Is a notification the same as the underlying message?¶

No. A notification is a device or application alert generated from information available at a particular time. It may preview a message, but can be shortened, reformatted, grouped or detached from later changes to the conversation.

Notifications preserve a separate state¶

A preview may remain in notification history after a message is edited, deleted or unsent, making it valuable evidence of an earlier display. It may show only the first of several messages and omit attachments, reply context or edit markers.

The sender label can come from device contacts or the application. The notification time may be receipt or generation time rather than sender time, especially after delay, offline delivery or synchronisation.

Compare alert and message¶

Preserve the device, application, full visible wording, time, notification record and whether the conversation was opened. Avoid clearing notifications unnecessarily.

Compare with the native message, local application data, other participant and provider records. If the underlying content is missing, describe the item as a notification rather than the complete message.

The alert can support that content reached or was presented on a device, but not automatically the full wording, authorship or personal receipt.