4 In-App Announcement Patterns That Get Seen (Without Being Annoying)

There are only two kinds of product announcements:

1. The ones users never see.
2. The ones users wish they hadn’t.

Somewhere between “completely invisible” and “oh no, another popup” is a sweet spot where users both notice and appreciate what you’re telling them.

ChangeTiny is built around four simple in-app announcement patterns: badge, top bar, corner card, and popup. Let’s walk through when to use each so you don’t have to guess.

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1. Badge: the quiet workhorse

Best for: ongoing updates, power users, “check when you want” news.

A badge is the tiny dot or pill that says “3 new updates” next to your changelog icon or menu item. It’s subtle, patient, and incredibly effective over time.

Use a badge when:

• You release updates frequently.
• You want users to opt in to seeing what’s new.
• You don’t want to interrupt anyone’s workflow.

With ChangeTiny, the badge shows an unread count so users can always see that something changed without being forced to click.

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2. Top bar: important, but not a drama

Best for: pricing changes, new plans, big UX improvements, key announcements.

A slim bar at the top of your app is perfect when you need a little more attention without hijacking the whole screen.

Use a top bar when:

• The update affects a lot of users.
• There’s a clear action (e.g. “See new billing page”, “Learn about updated limits”).
• You want to make sure people see it at least once, then get out of the way.

Treat it like a polite tap on the shoulder, not a flashing siren. Short copy. One clear CTA. Then let users get back to work.

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3. Corner card: “psst, look what’s new”

Best for: feature launches, UX polish, “nice to know” changes.

The corner card is a small box in the bottom corner of the screen with a title, short description, and optional image. It’s one of the most underrated patterns for SaaS products.

Use a corner card when:

• The update is exciting, but not critical.
• A visual makes a difference (new dashboard, new theme, new layout).
• You want the update to feel like a discovery rather than a warning.

ChangeTiny’s corner card is designed exactly for this: visually interesting, clickable, but never blocking the primary UI.

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4. Full popup: break glass in case of big news

Best for: huge features, breaking changes, security or policy updates.

A center-screen popup is the most powerful (and dangerous) pattern. Use it for moments where everyone truly needs to know, not just when you’re excited about a small tweak.

Use a popup when:

• You’re launching a flagship feature.
• There’s a change to pricing, terms, or something legal-ish.
• Users might be confused or blocked if they don’t read it.

Even then: keep it short, show the “why”, and let users close it. You can always keep a more detailed explanation inside the changelog feed itself.

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Choosing the right pattern: a quick decision tree

You can steal this:

1. Does this update affect everybody right now?

   • Yes → Top bar or popup.
   • No → Badge or corner card.

2. Will users be confused or blocked if they miss it?

   • Yes → Popup (once) + top bar for a few days.
   • No → Corner card + badge.

3. Is this ongoing communication? (e.g. weekly improvements)

   • Yes → Badge + in-app changelog, no popup.
   • No → Pick one “moment” pattern (top bar / corner card / popup).

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Why ChangeTiny leans into these patterns

ChangeTiny’s whole product is built around this idea:

“Get noticed without being annoying.”

• You choose which pattern fits each update.
• You can experiment without writing custom UI every time.
• You can see which patterns actually drive clicks and feature usage.

Instead of arguing in Slack about “is this popup-worthy?”, you plug into a simple framework, pick a pattern, and ship.

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Start small: one pattern per type of update

To keep things simple:

• Bug fixes & small tweaks → Badge only
• UX improvements & minor features → Corner card + badge
• Major launches & pricing changes → Top bar (or popup) + badge

Once this is wired into your workflow, your users get the right level of attention for each update, and your product stops either whispering or screaming.

The best announcements are the ones users are glad they saw.

Choose your patterns accordingly.