Facebook push notifications available on Android thanks to BlackBerry

As of now there aren’t any apps available for Android phones (both official and unofficial) that support push notifications for Facebook, but the folks over at Android Central forums have managed to find a work around solution to the problem. A forum member recently discovered that when his daughter switched from her BlackBerry to an Android device, she started getting notifications being pushed to her Android device. Surprised by this strange occurrence, he decided to investigate. It turns out, the answer was very simple.

Coming from a BlackBerry phone, she had Facebook for BlackBerry Smartphones enabled on her Facebook account, and apparently this was the key to why she was getting push notifications on her Android phone. The permissions that Facebook gave to the app somehow unlocked push notifications for the Android app (even if it’s not an option in the official Facebook app).

Here’s what you have to do:

Log on to Facebook using a BlackBerry phone, and then wait for it to load (i.e. your Newsfeed). Log out from Facebook. Use your Android phone, head into settings on the Facebook app and turn on notifications (interval doesn’t matter). You’re set!

This method has been reported to work for a number of users, and some Android users that have come from BlackBerry phones have vouched that they have working push notifications too. Even Android Central has posted up a video demonstration of it working; however a number of people have reported it as not working as well, so there’s no telling how effective this method is. But hey, it only takes less than 5 minutes to do, and it doesn’t cost a thing (just borrow a friend or store’s demo unit if you don’t have a BlackBerry phone) so give it a shot. Let us know your results in the comments below.

George Wong
Categories: Cellphones, Web