Can we use Google's nearby push notifications with beacons?

Google Nearby Beacons

On October 25th, 2018, Google announced that Android will discontinue support for Nearby Notifications from December 6th, 2018, citing misuse of the service resulting in irrelevant and spammy marketing messages being delivered as notifications on Android phones.

It is unfortunate that Google chose to entirely shutter the service instead of working on improving the end-user experience and implementing mechanisms that can easily and effectively address the spam problem. Throughout the time Nearby Notifications was in existence, Google made almost no effort to improve documentation or clarify to marketers how best to make content relevant and timely.

Nevertheless, this was an important innovation in the proximity marketing space, and we thank Google for its efforts.

Google discontinues Nearby for Android. Does this mean proximity marketing is no longer viable?

Proximity marketing is more relevant than ever. Physical stores continue to exist and ad relevance is crucial especially because of how important customer delight is over mere customer satisfaction. 71% of respondents said they would prefer ads that are tailored to their personalized interests and relevant to where they are.

Google Nearby was just one of the many channels available to receive beacon notifications. Although Nearby services have been disabled, there are more than a few proximity marketing apps available on the market.


What’s next for beacons? Alternatives to Google Nearby.
There are still 2 possibilities:

Although Google Nearby Notifications will be discontinued, you are still able to develop your own app and include a beacon SDK.
Use mobile wallets (Apple Wallet & Android Pay) and combine those wallets with beacons

Updated on: 22/10/2019