How to Deliver In-App Notifications Based on User Activity

Introduction

In today’s fast-paced digital world, grabbing a user’s attention at the right moment is more challenging than ever. Users engage with their phones in vastly different ways depending on their real-world situation - whether they’re commuting, working, relaxing at home, or running errands. Yet, many apps still treat every interaction as if context doesn’t matter.

The truth is, ignoring user activity leads to poor engagement, missed opportunities, and sometimes even user frustration. So how can you ensure your in-app notifications land at the right time and actually drive action? The answer lies in context-aware engagement.

Why User Activity Should Shape Your Engagement Strategy

Imagine this scenario: you prompt a user with a subscription offer while they’re walking out of a crowded subway station, juggling their bag and phone. Chances are, they’ll ignore or dismiss your message—not because they don’t value your app, but because the timing was off.

Now imagine sending that same offer when the user is seated and scrolling through your app on their couch. The likelihood of conversion skyrockets. This is the power of matching your in-app messages to the user’s current activity.

Situations Where Timing Makes or Breaks Engagement

Here are just a few real-world user activities that apps should consider before triggering notifications or offers:

Commuting: Users are in motion, distracted, or preparing to lose signal. Not the right time for detailed onboarding flows or subscription offers.
Driving: A distracted state where the user should not be prompted with in-depth or interactive content.
Phone face down or screen unlocked: A quick signal that the phone might be abandoned or left idle - not ideal for engagement-heavy interactions.
Low Battery Awareness: Younger audiences especially tend to reduce phone usage when battery is low. In these moments, short reminders or simple ads outperform subscription upsells.
Running errands: In and out of stores or appointments, with limited availability for detailed offers or onboarding flows.

Failing to recognize these differences can lead to untimely nudges, which not only reduce engagement but also risk annoying your audience.

The Solution: Context-Aware Engagement Offers with ContextSDK

ContextSDK is built to solve this problem by helping apps deliver smarter, context-aware notifications and in-app experiences based on what users are doing in the real world.

Using ContextDecision, apps can detect over 200 real-world signals - including motion, device status, time of day, battery level, and app usage patterns - to decide when and where to show an in-app offer.

With ContextPush, apps can take it a step further by triggering timely, context-aware push notifications when the app is not active, bringing users back at moments when they are most likely to engage.

How ContextSDK Works in Action

During Commutes: If ContextDecision detects that a user is moving quickly (e.g., walking or commuting), the app can delay sensitive actions like upsell offers, instead showing lightweight, dismissible messages, like ads or saving the offer for when they are stationary.
Lying in bed or sitting on the couch: When the user is relaxing at home (detected via motion inactivity, time of day, and device activity), apps can push deeper engagement flows, like subscription prompts, onboarding tutorials, or premium content highlights.
Busy or in Motion: ContextSDK ensures that distractions like paywalls or surveys don’t pop up when users are busy, preventing churn due to poorly timed interactions.

Why This Matters for Growth Marketers and Product Teams

For growth marketers, timing is everything. A beautifully crafted message shown at the wrong time will still miss its mark. By integrating ContextSDK, marketing and product teams can:

Increase conversion rates by aligning messages with user availability and receptiveness.
Reduce app churn by avoiding frustrating or intrusive notifications.
Maximize the ROI of engagement campaigns through smarter delivery and personalization.

Final Thoughts

Context is no longer a luxury - it’s a necessity for modern mobile engagement. Delivering the right message at the right time based on real-world activity is what separates leading apps from the rest.

With tools like ContextDecision and ContextPush, your app can move beyond static campaigns and start delivering truly dynamic, user-centric experiences.

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