Facebook push notifications now available via Chrome, no official app needed

With the introduction of the Chrome Push API, Google made it possible for websites to push notifications through their popular mobile browser. This proves to be a huge step for many web developers and companies, as they no longer have to make users download an app in order to get updates on the latest happenings. Facebook has now joined the party after working with the Search Giant to bring convenient alerts to web users. This Facebook notification feature is live on Chrome and can be activated at will!

Now, we know what you are thinking: why not just get the app? And that is a legit doubt for many of us tech geeks with ample internet and storage availability, but there’s definitely plenty of people out there who would rather use the web version of the social network. First, remember the Facebook app is huge; in my phone it weighs in at 210 MB and an extra 135 MB of additional data. That is a lot of space for someone who’s phone storage space is limited.

In addition, the Facebook website is known for being faster, less data hungry and not requiring any updates. It’s actually a very popular solution in emerging markets, which is why this feature’s introduction is much more exciting than many of us would believe.

Those who want to take advantage of Facebook push notifications via Chrome can do so very easily. Let’s run you through the steps.

How to get Facebook push notifications through Chrome:

1. Before anything, let’s make sure your Chrome app is updated to the latest version. You can check this at the Google Play Store.
2. If all is good to go, simply open the Chrome app on your Android smartphone.
3. Go to m.facebook.com and sign into your account.
4. A request to allow push notifications should show up. Tap on the “Allow” button.
5. You are done! You can also double check by tapping on the 3-dot menu button, going to Settings > Site Settings > Notifications and seeing if Facebook is in the “Allowed” section.

This is an important stepping stone for a better future in mobile communications. Not that native apps are going anywhere, but it’s obvious not every company needs a whole app, and they may still want to get in touch with users when an important notification becomes available. Now it’s possible to do this straight from the most popular browser in the world.

Have any of you guys tried this? Is it something you will be using every day? Hit the comments and let us know! By the way, I have Facebook notifications active on Chrome and it works like a charm.