At Which Onboarding Step Do Apps Ask for Notifications?
- By Ali Abouelatta
- n = 26
- Published
- Updated
- 2 min read
- notifications · onboarding · mobile · ux-patterns
Short answer
Across 26 tracked flows containing a notification-permission screen, the ask lands at an average step of 2.9 (median 2) in flows that average 5.6 steps — roughly 64% of the way through source[1]. But the timing is bimodal: 13 of 26 flows (50%) put the first ask at step 1, while the rest defer it past step 3 source[2]. There is no single 'correct' step; apps split into ask-immediately and earn-it-first camps.
Half of apps that ask for notifications (13 of 26 flows) put the request at step 1, while the median across all flows is step 2 — Lazyweb Research, July 2026.
Bar chart · Share
Share — The distribution is bimodal
One block is about 1.8%
- Step 1
- 50%
- Step 2
- 8%
- Step 3
- 12%
- Steps 4-5
- 15%
- Step 6+
- 15%
The finding
Across 39 step occurrences in 26 flows, the notification-permission screen sits at an average step of 2.9 and a median of 2, in flows averaging 5.6 steps — an average relative position of 0.643, about 64% of the way through source[1]. The mean is pulled up by a minority of apps that defer the ask deep into onboarding.
The distribution is bimodal
| First-ask step | Flows | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | 13 | 50% |
| Step 2 | 2 | 8% |
| Step 3 | 3 | 12% |
| Steps 4-5 | 4 | 15% |
| Step 6+ | 4 | 15% |
Half of flows open on the ask; the other half spread across later steps source[2]. This is the headline: there is no dominant single step, so benchmarking to 'the average' hides a real strategic fork.
How to apply it
If your onboarding delivers a clear value moment early (a completed setup, first content), deferring the ask to step 3+ puts you with the ~40% of flows that ask after establishing value. If your app's core loop depends on notifications from the first session (messaging, alerts), the step-1 camp is well-populated. Pick a camp deliberately rather than landing on step 2 by default.
Caveats
This rests on 26 flows — a small sample; lead with the counts, not the decimals source[1]. Flow step positions come from ROW_NUMBER over tracked flows, which reflect captured screens, not necessarily every screen a user sees. Most permission screens also live in flows not named 'onboarding' (22 of 26 notification flows), so 'onboarding step' is a position observation, not a journey guarantee source[3].
Real in-market screens
Screens from real, in-market apps, tracked by Lazyweb Research.
Accuweather1206 × 2622opens the full image 
Wizz1179 × 2556opens the full image 
Merlin Bird1206 × 2622opens the full image 
Opentable1206 × 2622opens the full image
The numbers
| # | Stat | Computed from |
|---|---|---|
| [1] | avg step 2.9, median 2, relative position 0.643; 39 occurrences across 26 flows; flows average 5.6 steps | notification_position_in_flows: ROW_NUMBER-ranked flow_steps joined to notification screens |
| [2] | First ask at step 1 in 13 flows, step 2 in 2, step 3 in 3, steps 4-5 in 4, step 6+ in 4 (n=26) | notification_first_ask_step_distribution: per-flow MIN(rn), bucketed |
| [3] | 22 non-onboarding vs 4 onboarding-named notification flows | onboarding_flow_membership: GROUP BY flow_name ~ 'onboard' |
Methodology
Universe: 26 tracked flows (of 2,468) containing a notification-permission screen, July 2026. Step positions via ROW_NUMBER partitioned by flow; small sample, so absolute counts lead and percentages are flow-level only.
Sources
- [1]
Lazyweb Research analysis of 26 flows (mobile-app corpus, 2,468 tracked flows), July 2026
Notification-permission screens positioned via ROW_NUMBER within tracked flows; small flow sample.
- [2]
Lazyweb Research analysis of 26 flows (first-ask distribution), July 2026
Per-flow MIN step of the first notification-permission screen, bucketed.
- [3]
Lazyweb Research analysis of 26 flows (flow-name membership), July 2026
flow_name is free text; 'onboarding-named' is a labeling artifact.
Source: Lazyweb Research — proprietary analysis of real, in-market app screens. Cite as Lazyweb Research, 2026-07-07.