Notifications

RSS for tag

Learn about the technical aspects of notification delivery on device, including notification types, priorities, and notification center management.

Notifications Documentation

Posts under Notifications subtopic

Post

Replies

Boosts

Views

Activity

Detecting Notification Banners, DND, and other screen anomalies
Is there a public method to know when an APNS has appeared on the screen? wrapping up a very high end photogrammetry app, using the front facing camera and screen illumination- incoming notifications completely throw off the math. Ideally, it would be great to turn on Do Not Disturb for the short process, but we’d settle for just the detection of the notification banner. also: extra credit - programattically adjusting Auto Dimming, and True Tone would be lovely too.
0
0
60
May ’25
AlarmKit alarms do not fire when foregrounded app is in landscape
Hello! When setting an alarm in an AlarmKit app, the alarm will not fire properly/reliably (the alert presentation is not shown) while the device has an app foregrounded in the landscape orientation. This behaviour has been present since the betas, however until the first party Reminders app showed the behaviour in the iOS 26.2 beta I suspected the issue was in my own code. The behaviour is exhibited when scheduling alarms in several AlarmKit apps: The Reminders app The AlarmKit WWDC Demo Project My own AlarmKit app However alarms scheduled by the stock Clock app do not seem to exhibit the behaviour. Minimal repro with first party app: Be using iOS 26.2 beta Open Reminders app Create an urgent reminder for a time in the not too distant future Open Mail.app Change to landscape orientation Wait for the fire time Observe the phone vibrates at the correct time but no alarm is fired Drag the notifications pane down, observe the LiveActivity has been started Change to portrait orientation Observe alarm fires I have noticed this behaviour from the AlarmKit apps mentioned while foregrounding other apps besides Mail, both first and third party: Photos YouTube Netflix The behaviour does not seem to occur when the foregrounded app is restricted to portrait mode, no matter the actual orientation of the device. In the case of my own app I have tried a multitude of ideas to get it to work reliably, getting alarms to fire in landscape is very intermittent at best and most often works after a fresh reboot. I've submitted a Feedback for the Reminders app: FB20956492. Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated!
1
0
192
Nov ’25
How can notification action buttons' text be center aligned?
The iOS documentation shows notification actions buttons with the text center aligned: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/usernotifications/declaring-your-actionable-notification-types But there's no apparent way for an app to control this. The buttons are controlled and rendered by the system and the text is always left aligned. Is there some way to get the text center aligned?
1
0
86
Aug ’25
Incoming call notifications problems
Good day We developed a simple swift code to make the device ringing when a certain type of notifications arrives from our backend. This is the code: let phoneNumber = CXHandle(type: .generic, value: (self.userInfoForPluginCall!["data"] as! [String:Any]) ["caller"] as! String) callUpdate.remoteHandle = phoneNumber let configuration = CXProviderConfiguration(localizedName: "Trec Conf") configuration.maximumCallGroups = 1 configuration.maximumCallsPerCallGroup = 1 configuration.supportsVideo = false configuration.supportedHandleTypes = [.generic] configuration.iconTemplateImageData = UIImage(named: "callkit-icon")?.pngData() let callProvider = CXProvider(configuration: configuration) callProvider.setDelegate(self, queue: nil) callProvider.reportNewIncomingCall(with: callUUID!, update: callUpdate, completion: {error in}) We are noticing some problems on the call screen: on certain devices (iOS 18.4RC) the normal call screen appears and the user can answer or decline the call, on other devices (iOS 18.3, especially with dynamic island) only a phone icon appears in the upper right corner and no possibility to answer or deny call. Any idea on why we are encountering that behavior? Thanks
0
0
164
Mar ’25
APNs keep returning unregistered token
Hi, we've observed a weird behavior for a small amount of our user that we keep receiving the same token from APNs despite it's shown as Unregistered. When we try to send push to the token, we got an Unregistered error so we remove that token from our server. However, later we would receive an add token request from the client with the same token we just removed, and when we try to send to the token it returns Unregistered again so we remove the token again. This happened 3 times for a user in an hour. The identifierForVendor remains the same for all the requests. We also owns the client and I've checked client code that it's sending the token it received from didRegisterForRemoteNotificationsWithDeviceToken to the server.
3
0
2.0k
Nov ’25
CarPlay Driving Task notification press handling
We're trying to add simple notifications to our CarPlay integration that should open certain template when pressed, but the issue is that when pressing this notification on CarPlay screen nothing is invoked in the code (presumably didReceive should be invoked). All works fine with the same notification but pressed on the iPhone screen - didReceive is invoked properly. How should I handle the action when push notification is pressed on CarPlay screen?
0
0
214
Sep ’25
Notification Service Extension is killed during startup
We are observing an issue where the iOS Notification Service Extension (NSE) is terminated by the system during startup, before either didReceive(_:withContentHandler:) or serviceExtensionTimeWillExpire(_:) is invoked. When this occurs, the notification is delivered without modification (for example, an encrypted payload is shown to the user). System logs frequently contain the message “Extension will be killed because it used its runtime in starting up”. During testing, we observed that CPU-intensive operations or heavy initialization performed early in the extension lifecycle — especially inside init() or directly on the main thread in didReceive often cause the system to kill the NSE almost immediately. These terminations happen significantly earlier than the commonly observed ~30-second execution window where the OS normally invokes serviceExtensionTimeWillExpire(_:) before ending the extension. When these early terminations occur, there is no call to the expiry handler, and the process appears to be forcefully shut down. Moving the same operations to a background thread changes the behavior: the extension eventually expires around the usual 30-second window, after which the OS calls serviceExtensionTimeWillExpire(_:). We also observed that memory usage plays a role in early termination. During tests involving large memory allocations, the system consistently killed the extension once memory consumption exceeded a certain threshold (in our measurements, this occurred around 150–180 MB). Again, unlike normal time-based expiration, the system did not call the expiry handler and no crash report was produced. Since Apple’s documentation does not specify concrete CPU, memory, or startup-cost constraints for Notification Service Extensions or any other extensions beyond the general execution limit, we are seeking clarification and best-practice guidance on expected behaviors, particularly around initialization cost and the differences between startup termination. NSE Setup: class NotificationService: UNNotificationServiceExtension { static var notificationContentHandler: ((UNNotificationContent) -> Void)? static var notificationContent: UNMutableNotificationContent? static var shoudLoop = true override func didReceive(_ request: UNNotificationRequest, withContentHandler contentHandler: @escaping (UNNotificationContent) -> Void) { NotificationService.notificationContentHandler = contentHandler NotificationService.notificationContent = request.content.mutableCopy() as? UNMutableNotificationContent NotificationService.notificationContent!.title = "Weekly meeting" NotificationService.notificationContent!.body = "Updated inside didReceive" // Failing scenarios } override func serviceExtensionTimeWillExpire() { NotificationService.shoudLoop = false guard let handler = NotificationService.notificationContentHandler, let content = NotificationService.notificationContent else { return } content.body = "Updated inside serviceExtensionTimeWillExpire()" handler(content) } }
2
0
194
Nov ’25
Remote Notifications delayed on device
We have been getting several reports in the past 2 weeks of APNs notifications being either heavily delayed or not delivered at all. We have two apps, one of which has a Notification Service Extension and one of which does not. We have had users of both reporting sporadic notification problems. Looking at the sysdiagnose logs from one example, it looks like the notification was actually processed by our notification extension in a timely fashion, but was not displayed to the user. An example event we investigated it the following (now perhaps a little long in the tooth): 2025-10-31T14:32:54 apnsId=EE3E002D-26DE-B4F5-5E9B-5E0C1E1B6B3D We think we have correlated this with device logs: default 2025-10-31 10:32:54.472054 -0400 [EDE9521D-8A65-4588-8AE8-D3D78B9E5EA5] Received replacement content for notification request 859D-ABC7 [ hasContent: 1 attachments: 0 ] However there is no other reference until the app was launched about 1.5 minutes later: default 2025-10-31 10:34:26.875327 -0400 [..] Got 1 delivered notifications [ hasCompletionHandler: 1 ] When trying to reproduce, when I saw notifications bannered, the trace I saw was "Got 0 delivered notifications". What's the significance of "Got 1 delivered notifications" in this case? Historically, SpringBoard logs have shown detailed trace about the handling of notifications (which was very useful in narrowing down the slowness of notifications due to Apple Intelligence, reported on our side as FB16253547, which doesn't seem to have been triaged but it looks like was resolved around iOS 18.2.1 or iOS 18.3); however it seems that now sysdiagnoses are only containing <1 minute of trace from SpringBoard. Is there any way to extend the trace from SpringBoard that is included in sysdiagnoses? I see there was also https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/806367 around the same time we started receiving reports. However I think my hypothesis is that this is a client-side issue, and notifications are being delivered to devices, just not presented correctly. Will try and collect a bit more data and file some Feedbacks and provide them here, but wanted to also flag here in case there are any others experiencing similar.
5
0
250
Nov ’25
Clarification on Timing for Critical Alerts Approval in iOS
We are currently planning the development of an iOS healthcare application that will require the use of Critical Alerts. I understand that these notifications bypass Do Not Disturb and Silent mode, and therefore require special entitlement from Apple. We understand that Critical Alerts require a special entitlement from Apple. Could you please clarify: Do we need to request and obtain Apple’s approval for Critical Alerts before we begin development of the app? Or can we apply for this entitlement after we have a working build or prototype ready? We want to ensure compliance and streamline our development process, so any guidance on the appropriate timing for the entitlement request would be greatly appreciated.
1
0
99
Jul ’25
No "Unregistered" Error Returned for Background Notifications
Hi team, We've observed that for all background notifications (where content-available set to true, https://developer.apple.com/documentation/usernotifications/pushing-background-updates-to-your-app#Create-a-background-notification), we never received any response with error string "Unregistered". This differs from non-background pushes, where expired tokens are regularly cleared. Is this the expected behavior (i.e., background notifications will not return an "Unregistered" error), or could this indicate an issue on our side? Thanks in advance for any clarification.
1
0
209
Jul ’25
APNs notification not getting delivered to only one device in production environment
I have a messaging app that has been working successfully for several years. It still works for most users, but about one month ago one of my users started experiencing issues receiving notifications. From my investigation, the user's Notification Service Extension (NSE) has not been triggered since they started reporting the issue. I was able to access the user's phone and connected it to the console to check for any logs related to the NSE being triggered or a push notification being received, but there were no relevant logs. I have already verified that notifications are enabled for the app and that Do Not Disturb is not active. I also tried sending a test notification using the CloudKit Console. The notification was successfully delivered to other push notification tokens, but it did not work for this specific device’s token. I have also confirmed that the push token on the server matches the one on the device and that it is being used with the APNs production environment. The issue for this user started in iOS version 26.2 and are still ongoing in version 26.3.1 . Has anyone encountered a similar issue or have suggestions on how to further diagnose this?
2
0
94
5d
AlarmKit FAQ
Here are some questions we received and answers: Q1: Is there a limit to the number of alarms that can be scheduled using AlarmKit? There is no set number as a limit, but this does not mean you can schedule a limitless number of alarms. Depending on device state, available resources, etc., the device may impose a limit, and restrict an app trying to schedule too many alarms simultaneously. When you hit a limit and not able to schedule more alarms, you will receive the maximumLimitReached error. Q2: Will the scheduled alarms persist after system or app events that may terminate an app, for example, a reboot, force quit, or app crash? Yes, all alarms are expected to persist regardless of app or device state changes, once they are successfully scheduled. Q3: Will alarms work if scheduled by an app that is hidden, or requires a passcode or Touch ID/Face ID to launch? Hidden or passcode required apps do not work with AlarmKit. Currently, any scheduled alarms by such apps will silently fail. Q4: When an alarm is dismissed (either by swiping or pressing the power button), can an app detect this action and execute code in response? What about force closed apps? When an alarm is dismissed, the stopIntent set in the AlarmConfiguration is called. Any code in the perform method of this AppIntent would execute. Q5: Is there a focus mode that AlarmKit cannot break through? No. AlarmKit alarms can break through all focus modes. Q6: What is the expected behavior when alarms from multiple apps overlap? Which one gets priority? Which alarm would get activated when multiple alarms are scheduled for the same time is non-deterministic. There is no way to guarantee which app or which alarm will "win". Q7: What do pressing the physical buttons do when an AlarmKit alarm is active? Any physical button that causes a reaction from AlarmKit will stop the currently alerting alarm. Q8: If there are multiple alarms active at one time, which ones do physical buttons interact with? Pressing a physical button will dismiss all currently alerting alarms Argun Tekant /  DTS Engineer / Core Technologies Change History: 2025-08-15: First posted
0
0
400
Aug ’25
About Delay issues with iPhone VoIP applications
We are encountering the following issue with our VoIP application for iPhone, published on the App Store, and would appreciate your guidance on possible countermeasures. The VoIP application (callee side) utilizes a Wi-Fi network. The sequence leading to the issue is as follows: VoIP App (callee): Launches iPhone (callee): Locks (e.g., by short-pressing the power button) VoIP App (callee): Transitions to a suspended state VoIP App (caller): Initiates a VoIP call VoIP App (callee): Receives a local push notification VoIP App (callee): Answers the incoming call VoIP App (callee): Executes performAnswerCallAction() After this, the VoIP App (callee) uses "NSTimer scheduledTimerWithTimeInterval" to manage internal processing timing. However, the processing sometimes takes longer than the specified waiting time. Specifically, delays of several seconds can occur. We understood that if the user is interacting with the screen and both the iPhone and the VoIP app are in an active state, the VoIP app's processing would not be delayed. However, can significant delays (several seconds) in application processing still occur even when the iPhone is in an active state (i.e., the user is interacting with the screen)?"
5
0
457
Dec ’25
didRegisterForRemoteNotificationsWithDeviceToken Not Called on iOS 18.1.1
I'm experiencing issues with didRegisterForRemoteNotificationsWithDeviceToken not being called on iOS 18.1.1. Here's what I've tried: Basic Setup: Properly configured UNUserNotificationCenter Requested permissions with requestAuthorization(options:) Registered for remote notifications with registerForRemoteNotifications() Environment: Xcode 16.3 iOS 18.1.1 (physical device) Firebase (tried with and without it) Troubleshooting: Verified provisioning profile includes Push Notifications Confirmed APNs certificate is valid Disabled Firebase's method swizzling Tested on a clean project (works fine) Checked device logs (no relevant errors) Code Snippet: // In AppDelegate.swift public func application(_ application: UIApplication, didRegisterForRemoteNotificationsWithDeviceToken deviceToken: Data) { let tokenParts = deviceToken.map { data in String(format: "%02.2hhx", data) } let tokenString = tokenParts.joined() print("📱 Device Token: \(tokenString)") // Store the token for your backend UserDefaults.standard.set(tokenString, forKey: "deviceToken") // Send to backend Task { do { try await APIService.shared.setDeviceToken(tokenString) } catch { print("❌ [AppDelegate] Failed to send device token to backend: \(error)") } } } public func application(_ application: UIApplication, didFinishLaunchingWithOptions launchOptions: [UIApplication.LaunchOptionsKey: Any]? = nil) -> Bool { // IMPORTANT: First handle push notification registration UNUserNotificationCenter.current().delegate = self // Request notification permissions self.requestNotificationPermissions() // Register for remote notifications DispatchQueue.main.async { UIApplication.shared.registerForRemoteNotifications() } return true } private func requestNotificationPermissions() { UNUserNotificationCenter.current().requestAuthorization(options: [.alert, .badge, .sound]) { granted, error in guard granted else { print("❌ Notification permission not granted") return } print("✅ Notification permission granted") } }
1
0
110
May ’25
Extend of notification content
In iOS 26, I can check the notification that arrives to the user when the AirPods or Apple Watch is fully charged. When tap the notification, notification only expands and does not include actions such as moving to an app. I checked the documents of UserNotification and UNNotificationServiceExtension, but I couldn't find what I wanted. I can expand by long-tapping as default, but I'm looking for a way to expand it without entering the app when I tap the notification. I wonder if there is an API that I missed or if it's not publicly supported. thank you for your support.
2
0
122
Sep ’25
APNS notifications - too quiet custom sound
Our application is designated to be used in a quite noisy environment (childcare facility) so we have implemented really annoying custom sounds. Unfortunately the system audio session playing custom sounds is apparently limited to half of the device volume possibility, even though the user sets full volume in the settings. How to change this behaviour to get louder notification sounds? To be clear, I don't want to overcome user settings. If the user sets quieter volume or he sets the silent mode, the application should be silent too. I just need that 100% volume settings is actually 100% device volume. This is a really critical feature for us and for our customers. We have already tried to ask for the critical alerts and we have been rejected.
2
0
151
Jan ’26
Not receiving apple server notification v2 on production URL
Hello, previously i have tested the purchase via test flight and the server notification was sent to my sandbox url. Now when I made the purchase from live app, my server did not receive any notification even though the production url was the same as the sandbox url. The purchase was for a consumable product. Please help, thanks.
2
0
543
May ’25