In-app messages - Overview
What are in-app messages?
In-app messages appear inside your mobile app while a user is actively engaged. These overlay-style messages display as banners, pop-ups, or cards directly on top of the app interface. They do not appear on the lock screen or outside the app environment.
In-app messages are triggered by specific user actions or conditions — such as viewing a particular screen, completing a purchase, or qualifying for a targeted audience segment.
Examples include:
- A game showing a pop-up introducing a new feature the moment the user unlocks it.
- A shopping app displaying a banner with a coupon code while the user browses products.
- A social app suggesting new accounts to follow based on current activity
Use Cases
Benefits
Why
Example Use Cases
High user engagement
Captures users while they’re active in the app, ensuring higher visibility and action
- Onboarding walkthroughs
- Feature announcements
- Real-time support popups
Contextually relevant
Allows messages to be triggered by user behavior, making them timely and personalized
- Upsell after feature use
- Inactivity nudges
- Error or success messages
Real-time delivery
Enables immediate communication for time-sensitive or critical updates
- System outages
- Transaction confirmations
- Payment failures
No dependency on external channels
Keeps the user experience contained within your product without relying on email/SMS
- Tutorial completion reminders
- Trial expiry alerts
Better conversion potential
Messages placed in-context convert better than off-platform messages
- Upgrade prompts after hitting plan limits
- In-app surveys
Customization & segmentation
Can be personalized based on user data or app events
- Messages tailored to user tier or activity level
- Role-specific alerts
Non-intrusive (when designed well)
Allows subtle yet effective communication without breaking user flow
- Tooltips
- Slide-ins with updates
- Chat widget nudges
When not to use in-app communication
- User is not actively using the app
In-app messages won’t be seen if the user isn’t currently logged in or engaging with your product. Use email or push instead. - Critical or time-sensitive issues requiring immediate attention
For urgent messages (e.g., security alerts, payment failures), use channels that can reach the user outside the app, like SMS or email. - Regulatory or legal communications
Compliance-related messages (e.g., terms updates, policy changes) may require delivery and read confirmation — better suited to email. - Account reactivation or win-back campaigns
If the user is inactive or churned, they won’t see in-app messages. Use re-engagement campaigns via email or push notifications. - High-volume transactional updates
Notifications like shipping updates or receipts are often better sent via email for archival and convenience. - Overuse leads to banner blindness or annoyance
Bombarding users with too many in-app messages can hurt UX and lead to frustration or ignored messages. - No connectivity / offline scenarios
In-app relies on the user being online and in-session — it won’t help in offline-first environments.
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