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Marketing Cloud Engagement | How to Send Push Notifications to Specific Devices Only in MobilePush

Publish Date: Apr 24, 2026
Description

This article describes how to limit MobilePush message delivery to specific devices.
Since there is no standard way to restrict delivery to specific devices from the administration console, this article introduces several alternative approaches.

Resolution

How MobilePush Sends Messages

MobilePush attempts to deliver messages to all opted-in devices associated with the contact keys in the target list or Data Extension. This means that even if a filtered list is configured to target only contacts with iOS devices, the actual delivery will still be made to all opted-in devices linked to those contacts. A filtered list is a feature for narrowing down the target contacts, and does not function as a restriction on which devices receive the message.
If you need to control delivery at the device level, the following alternatives are available. Note that all of them require thorough planning and testing before being incorporated into actual operations.
 

Alternatives

Alternative 1: Send to Specific Devices via REST API

Using the REST API, you can specify a particular device token and send push notifications exclusively to that device.
For details, refer to the official documentation.

Alternative 2: Device Control Using AMPScript

With AMPScript, you can include a valid message only for devices that meet certain conditions, while sending an empty notification to devices that do not. This allows you to simulate targeted delivery to specific devices only.
For details, refer to the official documentation: How do I send to only one device when a user has multiple devices?
 

Alternative 3: Set Device Status to Inactive

Set the Status of non-target devices to Inactive using the import feature in Contact Builder. MobilePush automatically excludes inactive devices from the send audience.

Important: This approach has significant implementation and operational complexity. Before you proceed, address the following:
  • Define the business requirements for which devices to deactivate and when
  • Accurately capture and manage SystemToken and DeviceID values for all target devices
  • Design the deactivation and reactivation workflow and timing
  • Verify that the CSV import reflects the intended changes

    Note:     The device Status field is independent of the opt-in/opt-out status. Unless you explicitly import a value, all devices remain Active by default. The SDK syncs only the opt-in/opt-out status — the app cannot modify the Status field. As a result, a user who has opted in to notifications may not receive MobilePush messages (including Inbox, etc.) if their device is set to Inactive.
Use this workaround only when the REST API and AMPScript approaches are not feasible.
 
The CSV requirements for the import are as follows, with a minimum of 5 columns required. 
  1. ContactKey
  2. DeviceID
  3. SystemToken
  4. Platform (value: Android OS, iPhone OS)
  5. Status (value: Inactive)

 

Reference: Using the Test Send Feature

If the reason for targeting a specific device is for testing purposes, the test send feature can be used instead.
Sending a Test from the MobilePush Admin Screen
 
  1. Create an outbound push notification message in MobilePush.
  2. In the step where you define the alert message, title, and other content, select [Send Test] located below the Next button.
  3. Choose either [System Token] or [Device ID] as the identifier for the target device.
  4. Enter the value for the target device and execute the send.
The same feature is also available in Journey Builder, from the configuration screen of the Send Message activity.
Knowledge Article Number

005318810

 
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Salesforce Help | Article