diff --git a/native/android/app/src/main/java/app/comm/android/MainApplication.java b/native/android/app/src/main/java/app/comm/android/MainApplication.java
--- a/native/android/app/src/main/java/app/comm/android/MainApplication.java
+++ b/native/android/app/src/main/java/app/comm/android/MainApplication.java
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
     extends MultiDexApplication implements ReactApplication {
 
   static {
+    System.loadLibrary("fbjni");
     System.loadLibrary("comm_jni_module");
   }
 
diff --git a/native/android/app/src/main/java/app/comm/android/notifications/CommNotificationsHandler.java b/native/android/app/src/main/java/app/comm/android/notifications/CommNotificationsHandler.java
--- a/native/android/app/src/main/java/app/comm/android/notifications/CommNotificationsHandler.java
+++ b/native/android/app/src/main/java/app/comm/android/notifications/CommNotificationsHandler.java
@@ -1,10 +1,16 @@
 package app.comm.android.notifications;
 
+import android.app.ActivityManager;
+import android.app.Notification;
 import android.app.NotificationManager;
 import android.content.Context;
+import android.graphics.BitmapFactory;
+import android.os.Bundle;
 import android.service.notification.StatusBarNotification;
 import android.util.Log;
+import androidx.core.app.NotificationCompat;
 import app.comm.android.ExpoUtils;
+import app.comm.android.R;
 import app.comm.android.fbjni.CommSecureStore;
 import app.comm.android.fbjni.GlobalDBSingleton;
 import app.comm.android.fbjni.MessageOperationsUtilities;
@@ -49,6 +55,13 @@
   private static final String THREAD_ID_KEY = "threadID";
   private static final String SET_UNREAD_STATUS_KEY = "setUnreadStatus";
   private static final String MESSAGE_INFOS_KEY = "messageInfos";
+  private static final String NOTIF_ID_KEY = "id";
+  private static final String TITLE_KEY = "title";
+  private static final String PREFIX_KEY = "prefix";
+  private static final String BODY_KEY = "body";
+
+  private static final String CHANNEL_ID = "default";
+  private static final long[] VIBRATION_SPEC = {500, 500};
   private NotificationManager notificationManager;
 
   @Override
@@ -102,7 +115,11 @@
       Log.w("COMM", "Database not existing yet. Skipping notification");
     }
 
-    super.onMessageReceived(message);
+    if (this.isAppInForeground()) {
+      super.onMessageReceived(message);
+      return;
+    }
+    this.displayNotification(message);
   }
 
   private void handleNotificationRescind(RemoteMessage message) {
@@ -131,4 +148,48 @@
       }
     }
   }
+
+  private boolean isAppInForeground() {
+    ActivityManager.RunningAppProcessInfo runningAppProcessInfo =
+        new ActivityManager.RunningAppProcessInfo();
+    ActivityManager.getMyMemoryState(runningAppProcessInfo);
+    return runningAppProcessInfo.importance ==
+        ActivityManager.RunningAppProcessInfo.IMPORTANCE_FOREGROUND;
+  }
+
+  private void displayNotification(RemoteMessage message) {
+    if (message.getData().get(RESCIND_KEY) != null) {
+      // don't attempt to display rescinds
+      return;
+    }
+    String id = message.getData().get(NOTIF_ID_KEY);
+    String title = message.getData().get(TITLE_KEY);
+    String prefix = message.getData().get(PREFIX_KEY);
+    String body = message.getData().get(BODY_KEY);
+    String threadID = message.getData().get(THREAD_ID_KEY);
+
+    if (prefix != null) {
+      body = prefix + " " + body;
+    }
+
+    Bundle data = new Bundle();
+    data.putString(THREAD_ID_KEY, threadID);
+
+    NotificationCompat.Builder notificationBuilder =
+        new NotificationCompat.Builder(this.getApplicationContext())
+            .setDefaults(Notification.DEFAULT_ALL)
+            .setContentText(body)
+            .setExtras(data)
+            .setChannelId(CHANNEL_ID)
+            .setVibrate(VIBRATION_SPEC)
+            .setSmallIcon(R.drawable.notif_icon)
+            .setLargeIcon(BitmapFactory.decodeResource(
+                this.getApplicationContext().getResources(),
+                R.mipmap.ic_launcher))
+            .setAutoCancel(true);
+    if (title != null) {
+      notificationBuilder = notificationBuilder.setContentTitle(title);
+    }
+    notificationManager.notify(id, id.hashCode(), notificationBuilder.build());
+  }
 }
diff --git a/native/push/android.js b/native/push/android.js
--- a/native/push/android.js
+++ b/native/push/android.js
@@ -6,13 +6,9 @@
 
 import { mergePrefixIntoBody } from 'lib/shared/notif-utils';
 
-import { store } from '../redux/redux-setup';
-import { getFirebase } from './firebase';
-
 const { CommAndroidNotifications } = NativeModules;
 
 const androidNotificationChannelID = 'default';
-const vibrationSpec = [500, 500];
 
 function handleAndroidMessage(
   message: RemoteMessage,
@@ -22,7 +18,6 @@
     texts: { body: string, title: ?string },
   ) => boolean,
 ) {
-  const firebase = getFirebase();
   const { data } = message;
 
   const { rescind, rescindID } = data;
@@ -31,7 +26,7 @@
     return;
   }
 
-  const { id, title, prefix, threadID } = data;
+  const { title, prefix, threadID } = data;
   let { body } = data;
   ({ body } = mergePrefixIntoBody({ body, title, prefix }));
 
@@ -42,32 +37,10 @@
       return;
     }
   }
-
-  const notification = new firebase.notifications.Notification()
-    .setNotificationId(id)
-    .setBody(body)
-    .setData({ threadID })
-    .android.setTag(id)
-    .android.setChannelId(androidNotificationChannelID)
-    .android.setDefaults([firebase.notifications.Android.Defaults.All])
-    .android.setVibrate(vibrationSpec)
-    .android.setAutoCancel(true)
-    .android.setLargeIcon('@mipmap/ic_launcher')
-    .android.setSmallIcon('@drawable/notif_icon');
-  if (title) {
-    notification.setTitle(title);
-  }
-  firebase.notifications().displayNotification(notification);
-}
-
-async function androidBackgroundMessageTask(message: RemoteMessage) {
-  const { updatesCurrentAsOf } = store.getState();
-  handleAndroidMessage(message, updatesCurrentAsOf);
 }
 
 export {
   androidNotificationChannelID,
   handleAndroidMessage,
-  androidBackgroundMessageTask,
   CommAndroidNotifications,
 };
diff --git a/native/push/push-handler.react.js b/native/push/push-handler.react.js
--- a/native/push/push-handler.react.js
+++ b/native/push/push-handler.react.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 import * as Haptics from 'expo-haptics';
 import * as React from 'react';
-import { AppRegistry, Platform, Alert, LogBox } from 'react-native';
+import { Platform, Alert, LogBox } from 'react-native';
 import type { RemoteMessage, NotificationOpen } from 'react-native-firebase';
 import { Notification as InAppNotification } from 'react-native-in-app-message';
 import NotificationsIOS from 'react-native-notifications';
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@
 import {
   androidNotificationChannelID,
   handleAndroidMessage,
-  androidBackgroundMessageTask,
   CommAndroidNotifications,
 } from './android';
 import { getFirebase } from './firebase';
@@ -575,11 +574,6 @@
   }
 }
 
-AppRegistry.registerHeadlessTask(
-  'RNFirebaseBackgroundMessage',
-  () => androidBackgroundMessageTask,
-);
-
 const ConnectedPushHandler: React.ComponentType<BaseProps> = React.memo<BaseProps>(
   function ConnectedPushHandler(props: BaseProps) {
     const navContext = React.useContext(NavContext);