So let's set the table here. Facebook Push Notifications are the golden egg that we're all looking for. Well after reading this you can go obsess about something else...finally (I know I will). I have been beyond frustrated with the chaos that has surrounded this subject. I've spent way too many hours reading and reading then reading some more. I am proud to say that I finally cracked the elusive Facebook Push problem.
I switched from Verizon to Sprint last week (work decision) so I went from a Droid Incredible to a EVO 3D. I was hoping that my Push notification would work when I switched since they never had. To my dismay they did not. My daughter went from a BB Curve to the Motorola XPRT and her FB push notifications worked! She always would always say "Dad you're phone's not so Incredible now, is it?" So when I got my EVO 3D and it didn't work I really became obsessed. After comparing settings on both phones and Facebook settings I found the one anomaly. The list of authorized apps within Facebook (Account dropdown>Account Settings>Applications on the right side of the page) on the computer showed "Facebook for BlackBerry Smartphones" on hers but not mine. It's so simple yet outside of the box. The key is BlackBerry permissions! I am willing to bet that everyone who has working notifications on Android came from a BlackBerry. Okay onto the good stuff.
- Find someone with a working BlackBerry. This could be a friend or any store that has activated demo phones.
- Using the Facebook app on the BB log into your account and wait for your stuff to start appearing. I did not log into email or anything else, just FB.
- After you see your Newsfeed updated with your information simply log out.
- Go into your FB settings on your Android phone and check the Notifications box. The refresh interval doesn't matter (it can even be set to Never).
- Notifications should start appearing as you get them (Comments, Wall Posts, Pokes, Likes, Messages, etc.)
I did notice a couple of things that I hope get improved in the notification process. Messages and Friend Requests have their own separate icons for notifications just as they always have. Comments, Wall Posts, , Tagging, Pokes and Likes all share the new notification icon that you will start seeing. Because of this if someone pokes you and then you get a comment or whatever, your Poke notification is gone (I'm assuming because the FB App doesn't officially support Poking yet therefore it doesn't know how to handle that notification) and won't know who poked you. Also if you should happen to click on the poke notification doesn't take you anywhere useful, just the list of notifications (for the same reasons listed in the previous sentence). This is a small sacrifice for now. If someone tags you in a post (I assume a picture will be the same way) you also will still get an email notification to whatever email you use. Just an FYI on that.
For the record I am on Sprint using a nonrooted HTC EVO 3D running 2.3.3 and Facebook is version 1.6.3. I do not believe the carrier, phone model, OS or Facebook version matter but I know there are those out there who want to know this type of stuff.
Mods if you feel that this should be moved to a new location please feel free. I wonder if this will make it to "sticky status"
p.s. I'm posting it here first because I consider this my "home" Android website for information and news. No disrespect to all of the other great sites out there.
UPDATE: Others have pointed out that this technique will also work using an Apple device instead of a BlackBerry. I wanted to put it here so it's seen without having to read through page after page thus saving you time.
I switched from Verizon to Sprint last week (work decision) so I went from a Droid Incredible to a EVO 3D. I was hoping that my Push notification would work when I switched since they never had. To my dismay they did not. My daughter went from a BB Curve to the Motorola XPRT and her FB push notifications worked! She always would always say "Dad you're phone's not so Incredible now, is it?" So when I got my EVO 3D and it didn't work I really became obsessed. After comparing settings on both phones and Facebook settings I found the one anomaly. The list of authorized apps within Facebook (Account dropdown>Account Settings>Applications on the right side of the page) on the computer showed "Facebook for BlackBerry Smartphones" on hers but not mine. It's so simple yet outside of the box. The key is BlackBerry permissions! I am willing to bet that everyone who has working notifications on Android came from a BlackBerry. Okay onto the good stuff.
- Find someone with a working BlackBerry. This could be a friend or any store that has activated demo phones.
- Using the Facebook app on the BB log into your account and wait for your stuff to start appearing. I did not log into email or anything else, just FB.
- After you see your Newsfeed updated with your information simply log out.
- Go into your FB settings on your Android phone and check the Notifications box. The refresh interval doesn't matter (it can even be set to Never).
- Notifications should start appearing as you get them (Comments, Wall Posts, Pokes, Likes, Messages, etc.)
I did notice a couple of things that I hope get improved in the notification process. Messages and Friend Requests have their own separate icons for notifications just as they always have. Comments, Wall Posts, , Tagging, Pokes and Likes all share the new notification icon that you will start seeing. Because of this if someone pokes you and then you get a comment or whatever, your Poke notification is gone (I'm assuming because the FB App doesn't officially support Poking yet therefore it doesn't know how to handle that notification) and won't know who poked you. Also if you should happen to click on the poke notification doesn't take you anywhere useful, just the list of notifications (for the same reasons listed in the previous sentence). This is a small sacrifice for now. If someone tags you in a post (I assume a picture will be the same way) you also will still get an email notification to whatever email you use. Just an FYI on that.
For the record I am on Sprint using a nonrooted HTC EVO 3D running 2.3.3 and Facebook is version 1.6.3. I do not believe the carrier, phone model, OS or Facebook version matter but I know there are those out there who want to know this type of stuff.
Mods if you feel that this should be moved to a new location please feel free. I wonder if this will make it to "sticky status"
p.s. I'm posting it here first because I consider this my "home" Android website for information and news. No disrespect to all of the other great sites out there.
UPDATE: Others have pointed out that this technique will also work using an Apple device instead of a BlackBerry. I wanted to put it here so it's seen without having to read through page after page thus saving you time.
Last edited:
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram