App Notification Preferences & Controls Study

Thank you for participating in this study about app notification preferences. This survey takes approximately 12 minutes to complete. Your participation is entirely voluntary, and you may stop at any time. There are no right or wrong answers—we are simply interested in your honest opinions. All responses are confidential, anonymized, and will be reported only in aggregate for internal product research purposes.

In the past 30 days, which types of devices have shown you app notifications? Select all that apply.

• iOS phone or tablet
• Android phone or tablet
• Windows PC
• macOS
• Web browser (site notifications)
• Smartwatch or wearable
• Other (please specify)

For routine updates (e.g., activity summaries, status changes), which delivery channels do you prefer? Select all that apply.

• Mobile push notification
• Email
• SMS / text message
• In-app only (no push)
• Desktop notification
• Wearable notification
• Other (please specify)

How important is it to you to have fine-grained control over notifications (e.g., by category, feature, or sender)?

When installing a new app, which default notification stance do you prefer?

• Everything off until I opt in
• Only critical and direct messages on
• Suggested categories on (based on common preferences)
• Everything on

Rank the following notification categories from most to least important for being enabled by default (drag to reorder, top = most important).

1. Security or critical alerts
2. Direct messages and mentions
3. Reminders and calendar
4. Social / activity updates
5. Marketing or promotions
6. Recommendations or tips

Overall, how satisfied are you with the notification controls available to you across the apps you use?

What is your age group?

• 18–24
• 25–34
• 35–44
• 45–54
• 55–64
• 65+
• Prefer not to say

Thank you for completing this survey. Your feedback will directly inform how we design notification controls. Your responses are confidential and will be reported only in aggregate.

Approximately how many different apps did you change notification settings for in the past 30 days?

• None
• 1
• 2–3
• 4–5
• 6–10
• More than 10

Which levels of notification control would you like to have available? Select all that apply.

• Global on/off for the entire app
• By broad categories (e.g., marketing, activity)
• By specific features or event types
• Per sender or conversation
• By device (phone, desktop, watch)
• By time window (quiet hours or schedule)
• Other (please specify)

When you first start using a new app, how should it ask you to enable notifications?

• Ask on first app open
• Ask when I do something relevant (e.g., send a message)
• Start silent and prompt me later based on my usage
• Show a short notification setup wizard
• Don't ask — I'll find settings myself

Rank the following notification control features from most to least useful to you (drag to reorder, top = most useful).

1. Per-conversation mute
2. Snooze for a set number of hours
3. Schedule quiet times
4. Keyword or priority filters
5. Category toggles
6. Per-device overrides

How likely are you to recommend your current primary app's notification controls to a friend or colleague?

How do you describe your gender?

• Woman
• Man
• Non-binary
• Prefer to self-describe
• Prefer not to say

How often did you adjust any app notification settings in the past 30 days?

• Not at all
• 1 time
• 2–3 times
• 4–5 times
• 6+ times

In the past 30 days, which quiet-time or interruption controls have you used? Select all that apply.

• I set a daily quiet-hours schedule
• I set weekend or custom schedules
• I used ad-hoc Do Not Disturb
• I temporarily snoozed specific threads or apps
• I don't use quiet hours or schedules
• Other (please specify)

For critical or security notifications (e.g., login alerts, payment confirmations), what should the default behavior be when you first use an app?

• Push notification and email — both on by default
• Push notification only — on by default
• Email only — on by default
• Off by default — let me opt in
• No preference

We'd like to understand more about your ideal notification experience. What would the perfect notification system look like for you?

Which country do you currently live in?

• United States
• United Kingdom
• Canada
• Australia
• Germany
• France
• India
• Brazil
• Japan
• Mexico
• Other (please specify)

For social or activity notifications (e.g., likes, comments, follows), what should the default behavior be when you first use an app?

• Push notification — on by default
• In-app badge or feed only — no push
• Grouped daily digest
• Off by default — let me opt in
• No preference

Based on your responses in this survey, please share any additional thoughts or feelings about managing app notifications.

What is the highest level of education you have completed?

• Less than high school
• High school or equivalent
• Some college, no degree
• Associate degree
• Bachelor's degree
• Master's degree
• Doctorate
• Professional degree (e.g., JD, MD)
• Prefer not to say

For marketing or promotional notifications (e.g., sales, new features, recommendations), what should the default behavior be when you first use an app?

• Push notification — on by default
• Email only — on by default
• In-app only — no push or email
• Off by default — let me opt in
• No preference

What is your current employment status?

• Full-time
• Part-time
• Self-employed
• Student
• Not employed
• Retired
• Prefer not to say

For low-priority updates (e.g., tips, recommendations, weekly summaries), what default delivery method do you prefer?

• Real-time push notification
• Grouped into a daily or weekly digest
• In-app badge or notification center only
• Email summary
• Don't send these at all by default