What are the push notification character limits?

iOS: ~178 characters visible in the expanded view, ~62 on the lock screen. Android: varies by device but roughly 65 characters for title + body combined in collapsed view. Web push: ~120 characters total on most browsers.

Why do pushes look different on iOS vs Android?

iOS uses a card layout with title, body, and optional image. Android uses a row-based system with aggressive truncation on the lock screen. Web push is browser-controlled and least flexible.

Does this tool send real push notifications?

No. It's a visual preview only. Send real pushes through your ESP (Braze, Iterable, etc.).

Can I preview rich media pushes?

The current version focuses on title and body. For rich media (images, actions), send a test push from Braze to a real device.

What's the character limit for iOS push notifications?

Title: ~65 characters visible before truncation. Body: ~178 characters in the expanded view. Both numbers include emoji (each emoji counts as 1–2 characters depending on its Unicode composition). On the lock screen, only the first line is visible — the body typically truncates much earlier than its theoretical maximum because of this.

What's the character limit for Android push notifications?

Title: ~65 characters. Body: up to ~240 characters in the expanded view. Android handles expansion more gracefully than iOS — the expanded view can show several lines of body text. For a consistent cross-platform experience, cap at the iOS limits.

What's the character limit for Web push?

Web push (Chrome, Firefox, Edge on desktop) is the most restrictive: 50-character title, 120-character body, no expansion. Assume these are hard limits — anything beyond truncates silently without an expansion view.

Do emoji count as single characters in push notifications?

It depends on the emoji. Most single-codepoint emoji count as 1 character, but compound emoji (skin-tone modifiers, family units, flag emoji) can count as 4–8 due to zero-width joiners. The preview above counts them as they'd be measured by the notification client, which is the number that matters.

Can I include an image in a push notification?

Yes — iOS, Android, and Web all support rich push with images in the expanded view. Image size requirements vary: iOS accepts up to 10MB and recommends ~1038×1038px; Android recommends 2:1 aspect ratio; Web supports smaller thumbnail images. The preview above shows the image in each platform's expanded-view layout.

How do I preview a push notification before sending from Braze?

Braze's campaign composer shows a single-platform preview at a time. For a cross-platform view in one shot, paste your title and body into the preview above and toggle between iOS, Android, and Web. Catch the platforms where the notification truncates before the send.

What's the difference between collapsed and expanded push views?

Collapsed view: the notification as it appears on the lock screen or in the notification shade — typically one line of title, one line of body. Expanded view: the fuller rendering when the user long-presses (iOS) or pulls down (Android) on the notification, with rich media and the full body text. Most users only ever see the collapsed view, so design for that first.

← All apps

Push Preview

Name: Orbit
Availability: InStock
Author: Justin Williames

Preview push notification rendering across iOS, Android, and Web with character limits.

App name

Title0/65

Body0/178

App icon URL (optional)Rich push image URL (optional)

iOS Preview

App Namenow

Notification Title

Notification body text will appear here.

Character limits by platform

iOS

Title: 65

Body: 178

Android

Title: 65

Body: 240

Web

Title: 50

Body: 120

Push notification character limits and how they actually render

Every push platform truncates differently. iOS collapses at 178 body characters in the expanded view, Android holds 240, Web caps out at 120. A single notification designed without a per-platform preview lands broken on at least one operating system — and you won't see it until a user complains.

The real character limits (and why they're not what you'd expect)

iOS: titles truncate at ~65 characters, body at ~178. Notifications stretch to three lines when expanded (long-press or pull-down). Rich media — images, GIFs — render in the expanded view only. Android: titles ~65 characters, body up to 240. Android permits a full expanded view with images natively. Web push (Chrome/Firefox on desktop): strictly 50-character title, 120-character body, no expansion.

These numbers drift by a character or two across OS versions. The safest rule: title under 50, body under 120, and you're good on every platform.

Why the title is harder than the body

Title text is often rendered alongside the app icon, timestamp, and potentially a badge — particularly on iOS. Your effective visible width shrinks before any character limit kicks in. A 50-character title renders fine in an empty notification shade but gets squeezed when stacked with other notifications.

Write titles like SMS: the most informative first 30 characters, with the rest as graceful extension. 'Your order has arrived' works at 22 characters. 'Order #12345 has arrived at your doorstep and is waiting' looks fine in the preview but gets cut to 'Order #12345 has...' on a busy lock screen.

Preheader text, badges, and the stuff nobody tests

iOS and Android both render an 'app name' line above the notification. This uses your app's display name from the OS, not anything Braze controls. Badge counts on iOS (the red number on the app icon) are independent of push content — they need a separate payload field. Web push has no badges.

Deep link URLs set via Braze's 'on click action' attribute need platform-specific format validation: iOS requires your registered URL scheme, Android accepts both schemes and HTTPS, Web push needs absolute HTTPS URLs. The Orbit push preview doesn't simulate deep link behavior — it's a content preview — but always test the deep link path with a real device before sending.

What separates a good push from a sent push

Specificity. 'New content available' gets ignored. 'Sarah just replied to your comment' gets tapped. The character budget rewards specificity — every word should earn its place.

Urgency framing only works when the urgency is real. 'Your trial ends in 24 hours' is legitimate; 'Limited time offer!' fatigues the audience. And on platforms with rich media support, a relevant image doubles tap rates — but a generic stock photo halves them.

Frequently asked questions

What's the character limit for iOS push notifications?: Title: ~65 characters visible before truncation. Body: ~178 characters in the expanded view. Both numbers include emoji (each emoji counts as 1–2 characters depending on its Unicode composition). On the lock screen, only the first line is visible — the body typically truncates much earlier than its theoretical maximum because of this.
What's the character limit for Android push notifications?: Title: ~65 characters. Body: up to ~240 characters in the expanded view. Android handles expansion more gracefully than iOS — the expanded view can show several lines of body text. For a consistent cross-platform experience, cap at the iOS limits.
What's the character limit for Web push?: Web push (Chrome, Firefox, Edge on desktop) is the most restrictive: 50-character title, 120-character body, no expansion. Assume these are hard limits — anything beyond truncates silently without an expansion view.
Do emoji count as single characters in push notifications?: It depends on the emoji. Most single-codepoint emoji count as 1 character, but compound emoji (skin-tone modifiers, family units, flag emoji) can count as 4–8 due to zero-width joiners. The preview above counts them as they'd be measured by the notification client, which is the number that matters.
Can I include an image in a push notification?: Yes — iOS, Android, and Web all support rich push with images in the expanded view. Image size requirements vary: iOS accepts up to 10MB and recommends ~1038×1038px; Android recommends 2:1 aspect ratio; Web supports smaller thumbnail images. The preview above shows the image in each platform's expanded-view layout.
How do I preview a push notification before sending from Braze?: Braze's campaign composer shows a single-platform preview at a time. For a cross-platform view in one shot, paste your title and body into the preview above and toggle between iOS, Android, and Web. Catch the platforms where the notification truncates before the send.
What's the difference between collapsed and expanded push views?: Collapsed view: the notification as it appears on the lock screen or in the notification shade — typically one line of title, one line of body. Expanded view: the fuller rendering when the user long-presses (iOS) or pulls down (Android) on the notification, with rich media and the full body text. Most users only ever see the collapsed view, so design for that first.

Built into Orbit

Multichannel Orchestration skill

Orbit's orchestration skill generates push copy that respects the per-platform character limits automatically, couples push with email and in-app for coherent cross-channel moments, and tests deep links against the platforms they're targeting before anything ships.

Go deeper

Guides on this topic

The long-form guides that explain the thinking behind the tool. Written for operators who want to know not just what to do, but why.

About the Push Notification Preview

Free push notification preview tool for iOS, Android, and web. See exactly how your push will render across platforms, with character limit warnings, truncation indicators, and expanded/collapsed views. No account required.

How to use

Type your push title and body copy.
Switch between iOS, Android, and Web preview tabs.
Check the character counter. The tool flags when truncation will happen on each platform.
Iterate on copy until it looks right everywhere.

Common use cases

Drafting push copy before pasting into Braze
Sanity-checking a notification before launch
Teaching new team members about platform-specific truncation
Comparing short vs long variants visually

Who it's for

Mobile lifecycle marketers, CRM managers, and growth teams sending push notifications.

Frequently asked questions

What are the push notification character limits?: iOS: ~178 characters visible in the expanded view, ~62 on the lock screen. Android: varies by device but roughly 65 characters for title + body combined in collapsed view. Web push: ~120 characters total on most browsers.
Why do pushes look different on iOS vs Android?: iOS uses a card layout with title, body, and optional image. Android uses a row-based system with aggressive truncation on the lock screen. Web push is browser-controlled and least flexible.
Does this tool send real push notifications?: No. It's a visual preview only. Send real pushes through your ESP (Braze, Iterable, etc.).
Can I preview rich media pushes?: The current version focuses on title and body. For rich media (images, actions), send a test push from Braze to a real device.

Related Orbit tools

Using Claude?

Orbit writes push copy that fits every platform. Natively.

Inside Orbit for Claude, the SMS and Push Playbook skills draft copy that respects iOS, Android, and Web truncation thresholds from the start. Claude checks character counts, platform-specific rendering, and deep-link formats before the push ever reaches Braze. Free for everyone — the Claude extension is the power-user upgrade, not a gated feature.

Orbit web apps