off)
- ✅ Partner activity (On/Off)
- ✅ Billing updates (On/Off)
Granular control:
- Only large transactions (set threshold)
- Only when over budget
- Only for specific categories
- Only from specific accounts
Timing & Frequency
Quiet Hours:
- Set do-not-disturb times
- No notifications during sleep
- Example: No alerts between 10 PM - 7 AM
Frequency limits:
- Maximum per day
- Batching similar notifications
- Summary instead of individual alerts
Days of week:
- Weekday vs weekend preferences
- Different rules for different days
Notification Style
iOS options:
- Lock Screen - Show/hide
- Notification Center - Show/hide
- Banners - Temporary or persistent
- Sounds - On/off, which sound
- Badges - Number on icon
Android options:
- Importance level (High, Medium, Low)
- Sound and vibration
- Pop on screen
- Badge icon
- Notification light
How to Enable (Future)
iOS Setup
When notifications launch:
First time opening Balance
- Prompt will appear: “Allow Balance to send notifications?”
- Tap “Allow”
Or enable manually:
- iOS Settings > Notifications > Balance
- Toggle “Allow Notifications” ON
- Choose style preferences
In Balance app:
- Settings > Notifications
- Toggle on notification types you want
- Set thresholds and preferences
Android Setup
When notifications launch:
First time opening Balance:
- Prompt: “Allow Balance to send notifications?”
- Tap “Allow”
Or enable manually:
- Android Settings > Apps > Balance > Notifications
- Enable “All Balance notifications”
- Customize by type
In Balance app:
- Settings > Notifications
- Choose which notifications you want
- Set preferences for each type
Notification Examples
Here’s what Balance notifications might look like:
Transaction Alert
🔵 Balance Budget
New transaction: Whole Foods $87.43
Tap to categorize
Budget Warning
⚠️ Balance Budget
Groceries: 90% of budget used ($540/$600)
Tap to view details
Partner Activity
👥 Balance Budget
Sarah categorized 8 transactions
Tap to review
Bank Connection
❗ Balance Budget
Reconnect Chase Bank to sync transactions
Tap to reconnect
Positive Reinforcement
✅ Balance Budget
Great job! You’re under budget this week
Keep it up!
Privacy & Security
What’s Included in Notifications
Shown in notification:
- General information
- Transaction amounts
- Merchant names
- Category names
You control visibility:
- Show on lock screen (or not)
- Show in notification center (or not)
- Hide sensitive details (optional)
Privacy options:
- “Generic” mode: “New transaction” instead of amount
- “Private” mode: No details, just “Update available”
- “Full” mode: All details shown
Notification Security
Secure delivery:
- Encrypted in transit
- Only sent to your devices
- Requires device authentication
- Cannot be intercepted
Device security:
- Use device lock (PIN, biometric)
- Notifications only appear on your device
- No one else can see your alerts
Actionable Notifications
Tap notifications to take action:
From transaction notification:
- Opens that specific transaction
- Tap “Select Categories” to categorize
- Done in seconds
From budget alert:
- Opens that budget category
- See all transactions in category
- Adjust budget if needed
From sync notification:
- Opens transactions list
- See new transactions
- Start categorizing
From connection error:
- Opens Accounts page
- “Reconnect” button ready
- Fix issue immediately
Managing Notification Overload
Smart Defaults
Balance will use intelligent defaults:
Not too many:
- Batching similar notifications
- “10 new transactions” instead of 10 separate alerts
- Daily summaries instead of constant updates
Not too few:
- Important alerts always sent
- Critical issues not batched
- Time-sensitive alerts immediate
Learn your patterns:
- Adapt to your usage
- More notifications if you engage
- Fewer if you ignore them
Customization
If overwhelmed:
- Turn off less important types
- Increase thresholds ($100+ only)
- Enable quiet hours
- Use summary notifications
- Disable sounds/badges
If not enough:
- Enable more notification types
- Lower thresholds
- Get all transaction alerts
- Enable partner activity
- Turn on positive reinforcement
Notification Sound & Haptics
iOS Sounds
Default Balance sound:
- Subtle, not annoying
- Distinct from other apps
- Professional tone
Can customize:
- Choose from iOS sounds
- Use ringtone
- Or silent mode
Haptic feedback:
- Gentle vibration
- Different patterns for different alerts
- Can disable
Android Sounds
Default Balance sound:
- Pleasant notification tone
- Professional
- Not jarring
Can customize:
- Choose notification sound
- Use custom sound file
- Set to silent
Vibration patterns:
- Different patterns for different types
- Can customize or disable
Integration with Device Features
iOS Focus Modes
Balance respects Focus:
- Do Not Disturb - No notifications
- Sleep - Quiet until morning
- Work - Only important alerts
- Custom - Your rules
Or customize:
- Allow Balance notifications in some Focus modes
- Certain notification types always through
- Critical alerts override Focus
Android Do Not Disturb
Balance respects DND:
- No notifications during DND
- Or mark Balance as exception
- Critical alerts only
- Custom priority rules
Notification Summary (iOS 15+)
Scheduled summary:
- Non-urgent Balance notifications
- Delivered in morning/evening summary
- Urgent ones still immediate
- Reduces interruptions
Testing Notifications (Beta)
Want to test notifications early?
Join our beta program:
- Email support@balancebudget.app
- Subject: “Notifications Beta”
- Include:
- Device type (iPhone 15, Samsung S23, etc.)
- Why you want early access
- Your feedback style
Beta benefits:
- Early access
- Shape the final product
- Report bugs
- Suggest improvements
- VIP treatment
Current Alternatives
While notifications are being developed:
Manual Checking
Develop a routine:
- Check Balance every morning
- Review after shopping
- Weekly budget review
- Month-end assessment
Calendar Reminders
Set up reminders:
- Daily: “Check Balance transactions” (8 AM)
- Weekly: “Review budget progress” (Sunday)
- Monthly: “Balance monthly review” (1st of month)
- Payday: “Categorize new transactions”
Email Notifications
Some events trigger emails:
- Account verification
- Password reset
- Subscription updates
- Billing receipts
Not as immediate as push, but helpful:
- Check email regularly
- Set up email alerts
- Filters for Balance emails
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: When will push notifications be available?
A: We’re actively developing them. We’ll announce the release date soon!
Q: Will notifications drain my battery?
A: No. Modern push notifications are very battery-efficient.
Q: Can I turn off all notifications?
A: Yes! You’ll have complete control over which notifications you receive.
Q: Will notifications show transaction amounts on my lock screen?
A: You’ll be able to control this. Options for private mode available.
Q: Will my partner and I get different notifications?
A: Yes, each device has its own notification settings. You can choose different preferences.
Q: Can I get notifications for just certain categories?
A: Yes, granular control will be available for power users.
Q: Will I get too many notifications?
A: We’re designing them to be helpful, not overwhelming. Smart batching and defaults.
Q: Can I use SMS notifications instead?
A: Initially just push notifications. SMS may be considered for future based on feedback.
Providing Feedback
Help us build the best notification system:
Email: support@balancebudget.app
Subject: “Notification Feedback”
Tell us:
- Which notifications are most important to you?
- How often is too often?
- What would make you turn off notifications?
- Examples from other apps you like?
- Privacy concerns?
Your feedback shapes the final product!
Next Steps
While waiting for notifications:
- iOS App Guide - Get the most from iPhone
- Android App Guide - Optimize Android experience
- Background Sync - How automatic syncing works
- Notification Settings - Full notification guide
Want early access? Join our beta program!
Status Update: This article will be updated with full instructions once push notifications are released. Thank you for your patience!