A server network accepts asynchronous notification messages from multiple application servers and efficiently routes notification messages in the form of notification taps to a user device, which can operate in a low power mode. The user device may or may not be a cellular device. The server network maintains states for the user devices in terms of identifiers useful for routing. A network server proximate to the user device registers the identifiers useful for routing the notifications. When the server network receives a notification from a source application, the proximate network server determines a routing based on the registration and sends a notification tap to the user device. The user device can obtain notification content sourced by the source application. The user device can delegate the role of receiving notification taps to a delegate device, where the delegate device may have wall-power and/or a wired or wireless network connection.