Marketing Cloud Engagement | FAQ Regarding MobilePush Status Data

When verifying MobilePush subscription and device statuses, the meaning of the fields varies depending on the viewing location. The specifications for the three primary locations are detailed below.

1. Filtered List Export Data

A CSV file exported from a MobilePush Filtered List includes both OptInDate and OptOutDate columns.

Both fields must be evaluated together to determine the current status; neither field alone provides the complete picture.

MCE records the most recent timestamp for both opt-in and opt-out actions. To determine the current status, refer to the action with the newer date.

See the examples below:

2. Contact Builder: MobilePush Demographics Status

This status indicates the validity of the device itself within the system-defined attribute set.

• Path: [Contact Builder] > [All Contacts] > [MobilePush] > Click a specific contact > [Attributes] > [MobilePush Demographics] under MobilePush Data

• Target Field: Status

Definition

• Active: The device is valid. This is the default state.

• Inactive: The device is invalid.

  Note: Devices with an Inactive status are excluded from all message sends, regardless of their opt-in status. Typically, this value changes to Inactive only when explicitly updated by an administrator via import.

3. Contact Builder: Membership Status

This displays the channel-specific status when viewing individual contact details from the "All Contacts" screen.

• Path: [Contact Builder] > [All Contacts] > [MobilePush] > Click a specific contact > [Membership]

• Target Field: Status

Definition

This indicates the user's push notification permission status.

• Opted In: The device is currently eligible to receive messages.

• Not Opted In: The device is currently undeliverable (due to user denial, delivery failure, or token mismatch from provisioning errors).

Primary Opt-Out Sources and Technical Background

When the status is Not Opted In, one of the following reasons (sources) is typically recorded:

• User Disabled Push: The user explicitly disabled notifications via device or app settings, and this state was communicated to Marketing Cloud Engagement.

• ServiceFeedback: The device token was invalidated by the push provider due to app uninstallation or prolonged inactivity.

• Missing or Invalid Device Token: Occurs due to SDK implementation flaws or incorrect push notification service configurations (e.g., APNs/FCM certificates or keys). Primarily observed during the initial development phase.

Reference) MobilePush Bounce and Opt-Out Concepts

Unlike the Email channel, the MobilePush delivery system relies strictly on the recipient's notification permissions, with accurate device tokens systematically linked in the backend.

Bounces caused by factors like "typos in email addresses" or "full inboxes" do not occur in MobilePush. Delivery failures are typically caused by explicit, definitive reasons, such as:

• The user explicitly denied push notifications in the device's OS settings.

• The device token became invalid (e.g., the user uninstalled the app).

• A configuration error occurred (primarily during development or after major provider updates).

Excluding configuration errors, delivery failures depend entirely on user actions and device settings. Therefore, senders cannot manually intervene from the Marketing Cloud Engagement side to correct them. Consequently, detailed investigations into individual contact opt-outs or bounce reasons—as is common in the Email channel—have low operational necessity in MobilePush.

However, investigating MCE configurations or app implementation details is highly recommended in exceptional cases, such as:

• Mass delivery failures across numerous devices due to invalid or incorrectly updated iOS APNs certificates or Android FCM server keys.

• Suspected app implementation errors or notification provisioning setup failures during the development phase (e.g., a device is immediately opted out right after an explicit opt-in).