Big Picture Notifications and Browser Support

When building a rich push campaign, it is common to attach a large preview image so the notification appears in a more visual, attention-grabbing format. This is usually called a "Big Picture" notification.

If you notice that the same campaign looks correct in one browser but appears without the large image, or sometimes does not appear reliably at all in another browser, that does not necessarily indicate a bug in your setup.

The reason is simple: Big Picture support depends on the browser's implementation of the web Notification API. Some browsers fully support notification images, while others do not support them at all.

#How Big Picture Usually Works

When a browser supports notification images, a push notification can include:

Title: The main headline of the notification.
Body: The supporting message text.
Icon: The small brand or site icon.
Big Picture Image: A larger preview image shown as part of the notification layout.

On supported browsers, this larger image can significantly improve visibility and click-through rate because the notification occupies more visual space.

On unsupported browsers, the large image is not rendered. In some cases, the browser may simply ignore it. In other cases, especially during cross-browser testing, attaching a large asset can lead to inconsistent results and the notification may fail to display as expected.

#Where Big Picture Is Supported

At the moment, Big Picture support is generally available in Chromium-based browsers and a few related engines.

#1. Browsers That Commonly Support Big Picture

These browsers generally support the notification image field:

Google Chrome
Microsoft Edge
Opera
Samsung Internet
Chrome on Android

On these browsers, the large notification image usually behaves as expected.

#2. Browsers That Do Not Currently Support Big Picture

These browsers do not currently support the large notification image field:

Safari
Safari on iPhone and iPad
Firefox
Firefox for Android

In these browsers, the Big Picture portion of the notification should be treated as unsupported.

#The Edge Case on Safari and Firefox

Safari and Firefox can still support web push in many scenarios, but they do not support the Big Picture image itself.

That means if you test a campaign designed around a large visual preview, you may see one of the following outcomes:

The notification appears, but without the large image.
The layout looks different from Chrome or Edge.
The notification may not appear reliably when the attached image is too large or when the browser handles the payload more strictly.

This is why Safari and Firefox should not be used as the reference browsers for validating a Big Picture campaign.

#How To Test Safely

If you need to test campaigns on Safari or Firefox, use a smaller image instead of relying on the full Big Picture experience.

Recommended approach:

Keep the test image at 512x512 or smaller.
Do not expect the browser to render a full large preview image.
Use Chrome or Edge as the main validation browsers for Big Picture campaigns.

This allows you to confirm that the notification still delivers while avoiding false negatives caused by unsupported large-image rendering.

#What This Means for Your Campaigns

First, your campaign can still be valid even if Safari or Firefox do not show the Big Picture layout. This is a browser capability limitation, not a platform delivery issue.

Second, if your campaign depends heavily on visual impact, you should design it with browser differences in mind:

For Chrome, Edge, Opera, and Samsung Internet: You can rely on the Big Picture experience.
For Safari and Firefox: Assume a simpler notification experience and test with smaller assets.

Key Takeaways:

Big Picture is not universal: It is supported mainly in Chromium-based browsers.
Safari and Firefox are exceptions: They do not currently support the large notification image field.
Testing matters: On Safari and Firefox, use images up to 512x512 to avoid misleading test results.
No platform issue: If the notification behaves differently across browsers, that is expected browser-level behavior.