Notification Badge
The small red circle, usually with a number, shown on an app icon to signal unread items or pending notifications.
Definition
A notification badge is the indicator an operating system draws on an app's icon to show that something is waiting inside: unread messages, new activity or pending tasks. On iPhone and iPad it is a red circle with a number. On Android it appears as a notification dot, available since Android 8.0, and some launchers also show a count. Badges also appear inside apps, on tabs and menu items, using the same pattern.
Why It Matters
Badges are a quiet but powerful re-engagement cue: an unread count on the home screen pulls people back without a sound or banner. They also create anxiety and clutter when they never clear, and many users switch badges off for apps that inflate them. A badge count that matches something real, unread messages or an action waiting, keeps its pull. A badge that counts promotions trains users to ignore it.
How It Works
On iOS, the badge number is set through the badge field in a push payload or by the app itself, and setting it to 0 clears it. The app must have permission for badges, which is requested together with alerts and sounds. On Android, the dot appears automatically while the app has active notifications in a channel that allows badges, and the count reflects those notifications unless the app sets a number. Apps should update or clear the badge when the user reads the items it counts.
Example
A team chat app badges its icon with the number of unread direct messages and mentions, but not with general channel activity. When the user opens the conversations, the app clears the count locally and on the server, so the next push carries the correct total.
Best Practices
- 1Count only items that need the user's attention, such as unread messages or pending approvals
- 2Clear or decrease the badge as soon as the user reads the items
- 3Keep the server and device counts in sync so pushes do not reset the badge to a wrong number
- 4Do not set a badge for promotional messages
- 5Respect users who disable badges and do not rely on them for critical information
Badges on iOS vs Android
| iOS | Android | |
|---|---|---|
| Look | Red circle with a number | Dot, count on some launchers |
| Set by | Push payload or the app | Active notifications, or the app |
| Cleared by | Setting the count to 0 | Dismissing notifications |
| User control | Per app in Settings | Per app and per channel |