Rocket.Chat provides mobile apps for iOS and Android, so you can stay connected while on the move. To keep communication secure, administrators can configure mobile app settings and push notifications to align with their organization’s policies.
Configure mobile settings
These mobile settings define how the mobile app behaves on user devices.
To manage the mobile settings:
Navigate to Manage
> Workspace > Settings > Mobile. Configure these settings as required:
Setting
Description
Allow Save Media to Gallery
Allows users to save images, videos, and files from chats directly to their device gallery.
Force Screen Lock
Requires users to authenticate via a PIN, biometric authentication, or Face ID before accesing the mobile app.
Force Screen Lock After
If Force Screen Lock is enabled, this setting defines the inactivity timeout (in seconds) before re-authentication is required. For example,
1800triggers a lock after 30 minutes of inactivity.
These controls are particularly useful in environments where data protection policies require stricter device-level security.
Configure mobile app push notifications
Push notifications ensure users don’t miss messages when they are not actively using the app. Rocket.Chat supports two methods for delivering push notifications:
Push Gateway (recommended): This is the recommended method if your users rely on the official Rocket.Chat mobile applications. With this option, Rocket.Chat securely manages the keys required to send notifications through Apple’s APN and Google’s FCM services. It removes the need to handle sensitive credentials and ensures compatibility with the official mobile apps.
Self-Configured: This is required if you prefer not to use Rocket.Chat’s gateway. You must run your own push server and white-label the mobile app so it can communicate with your infrastructure. For detailed instructions on how to do this, refer to the Mobile App White Labeling guide.
If your server is behind a firewall, allow access to
gateway.rocket.chat.You can find the complete list of required URLs in the Firewall Configuration documentation.
Before configuring push notifications,
You must accept the Cloud Service Privacy Terms Agreement in Manage
> Workspace > Settings > Setup Wizard > Cloud Info.Once accepted, navigate to Manage
> Workspace > Settings > Push and configure the general settings below:Setting
Description
Enable
Turns push notifications on or off for your workspace.
Enable Gateway
Allows your workspace to use the Rocket.Chat push gateway for notifications. Your workspace must be registered and you must’ve accepted the Cloud Service Privacy Terms Agreement.
If disabled, you must configure your own certificates and keys for APN/FCM.
Gateway
Defines the push gateway to use. The default value is
https://gateway.rocket.chat. Multiple gateways can be added on separate lines.Production
Enables push notifications in production environments.
Send a test push to my user
Sends a test notification to your logged-in mobile device.
You must be logged in on mobile and minimize/close the app to test successfully.
Important notes:
Any changes to the general push settings require a restart of Rocket.Chat to take effect.
Cloud-hosted workspaces always use the Rocket.Chat gateway by default. This cannot be changed.
Self-managed workspaces can either use the default Rocket.Chat gateway or configure a custom gateway.
Community edition workspaces include up to 10,000 free push notifications per month. For unlimited push notifications, upgrade to one of Rocket.Chat’s premium plans .
Configure certificates and keys
If you disable the push gateway, Rocket.Chat falls back to direct communication with Apple (APN) and Google (FCM). In this case, you are responsible for providing valid credential for these required fields:
APN Passphrase
APN Key
APN Certificate
APN Dev Passphrase
APN Dev Key
APN Dev Certificate
Google FCM API Credentials
For more details, see the Configuring Push Notifications guide.
Control notification privacy
Notification privacy settings determine how much information is exposed in push notifications.
To manage notification privacy in push notifications:
Navigate to Manage
> Workspace > Settings > Push.Update these settings as required:
Setting
Description
Show Channel/Group/Username in Notification
Displays the channel name, group name, or username in notifications.
Show Message in Notification
Displays the message content directly in the notification. When disabled, the notification displays “You have a new message”.
Hide message content from Apple and Google (and the Gateway, if enabled)
Instructs Rocket.Chat to send only a message ID rather than the content itself. The mobile client then retrieves the message directly from the server before displaying it. If that fetch fails, the notification falls back to displaying "You have a new message." This is particularly useful in compliance environments where message content must not be processed by third-party services.
When privacy is enabled, notifications include contextual information such as the message sent. When disabled, notifications are generic and users must open the app to view the full message. This setup is often required for compliance-sensitive environments (e.g., HIPAA) to prevent sensitive information from being disclosed in push notifications.
Manage notification usage
After enabling push notifications, you can monitor usage and define default behaviors for users.
To check the number of notifications used per month:
Go to cloud.rocket.chat.
Open the Workspaces tab and select your workspace.
In the Push notifications block, you’ll see the number of notifications used against your monthly limit.
Setting notification preferences
After push is configured, administrators can define default notification settings for all users under Manage > Workspace > Settings > Accounts > Default user preferences. However, users can override these default settings through:
Account preferences: Users can manage their notification preferences in their profile.
Room preferences: Users can manage notification preferences for individual rooms they belong to.
On some channels, notifications may stop if the number of users exceeds the set limit. You can adjust this under Manage
Push notification delivery rules
Push notifications are determined by server settings, user preferences, and subscriptions. User status (online, away, offline) is no longer considered. Notifications are queued and dispatched based on these rules:
User state | Notification timing |
|---|---|
Offline | Scheduled in 120 seconds |
Away | Scheduled in 120 seconds minus away time |
Online | Sent immediately |
Additional behaviors include:
When a user reads a channel, all their queued notifications are cleared.
When a notification is processed, any other scheduled notifications for that user are rescheduled to the current time. The current notification is re-queued and ordered by creation date.
Push notifications workflow
Rocket.Chat’s push notification workflow ensures that notifications are delivered quickly, reliably, and with flexibility. This process allows users to stay updated with new messages and channel activity, even when they are not actively using the app. The diagram below illustrates the complete workflow, from the moment a message is sent in Rocket.Chat to when the push notification is received on a user’s mobile device.
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Troubleshoot notification issues
Notifications will not be sent if:
Room notifications are disabled.
The user ignores the sender.
@hereand@allnotifications are disabled, and the message includes one of these mentions.The user is not active or their status is set to Busy.
The user’s device is not connected (Desktop/Mobile).
The user has not enabled Always display mobile notifications.
User or room preference is set to Nothing.
The room member count exceeds the notification limit set in Administration.
If you have any questions about push notifications in Rocket.Chat, refer to the Push Notifications FAQ.