Notifications
Booker keeps you informed with real-time notifications so you never miss a new booking or payment. Notifications appear via the bell icon in your app header — no need to keep refreshing.
How it works
Section titled “How it works”When something happens that you didn’t initiate yourself, Booker creates an in-app notification and delivers it in real time via a WebSocket connection. You’ll see the bell icon badge update instantly.
Events that create notifications
Section titled “Events that create notifications”| Event | Notification | What you see |
|---|---|---|
| Client books online | Yes | ”New Online Booking — Alice booked Haircut for 2 April” |
| Client pays via payment link | Yes | ”Payment Received — £45.00 from Bob Smith” |
| You create an appointment | No | Your own actions don’t generate notifications |
| You update or cancel an appointment | No | Only client-initiated events trigger notifications |
The notification bell
Section titled “The notification bell”The bell icon sits in the top-right of the app header, visible on both desktop and mobile.
- Badge — a red count appears when you have unread notifications
- Click — opens a dropdown panel with your recent notifications
- Click a notification — navigates to the relevant page and marks it as read
- Mark all read — clears all unread indicators at once
Push notifications
Section titled “Push notifications”Booker can send you push notifications even when the app is closed or in the background — but you need to allow notifications when your browser asks.
Enabling push notifications
Section titled “Enabling push notifications”When you first open Booker, your browser will show a prompt asking “Allow notifications?” — tap Allow to receive push notifications on that device. If you dismiss or block the prompt, you won’t receive push notifications until you re-enable them.
If you missed the prompt or blocked it, you can re-enable notifications in your browser settings:
- Chrome — tap the lock/tune icon in the address bar → Site settings → Notifications → Allow
- Safari (Mac) — Safari → Settings → Websites → Notifications → find Booker → Allow
- iOS (iPhone/iPad) — go to Settings → Booker → Notifications → Allow Notifications. The app must be installed to your home screen first (see below)
- Android — long-press the Booker app icon → App info → Notifications → toggle on
How push notifications work
Section titled “How push notifications work”- Works when closed — you’ll receive a notification on your device even if you’re not using Booker
- Tap to open — tapping a push notification opens the app and takes you straight to the relevant appointment
- Per-device — push notifications work on every device where you’ve installed the app and granted permission. You need to allow notifications on each device separately
Real-time updates
Section titled “Real-time updates”Booker uses a WebSocket connection to push updates to your browser in real time. This means:
- Notifications appear instantly — no waiting for the next poll
- Your dashboard stays fresh — when a client books online, your calendar and appointment list update automatically
- Works across tabs — updates appear in all open tabs simultaneously
The connection is established automatically when you log in. If your connection drops (e.g., you lose internet briefly), Booker reconnects and catches up on anything you missed.
Frequently asked questions
Section titled “Frequently asked questions”Do I get notifications for my own actions? No. If you create, update, or cancel an appointment yourself, you won’t receive a notification — you already know about it. Notifications are only for things that happen without you in the app.
Can I turn off push notifications? You can revoke notification permission in your browser or device settings at any time. In-app notifications (the bell icon) are always on. To re-enable push notifications later, follow the steps in the “Enabling push notifications” section above.
Do notifications expire? Notifications are kept in your inbox indefinitely. You can mark them as read individually or all at once.
Do push notifications work on all devices? Push notifications work on Android, desktop browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Edge), and iOS 16.4+ (when installed to the home screen). Safari on macOS is also supported.