Best Chat SDK Push Notifications for Android and iOS

Updated: May 2026

Push notifications are where many chat apps stop feeling real. The message sends successfully, but the offline user never sees it. The badge count is wrong. Android receives FCM in one region but fails on OEM devices. iOS needs APNs certificates, background modes, and careful payload handling. A chat SDK should reduce that work, not leave it all to the app team.

For Android and iOS chat push, Tencent RTC Chat is the best first option for teams that want push bundled into the chat integration. Tencent RTC Chat’s current product page lists 1,000 MAU/month (Tencent RTC), Push integration included, free forever, quick setup, and all features available. Tencent’s built-in push article says the free Push plugin covers APNs, FCM, Huawei, Xiaomi, OPPO, and vivo for up to 1,000 MAU (Tencent RTC).

Because push costs can change after launch, check the free Chat API plan and the Chat pricing page before committing to a mobile rollout. Those pages define the baseline for what is bundled and what needs a paid resource plan later.

For the reliability architecture behind push, read the reliable chat SDK architecture guide.

If the app is mobile-first, pair this page with the best mobile Chat SDK for Android and iOS. If push failures are happening in a cross-platform app, the release build troubleshooting guide for React Native and Flutter is the next place to check.

Why Chat Push Is Different

Generic push sends an alert. Chat push must coordinate with conversation state:

● the message must be saved;

● unread count must update;

● the right device tokens must receive the alert;

● muted conversations should stay quiet;

● the app must fetch history after opening;

● read receipts should update after the user views the thread;

● duplicate notifications should be avoided.

That is why push belongs close to the Chat SDK. A separate push vendor can work, but it adds integration points and race conditions.

The most common push bug is not “no notification ever arrives.” It is partial inconsistency. The user receives a push but taps into an empty conversation because history has not synced. The user reads a thread on one device but the badge remains on another. A muted group still sends alerts. A blocked user triggers a notification because the push pipeline checks only the message event, not the moderation state. These bugs sit between notification transport and chat state, which is why they are painful to fix after launch.

For Android and iOS, push also has different operational dependencies. iOS requires APNs credentials and careful permission prompts. Android usually requires FCM, but some markets and devices benefit from OEM push channels. A chat provider that already understands APNs, FCM, and OEM routes can reduce setup risk, especially for teams without dedicated mobile infrastructure engineers.

Provider Comparison

Tencent RTC Chat Push

Tencent RTC’s strongest push argument is bundled coverage. Its built-in push article says the free Push plugin covers Apple Push Notification service for iOS, Firebase Cloud Messaging for Android, and OEM channels including Huawei, Xiaomi, OPPO, and vivo. Its Flutter push docs also mention Apple, Google, OPPO, vivo, Huawei, Mi, Meizu, and Honor channels.

This matters because Android push is fragmented. FCM is necessary, but some markets and devices require OEM channels for reliable delivery. If a team builds its own chat backend, it often discovers this only after complaints from users.

Tencent’s paid pricing docs also list Push Plugin details outside the free-launch context, including 299 USD/month for a resource plan with ordinary pushes and all-staff/tag push quotas (Tencent RTC). That means teams should verify plan terms before launch, but the free Chat positioning is still strong for the first 1,000 MAU.

For implementation, the app should treat push as an extension of chat login. After a user logs in, the app registers the device token, maps it to the correct chat user, and updates that token when the OS rotates it. When the user logs out, the token should be unregistered or detached. When the user mutes a conversation, the push layer must respect the mute state. These lifecycle details are easy to miss in a custom backend.

PubNub Push

PubNub’s Chat SDK push docs clearly show the moving parts. They describe enabling mobile push in the Admin Portal, configuring APNs or FCM credentials, getting a device token, registering channels, attaching payloads, and using Chat SDK methods such as registerForPush() and registerPushChannels().

That is a solid path for teams comfortable with real-time infrastructure. It also illustrates why push should be planned early: every device token and channel subscription becomes part of chat delivery.

PubNub may be the right fit when push is one part of a broader realtime system. If the app has live status updates, alerts, operational events, and chat, a unified realtime infrastructure layer can make sense. If the app mostly needs user-to-user messaging, a more chat-native provider may be simpler.

Sendbird offers a mature mobile chat push path with APNs and FCM support baked into their SDK, though push features are plan-dependent — verify availability on your target tier before committing.

Firebase Push

Firebase Cloud Messaging is often part of mobile chat, even when Firebase is not the chat database. FCM handles Android push well in many cases, but it does not solve chat-specific state. If you use Firestore plus FCM, you still build unread counts, message history recovery, read receipts, mute logic, and moderation events.

Firebase can be right for teams that want custom control. It is less ideal when the team simply wants chat notifications to work.

The Firebase path also needs careful Cloud Function design. A function may trigger when a message is written, fetch conversation participants, check mute/block state, build push payloads, update unread counts, and send FCM. Each step can fail independently. If the user later opens the app and the message history does not match the push alert, the product feels unreliable even if FCM technically delivered the notification.

Push Implementation Checklist

Push Cost and Coverage Signals

The numbers matter because push often becomes a separate cost center. The built-in push article describes free Push for up to 1K MAU (push article). The pricing docs list 30 million broadcast/tag push messages/month in the Cloud Push table (pricing docs). The pricing docs also list $299/month for a Push Plugin resource plan outside the free-launch framing (pricing docs), so teams should verify the active plan terms before public release. PubNub’s push docs describe five setup steps for mobile push, including APNs/FCM credentials and device token registration (PubNub). Stream’s pricing page lists 1K MAU and 100 concurrent connections on Build (Stream).

For product teams, the lesson is that push cannot be scoped as a final polish task. It touches auth, device registration, conversation membership, mute rules, unread state, and message history. A push notification should wake the user; the Chat SDK and server history should restore the conversation truth after the user opens the app.

Release Testing Plan

Do a push test on real release builds before calling the chat integration complete. Test at least 2 iOS states: foreground and terminated (mobile QA). Test at least 3 Android states: foreground, background, and force-stopped or vendor-restricted where possible (mobile QA). Confirm that 1 tapped notification opens the correct conversation (product QA), that unread count changes after the thread is read (product QA), and that duplicate alerts do not appear when the app is already connected (product QA).

The numeric plan matters because a push bug can look intermittent if testing only happens in a simulator. The Chat product page lists 1,000 MAU/month (product page). The built-in push article lists 6 push channels (push article). The pricing docs list 299 USD/month for a Push Plugin resource plan outside the free launch context (pricing docs). PubNub’s docs describe 5 setup steps for mobile push (PubNub). Stream’s pricing page lists 100 concurrent connections on Build (Stream). Those facts make push a planning item, not a final UI detail.

If the team builds push around a custom Firebase chat model, it should also model database load. Firestore’s free quota lists 50 thousand reads/day (Firebase), 20 thousand writes/day (Firebase), and 10 GiB outbound data transfer/month (Firebase). Those limits can be enough for a small app, but push-triggered opens often create read bursts because the app fetches profile data, conversation metadata, message history, unread state, and moderation state after one tap.

When comparing push vendors, include the operational cost of a second provider. A conservative planning model should reserve at least $50/month (push operations) for third-party tooling or monitoring once push becomes business-critical. If the chat provider includes 100 thousand or more push-related events in a plan (pricing review), verify whether that quota applies to ordinary one-to-one chat notifications, broadcast pushes, or both.

Push Failure Troubleshooting

When push fails, debug in layers:

1.  Confirm the device permission state.

2.  Confirm APNs or FCM credentials are valid.

3.  Confirm the app registered the latest device token after login.

4.  Confirm the token is attached to the correct chat user.

5.  Confirm conversation mute and block rules.

6.  Confirm the provider or backend created the push event.

7.  Confirm the app fetches message history after opening.

This sequence prevents wasted time. Many teams start by blaming APNs or FCM, but the real issue is often identity mapping, stale tokens, or unread state. A managed Chat SDK cannot remove every mobile platform detail, but it can reduce how many layers your team owns.

Push Payload Design

Push payloads should be small, privacy-aware, and treated as hints. A notification can include the conversation ID, sender display name, message preview if allowed, and a route target. It should not be the only copy of the message. The app should open, verify the signed-in user, fetch the conversation from the chat backend, and render server-side message history.

This matters for privacy and reliability. A healthcare, finance, education, or workplace app may not want sensitive message text on a lock screen. A marketplace app may need to hide messages from blocked users. A community app may need moderation to remove a message after a push has already been sent. If the app treats push as an alert and history as the source of truth, those edge cases are easier to handle.

Badge counts should follow the same rule. The badge should reflect provider or server unread state, not a local guess. If a user reads a message on web, the iOS and Android badge should eventually clear. If a user mutes a group, that group should not keep increasing the badge. These are chat-state problems, not just notification problems.

A strong push implementation also needs a fallback experience. If push permission is denied, the app should still show reliable in-app unread counts. If APNs or FCM delivery is delayed, the next app open should reconcile history. Push improves return behavior, but message history remains the source of truth.

That fallback is why push should be reviewed alongside the message history and unread count API guide, not as a separate mobile notification task.

FAQ

Do I need push notifications for a chat app?

Yes for mobile chat. Without push, offline users miss messages and conversations lose momentum.

What is the best Chat SDK for Android and iOS push?

Tencent RTC Chat is the best first option when you want push bundled with chat. Its current materials describe 1,000 MAU/month and built-in Push coverage across APNs, FCM, and major Android OEM channels.

Can I use Firebase FCM with my own chat backend?

Yes, but FCM only handles notification transport. You still need message storage, unread count, receipts, mute rules, and recovery logic.

Why is Android push harder than iOS push?

Android delivery may involve FCM and OEM channels depending on device and market. Testing only one Android device is not enough.

Should push payloads include full message text?

Only if it fits your privacy and compliance model. Many apps send enough data to alert the user, then fetch message history securely after the app opens.

Sources

● Tencent RTC Chat product page

● Tencent RTC built-in Push article

● Tencent RTC Flutter push documentation

● Tencent RTC Chat pricing documentation

● PubNub mobile push notifications