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How to Fix Notification Delays on Android

Apr 17, 2015 08:38 PM
Smartphone home screen displaying Google search bar and clock.

Ever feel like you're receiving notifications way too late on your Android device? Many Android apps use Google's Cloud Messaging service to send and receive notifications, including Hangouts, Gmail, Pushbullet, Facebook, and even WhatsApp to an extent.

To ensure that your phone is always connected to the Google Cloud Messaging service (or GCM Push, for short), a heartbeat exchange is used. Think of this like your phone occasionally asking GCM Push, "Hey, are you still there?," and in most circumstances, GCM Push responds, and the connection is maintained.

But this heartbeat exchange only takes place every 15 minutes on Wi-Fi and 28 minutes on mobile data. That's fine for a lot of folks, but some carriers and internet providers will sever all idle connections after 5 to 10 minutes. If this happens, your phone is no longer connected to the GCM Push service, and the connection won't be re-established until the next heartbeat is scheduled to take place, which in extreme cases, can be up to 23 minutes.

From an end-user standpoint, this means your notifications can be delayed for up to 23 minutes in some circumstances. So developer andQlimax created an app that will lower the GCM Push heartbeat interval, resulting in fewer disconnections, and ultimately, fixing many delayed notification issues.

Install Push Notifications Fixer

To get this one going, your Android device will need to be rooted. For more information on that topic, please see our always-updated root guide.

The app that will fix most notification delay issues is called Push Notifications Fixer, and it's available on the Google Play Store for free. Search the app by name to get it installed, or head directly to the install page at this link.

Root - Push Notifications Fixer app interface on Android.

Set the Heartbeat Intervals

When you first launch Push Notifications Fixer, the app will ask for Superuser access. Tap "Grant" on this popup, then you'll be taken to the app's main menu.

How to Fix Notification Delays on Android
Mobile hotspot settings and service monitor options on a smartphone interface.
How to Fix Notification Delays on Android
Mobile hotspot settings and service monitor options on a smartphone interface.

From here, tap "Mobile heartbeat interval" to adjust the frequency at which GCM Push checks its connection while you're on mobile data. The default setting of 6 minutes should work for most folks, but you can go higher or lower if you'd like.

Mobile internal settings menu with options for heat status and service monitoring.
Mobile heartbeat interval selection options with 6 minutes recommended.
Mobile internal settings menu with options for heat status and service monitoring.
Mobile heartbeat interval selection options with 6 minutes recommended.

Next, tap the "Wi-Fi heartbeat interval" option to adjust the GCM Push heartbeat frequency for the times you're connected to a Wi-Fi network. Again, you can go higher or lower if you want, but the default setting of 5 minutes should work for most people.

Mobile heartbeat internal settings for monitoring and applying changes.
Wi-Fi heartbeat interval settings with options from 1 to 9 minutes, 5 minutes recommended.
Mobile heartbeat internal settings for monitoring and applying changes.
Wi-Fi heartbeat interval settings with options from 1 to 9 minutes, 5 minutes recommended.

Apply the Changes & Reboot

With the heartbeat intervals set to your liking, tap the "Apply settings" entry in the main menu. Push Notifications Fixer will inform you that you'll have to either toggle your network radios off and on, or simply reboot your phone. To be on the safe side, I'd recommend that you reboot your phone at this point.

How to Fix Notification Delays on Android
How to Fix Notification Delays on Android
How to Fix Notification Delays on Android
How to Fix Notification Delays on Android

When you get back up, no further interaction is required. GCM Push will use your new intervals to check its connection from now on, so most notification delay issues should now be a thing of the past.

Has this app cured all of your notification delay woes on Android? Let us know in the comment section below, or drop us a line on Android Hacks' Facebook or Twitter, or Gadget Hacks' Facebook, Google+, or Twitter.

The next big software update for iPhone is coming sometime in April and will include a Food section in Apple News+, an easy-to-miss new Ambient Music app, Priority Notifications thanks to Apple Intelligence, and updates to apps like Mail, Photos, Podcasts, and Safari. See what else is coming to your iPhone with the iOS 18.4 update.

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