Mobile Push messages and In-App messages are both used in mobile applications and both require the Mapp mobile SDK. However, they work differently.
The main difference is how the message reaches the user.
Mobile Push messages
Mobile Push messages are created in Mapp Engage and actively sent to a user’s mobile device.
They behave similarly to email in the sense that Mapp Engage sends the message to a specific recipient endpoint. For mobile Push messages, that endpoint is the user’s registered mobile device and application.
A Push message can appear on the device without the user opening or interacting with the mobile application at that moment. The device must have the registered application installed and must be able to receive push notifications.
Delivery and reporting numbers may not always match the expected audience size. This can happen for several reasons, including device status, notification permissions, expired tokens, or other delivery restrictions.
There may be issues where the number of received messages does not match the expected audience, which is explained here.
In-App messages
In-App messages are also created in Mapp Engage, but they are not actively pushed to the user’s device in the same way as Push messages.
An In-App message is made available for the registered mobile application. The message is retrieved from Mapp Engage when the user opens or interacts with the mobile app.
This means an In-App message depends on user activity inside the application. If the user does not open or use the application, the message may not be retrieved or displayed.
Practical impact
Mobile Push messages can reach users even when they are not actively using the app, provided the device and application can receive push notifications.
In-App messages can only be shown when the user interacts with the application and the app retrieves the available message.
Because of this difference, In-App messages may have lower display or engagement rates than Push messages for the same or similar audience. This does not necessarily mean the audience selection was incorrect. It may mean that fewer users opened or interacted with the application during the relevant period.