Bitcoin moves fast. By the time you notice a price move on your phone, you've often already missed the moment that mattered.
The useful thing isn't watching the price — it's getting notified exactly when it crosses a level you care about. This guide covers how to do that directly in your browser, with no app install required.
How browser notifications work
Modern browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) support the Web Notifications API. A website can request permission to send you desktop notifications, and then trigger them even when you're working in a different window.
This is how services like Gmail and Slack notify you without being the active tab. The same mechanism works for price alerts — the browser tab running the dashboard stays open in the background, watches the price, and fires a notification when your target is hit.
The notification appears at your OS level — same as any other desktop notification. On Mac it goes to the notification centre. On Windows it shows in the bottom-right corner.
No app install. No account with a notification provider. Just a browser tab.
Setting up a Bitcoin price alert in Arclight
Arclight includes a Price Alerts widget that uses this mechanism. Here's the setup:
1. Go to aegis.swiftlabs.dev and sign in (or create a free account — no card required) 2. Open the dashboard and find the Price Alerts widget (it's in the default layout) 3. Click the + button to add an alert 4. Select Bitcoin (BTC) from the dropdown 5. Enter your target price 6. Choose "Above" if you're watching for a breakout, "Below" if you're watching for a dip 7. Click Add Alert
The widget will show a progress bar indicating how far the current price is from your target. When it crosses, the browser fires a native desktop notification.
Important: The tab needs to stay open. The alert runs in-browser, not server-side. If you close the tab, the alert won't fire. The most reliable setup is to leave Arclight open in a background tab while you work.
What to do when the browser asks for notification permission
When you first try to add an alert, the browser will ask whether to allow notifications from the site. Click Allow.
If you previously clicked Block by mistake: - Chrome: Click the padlock icon in the address bar → Notifications → Allow - Firefox: Click the padlock → Connection Secure → More Information → Permissions → Send Notifications → Allow - Safari: Safari menu → Settings for This Website → Notifications → Allow - Edge: Click the padlock → Site Permissions → Notifications → Allow
Once allowed, the permission persists for that site — you won't be asked again.
Setting multiple alerts
You can set multiple alerts simultaneously — one for each coin and direction. For example:
- BTC above $80,000 (breakout watch) - BTC below $60,000 (support break) - ETH above $4,000 (resistance watch)
Each alert tracks independently. When one fires, it shows in the triggered section of the widget and can be reset to watch again.
The alerts check price every 30 seconds (aligned with the dashboard's data refresh rate). You'll typically get notified within 30–60 seconds of the target being crossed.
Alerts vs notifications vs exchange alerts
Exchange platforms (Coinbase, Binance, Kraken) also offer price alerts, usually via email or their mobile app. The advantage of those:
- They work when your browser is closed - No tab needs to stay open - They use push notifications on your phone
The advantage of Arclight's browser alerts: - No exchange account required (useful if you're tracking without trading) - Instant setup — no navigating exchange settings menus - Part of the same view where you're watching prices anyway - Works for any CoinGecko-listed coin, not just what your exchange supports
For serious level watching where you can't keep a tab open, exchange alerts are more reliable. For day-to-day monitoring while you're working at a computer, browser-based is faster to set up and removes friction.
Privacy note
Arclight's price alerts are computed client-side in your browser. The prices come from a server-side proxy to CoinGecko — your target levels and alert conditions are never sent to any server. They're stored in localStorage on your own machine.
Browser notification permission is scoped to the site — granting it to Arclight doesn't allow any other site to notify you.