Push notifications · 6 limits
iOS shows one line of title and up to four lines of body on the lock screen; a collapsed Android notification shows one line of each. Here are the limits, with a preview for each.
Last reviewed · How we measure
| Screen | Limit | When it’s too long | Where the number comes from | Reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iOS push titleiPhone lock screen | about 40 characters (295px) | Cut on screen with “…” | Measured on devices · source | |
| iOS push bodyiPhone lock screen | about 149 characters (1084px over 4 lines) | Cut on screen with “…” | Measured on devices · source | |
| Android push titleAndroid notification shade | about 40 characters (256px) | Cut on screen with “…” | Truncly model · source | |
| Android push body (collapsed)Android notification shade | about 40 characters (256px) | Cut on screen with “…” | Truncly model · source | |
| Web push title (Chrome, macOS)Chrome on macOS | 43 characters | Cut on screen with “…” | Measured on devices · source | |
| Web push body (Chrome, macOS)Chrome on macOS | 86 characters | Cut on screen with “…” | Measured on devices · source |
Push notifications aren’t cut at a fixed character count. The room depends on the phone, its text-size setting and whether notifications are grouped, so every number here is a typical phone at the default text size. Treat it as the best case.
The first line does the work. Most people glance at the lock screen without expanding, so put the action and any offer in the title or the first line of the body.
FAQ
One line of title (reported at 25 to 50 characters depending on the letters) and about 150 characters of body over four lines before iOS cuts it.
Collapsed, yes: one line of title and one line of text, around 40 characters each on a typical phone. Expanded notifications show more, but most people never expand them.
Yes. With a larger system text size, fewer characters fit on each line, so leave some room.