Get real-time reactions during the presidential debates

In our latest experiment, you can sign up for Android notifications from Guardian columnists during the presidential debates – wherever you are in the world

Photograph of the U.S. Capitol building: Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images
Photograph: Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images

During the first presidential debate on Monday, September 27, the Guardian Mobile Innovation Lab and the Guardian US opinion desk will send experimental web notifications with real-time opinions from Guardian columnists as they watch the debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.

These experimental alerts, available to users of Android devices who have an updated Chrome browser installed on their phones, will supplement the news alerts sent from the Guardian’s Android app with reactions from Guardian columnists Richard Wolffe and Lucia Graves. They will be sent at key moments throughout the debate, while the Guardian app news alerts will provide only the most important updates. (The alerts can also be received through desktop Chrome browsers but unfortunately not iPhones. We’re working on a way to release iOS versions of our notifications experiments and hope to have that ready next month.)

During the debate, you will hear from the columnists with their quick takes on the candidates’ policy statements, their debating styles, and who’s winning and who’s losing.

This project is the latest installment in ongoing experimentation with notifications, part of the Mobile Lab’s mission to learn more about mobile storytelling. After the experiment, we’ll send out a survey soliciting feedback on the experience.

Sound interesting? Want to sign up? Web notifications are currently only available on Chrome on Android devices or desktop. If you have an Android mobile phone (Samsung, included!), open this page in a Chrome browser and tap to sign up.

Questions, suggestions or observations? Drop us a note: innovationlab@theguardian.com