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Notification Types

BookWish sends notifications for various activities across the platform. Understanding each type helps you stay informed about what matters most to you.

Social Notifications​

Social notifications keep you connected with other readers and your reading community.

New Follower​

Icon: Teal person icon When: Someone follows your profile Details:

  • Shows the follower's name and username
  • Tap to view their profile
  • See what books they're reading and sharing

Example: "Sarah Johnson (@sarahreads) started following you"

Line Like​

Icon: Coral heart icon When: Someone likes one of your lines (quotes/passages you've shared) Details:

  • Shows who liked your line
  • Preview of which line was liked
  • Tap to view the full line and responses

Example: "Michael Chen liked your line from 'The Great Gatsby'"

Review Like​

Icon: Coral heart icon When: Someone likes your book review Details:

  • Shows who liked your review
  • Which book the review was for
  • Tap to view the full review and discussion

Example: "Emma Wilson liked your review of 'Pride and Prejudice'"

Line Reply​

Icon: Blue chat bubble icon When: Someone replies to one of your shared lines Details:

  • Shows who replied
  • Preview of their reply
  • Tap to view the full conversation
  • You can reply directly from the notification

Example: "David Kim replied to your line: 'This quote really resonates...'"

Order Notifications​

Stay informed about your book purchases and shipments.

Order Update​

Icon: Teal checkmark seal icon When: Your order status changes Possible statuses:

  • Order Confirmed: Your order has been received
  • Processing: The store is preparing your order
  • Ready for Pickup: Your order is ready (in-store pickup)
  • Shipped: Your order has been shipped (online orders)
  • Delivered: Your package has arrived
  • Cancelled: The order was cancelled
  • Refunded: You've received a refund

Details:

  • Order number
  • Store name
  • Status update message
  • Tracking information (if shipped)
  • Tap to view full order details

Example: "Your order #1234 from Riverside Books has shipped"

Stock Notifications​

Never miss a book you've been waiting for.

Stock Alert​

Icon: Amber bell icon When: A book you're watching becomes available at your home store Details:

  • Book title and author
  • Store name and location
  • Current price
  • Link to purchase
  • Tap to view the book page

Example: "Good news! 'Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow' is now in stock at Downtown Books"

Related: See Stock Alerts for how to set up and manage alerts.

Book Club Notifications​

Stay engaged with your reading groups.

Club Invite​

Icon: Blue people icon When: Someone invites you to join their book club Details:

  • Club name and description
  • Who invited you
  • Current book being read
  • Number of members
  • Accept or decline directly from notification

Example: "Jane Doe invited you to join 'Mystery Lovers Book Club'"

Club Book Added​

Icon: Blue book icon When: A new book is added to a club you're in Details:

  • Book title and author
  • Club name
  • Who added the book
  • When discussions will start
  • Tap to view book details and join discussion

Example: "'The Silent Patient' was added to Science Fiction Readers Club"

Club Discussion Activity​

While browsing clubs, you may see activity indicators for:

  • New discussion posts
  • Upcoming reading deadlines
  • Meeting reminders

These aren't separate notifications but appear as activity updates in the club feed.

Reading Challenge Notifications​

Track your progress and stay motivated.

Challenge Start​

Icon: Amber flag icon When: A reading challenge you've joined begins Details:

  • Challenge name and goal
  • Start date and duration
  • Number of participants
  • Tap to view challenge details and track progress

Example: "Your '2024 Reading Challenge' starts today! Goal: 52 books"

Challenge Ending​

Icon: Amber flag icon When: A challenge you're participating in is about to end Details:

  • Challenge name
  • Days remaining
  • Your current progress
  • How close you are to your goal
  • Tap to see final standings

Example: "Only 3 days left in 'Summer Reading Challenge'! You're at 8/10 books"

Challenge Milestones​

While not separate notifications, you may see in-app celebratory messages when you:

  • Complete a challenge goal
  • Reach 25%, 50%, 75% milestones
  • Rank in the top participants

Store Notifications (For Bookstore Owners)​

If you're a bookstore owner, you'll receive additional notification types:

New Order​

When a customer places an order at your store

Low Stock Alert​

When inventory for a popular item is running low

Trade-In Request​

When a customer submits books for trade-in evaluation

Note: These notifications are only visible to users with bookstore owner accounts.

Notification Behavior​

Unread Indicators​

Unread notifications appear with:

  • Blue dot on the right side
  • Light teal background in the list
  • Bold title text
  • Included in the bell icon badge count

Marking as Read​

Notifications are marked as read when you:

  • Tap on the notification
  • Use "Mark all read" in the notifications dropdown
  • Manually swipe to mark individual ones (mobile)

Notification Persistence​

  • Notifications remain in your list after being read
  • They're sorted by newest first
  • You can scroll back to review old notifications
  • No automatic deletion unless you dismiss them

Dismissing Notifications​

Currently, notifications are not individually dismissible. They remain in your notification list for reference. Future updates may add this capability.

Notification Settings​

Control which notifications you receive:

  1. Push Notifications: Toggle in Settings > Preferences

    • When ON: Receive all notification types as push alerts
    • When OFF: Still viewable in-app, but no push alerts

  2. Email Notifications: Toggle in Settings > Preferences

    • Weekly digest of activity
    • Important account updates
    • Order confirmations

  3. System Permissions: Control in device settings

    • iOS: Settings > BookWish > Notifications
    • Android: Settings > Apps > BookWish > Notifications

Tips for Managing Notifications​

For Heavy Users​

If you're very active on BookWish:

  • Keep push notifications on for time-sensitive items (orders, stock alerts)
  • Check the in-app notification center regularly
  • Use "Mark all read" to clear your list periodically

For Casual Users​

If you check BookWish less frequently:

  • Enable email notifications for important updates
  • Turn off push notifications for social activity
  • Keep stock alerts and order updates enabled

For Book Club Leaders​

If you run book clubs:

  • Keep club notifications enabled
  • Respond promptly to member activity
  • Check notifications before meetings

For Bookstore Owners​

If you own a bookstore:

  • Keep order notifications enabled
  • Set up critical alerts for inventory issues
  • Respond quickly to customer inquiries

Troubleshooting​

Too Many Notifications​

If you're overwhelmed:

  1. Disable push notifications for less critical types
  2. Keep email notifications for summaries
  3. Check the app on your schedule rather than reacting to every push

Missing Important Notifications​

If you're missing key updates:

  1. Verify push notifications are enabled
  2. Check device notification settings
  3. Ensure BookWish has notification permissions
  4. Check your spam folder for email notifications

Notification Sounds​

Control notification sounds in your device settings:

  • iOS: Settings > Notifications > BookWish > Sounds
  • Android: Settings > Apps > BookWish > Notifications > Sound

BookWish uses the system default notification sound, customizable per your device preferences.

Privacy and Data​

What Information Is Shared​

Notification data includes:

  • Activity type (follow, like, reply, etc.)
  • Actor (who performed the action)
  • Context (which book, line, or item)
  • Timestamp

What's Not Shared​

BookWish never shares through notifications:

  • Your reading progress
  • Your purchase history with other users
  • Your private notes or highlights
  • Your wishlist contents

Notification Delivery​

  • Notifications are delivered through secure encrypted channels
  • Push notification tokens are stored securely
  • We comply with iOS and Android notification best practices
  • You can delete notification data by clearing your notification list

For more details, review our Privacy Policy.