We are excited to announce that UmbrellaToday now supports push notifications. Instead of relying solely on email, you can get rain alerts delivered directly to your phone or desktop - instantly, the moment your forecast is ready.
Here is how to set it up.
How It Works
UmbrellaToday is a progressive web app (PWA). That means it runs in your browser but can behave like a native app when you add it to your home screen. Push notifications require this home screen installation to work reliably on mobile devices.
Once installed, you will receive push alerts alongside (or instead of) your email notifications. You can control both channels from the notification settings in your dashboard.
Important: On mobile devices, you must first add UmbrellaToday to your home screen before enabling push notifications. If you enable push in the browser without installing the app first, notifications will not be delivered reliably. Follow the steps for your device below, then enable push as the final step.
iPhone and iPad (iOS / iPadOS)
Safari on iOS supports push notifications, but only when the site is installed to your home screen. This is a requirement from Apple - there is no way around it.
- Open umbrella.today in Safari (this does not work in Chrome or other browsers on iOS)
- Tap the Share button (the square with an arrow pointing up) at the bottom of the screen
- Scroll down and tap Add to Home Screen
- Give it a name (or keep "UmbrellaToday") and tap Add
- Open the app from your home screen (not from Safari)
- Tap the bell icon in the top bar to open notification settings
- Click Enable under Push notifications
- When prompted, tap Allow to grant notification permission
On iOS, push notifications only work when you open UmbrellaToday from the home screen icon - not from a regular Safari tab. If you enable push from Safari, it will not work. Always use the home screen shortcut.
If you do not see the notification prompt, check your device settings:
- Open Settings on your iPhone
- Go to Notifications
- Find UmbrellaToday in the app list
- Make sure Allow Notifications is turned on
Android
Chrome on Android makes this straightforward. We still recommend installing to the home screen first for the most reliable experience.
- Open umbrella.today in Chrome
- Tap the three-dot menu in the top right corner
- Tap Add to Home screen (or Install app if shown)
- Confirm by tapping Add
- Open the app from your home screen
- Tap the bell icon in the top bar to open notification settings
- Click Enable under Push notifications
- Tap Allow when prompted
Android technically supports push directly in Chrome without installing to the home screen, but adding it ensures the best experience and prevents the browser from silencing notifications over time.
If notifications are not coming through:
- Open Settings on your phone
- Go to Apps or Apps & notifications
- Find UmbrellaToday (or Chrome if you did not install it)
- Make sure Notifications are enabled
- Check that Battery optimization is not blocking background activity for the app
Desktop (Chrome, Edge, Firefox)
On desktop browsers, push notifications work without any installation:
- Open umbrella.today in your browser
- Click the bell icon in the top bar of your dashboard
- Click Enable under Push notifications
- Click Allow when the browser permission prompt appears
That is it. You will receive desktop notifications whenever a rain alert is triggered.
If you accidentally blocked notifications:
- Chrome: Click the lock icon in the address bar, find Notifications, and change it to Allow
- Edge: Same as Chrome - click the lock icon and update the notification setting
- Firefox: Click the lock icon, then More Information, go to the Permissions tab, and set Notifications to Allow
Managing Your Notifications
You can manage both email and push notifications from one place:
- Open your dashboard
- Click the bell icon in the top bar
- Toggle email and push notifications on or off as you prefer
Push and email work independently. You can use both, or just one - whatever suits your routine.
Troubleshooting
I enabled push but I am not getting notifications
- Make sure you added UmbrellaToday to your home screen (required on iOS)
- Check your device notification settings for the app
- On Android, check battery optimization is not blocking the app
- Try disabling and re-enabling push in the notification settings
The Enable button does not appear
- Your browser may not support push notifications. Try Chrome or Safari (iOS 16.4 or later required)
- If you previously blocked notifications, you will need to reset the permission in your browser settings
I want to stop receiving push notifications
- Open notification settings (bell icon) and toggle push off. This removes your device registration immediately.
Stay Dry, Stay Notified
Push notifications bring UmbrellaToday closer to a native app experience. No more checking email - just a quick alert on your phone before you head out the door.
If you run into any issues setting this up, do not hesitate to reach out on our contact page. We are happy to help.