Although many people use the Facebook app to access the social media platform, there are still lots of people who access Facebook through a mobile browser. If they happen to use Chrome on Android, those Facebook users will find that they can now receive Facebook notifications.
This new option is partly due to a new API that Google released this past spring for Android enabling notifications to be pushed by web sites to mobile devices through a browser app like Chrome.
Facebook product manager Jonathan McKay has noted, “we’ve already seen an increase in visitation from launching push notifications.” The ability to push a notification to a mobile device is a tool web site operators can use to try to keep visitors engaged and returning to the site.
For some site operators that do not need a dedicated app, this may be a good alternative aswell.Google hopes to see more browsers implement the new push notification API along with web sites adding support. Chrome joins the Opera browser in supporting push notifications and Firefox is expected to roll out support in November.
The Chinese made UC Browser also supports Google’s new API and is reaching emerging markets. Those markets are part of the impetus for the feature as accessing sites like Facebook with a mobile browser typically uses less data than a dedicated app.
The next hurdle to be addressed will involve ways to limit duplicate notifications for users who happen to have a dedicated app installed along with accessing a site through their mobile browser.
Members of both the Google and Facebook teams reported the effort to support push notifications was beneficial for both sides. Facebook got assistance with making sure the user experience was done right while Google got insight into bugs and issues that a huge service like Facebook faces.
source:TechCrunchvia:Engadget
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