ios-notifications

name	ios-notifications
description	iOS notifications expert for push and local notifications. Use when working with UNUserNotificationCenter, push notifications, local notifications, notification actions, badges, or notification extensions.

iOS Notifications

Expert guidance for implementing push and local notifications in iOS apps.

Setup

Request Permission

import UserNotifications

class NotificationManager: ObservableObject {
    static let shared = NotificationManager()

    @Published var isAuthorized = false

    func requestPermission() async -> Bool {
        do {
            let granted = try await UNUserNotificationCenter.current()
                .requestAuthorization(options: [.alert, .badge, .sound])
            await MainActor.run {
                isAuthorized = granted
            }
            return granted
        } catch {
            print("Notification permission error: \(error)")
            return false
        }
    }

    func checkPermissionStatus() async {
        let settings = await UNUserNotificationCenter.current().notificationSettings()

        await MainActor.run {
            isAuthorized = settings.authorizationStatus == .authorized
        }
    }
}

Register for Push Notifications

// In AppDelegate
func application(_ application: UIApplication, didFinishLaunchingWithOptions launchOptions: [UIApplication.LaunchOptionsKey: Any]?) -> Bool {
    UIApplication.shared.registerForRemoteNotifications()
    return true
}

func application(_ application: UIApplication, didRegisterForRemoteNotificationsWithDeviceToken deviceToken: Data) {
    let token = deviceToken.map { String(format: "%02.2hhx", $0) }.joined()
    print("Device Token: \(token)")
    // Send token to your server
}

func application(_ application: UIApplication, didFailToRegisterForRemoteNotificationsWithError error: Error) {
    print("Failed to register: \(error)")
}

Local Notifications

Schedule Notification

func scheduleNotification(
    title: String,
    body: String,
    delay: TimeInterval,
    identifier: String = UUID().uuidString
) async throws {
    let content = UNMutableNotificationContent()
    content.title = title
    content.body = body
    content.sound = .default
    content.badge = 1

    let trigger = UNTimeIntervalNotificationTrigger(
        timeInterval: delay,
        repeats: false
    )

    let request = UNNotificationRequest(
        identifier: identifier,
        content: content,
        trigger: trigger
    )

    try await UNUserNotificationCenter.current().add(request)
}

Schedule at Specific Time

func scheduleDaily(at hour: Int, minute: Int, title: String, body: String) async throws {
    let content = UNMutableNotificationContent()
    content.title = title
    content.body = body
    content.sound = .default

    var dateComponents = DateComponents()
    dateComponents.hour = hour
    dateComponents.minute = minute

    let trigger = UNCalendarNotificationTrigger(
        dateMatching: dateComponents,
        repeats: true
    )

    let request = UNNotificationRequest(
        identifier: "daily-reminder",
        content: content,
        trigger: trigger
    )

    try await UNUserNotificationCenter.current().add(request)
}

Schedule with Location

import CoreLocation

func scheduleLocationNotification(
    title: String,
    body: String,
    coordinate: CLLocationCoordinate2D,
    radius: CLLocationDistance = 100
) async throws {
    let content = UNMutableNotificationContent()
    content.title = title
    content.body = body
    content.sound = .default

    let region = CLCircularRegion(
        center: coordinate,
        radius: radius,
        identifier: "location-trigger"
    )
    region.notifyOnEntry = true
    region.notifyOnExit = false

    let trigger = UNLocationNotificationTrigger(region: region, repeats: false)

    let request = UNNotificationRequest(
        identifier: UUID().uuidString,
        content: content,
        trigger: trigger
    )

    try await UNUserNotificationCenter.current().add(request)
}

Cancel Notifications

func cancelNotification(identifier: String) {
    UNUserNotificationCenter.current().removePendingNotificationRequests(withIdentifiers: [identifier])
}

func cancelAllNotifications() {
    UNUserNotificationCenter.current().removeAllPendingNotificationRequests()
}

func cancelDeliveredNotifications() {
    UNUserNotificationCenter.current().removeAllDeliveredNotifications()
}

Notification Actions

Define Categories

func setupNotificationCategories() {
    // Action buttons
    let acceptAction = UNNotificationAction(
        identifier: "ACCEPT_ACTION",
        title: "Accept",
        options: [.foreground]
    )

    let declineAction = UNNotificationAction(
        identifier: "DECLINE_ACTION",
        title: "Decline",
        options: [.destructive]
    )

    // Text input action
    let replyAction = UNTextInputNotificationAction(
        identifier: "REPLY_ACTION",
        title: "Reply",
        options: [],
        textInputButtonTitle: "Send",
        textInputPlaceholder: "Type your reply..."
    )

    // Category
    let inviteCategory = UNNotificationCategory(
        identifier: "INVITE_CATEGORY",
        actions: [acceptAction, declineAction],
        intentIdentifiers: [],
        options: []
    )

    let messageCategory = UNNotificationCategory(
        identifier: "MESSAGE_CATEGORY",
        actions: [replyAction],
        intentIdentifiers: [],
        options: []
    )

    UNUserNotificationCenter.current().setNotificationCategories([inviteCategory, messageCategory])
}

Use Category

func sendInviteNotification() async throws {
    let content = UNMutableNotificationContent()
    content.title = "New Invitation"
    content.body = "John invited you to an event"
    content.categoryIdentifier = "INVITE_CATEGORY"

    let request = UNNotificationRequest(
        identifier: UUID().uuidString,
        content: content,
        trigger: nil  // Deliver immediately
    )

    try await UNUserNotificationCenter.current().add(request)
}

Handle Actions

class NotificationDelegate: NSObject, UNUserNotificationCenterDelegate {

    func userNotificationCenter(
        _ center: UNUserNotificationCenter,
        didReceive response: UNNotificationResponse
    ) async {
        let actionIdentifier = response.actionIdentifier

        switch actionIdentifier {
        case "ACCEPT_ACTION":
            handleAccept(response.notification)

        case "DECLINE_ACTION":
            handleDecline(response.notification)

        case "REPLY_ACTION":
            if let textResponse = response as? UNTextInputNotificationResponse {
                handleReply(textResponse.userText, notification: response.notification)
            }

        case UNNotificationDefaultActionIdentifier:
            // User tapped notification
            handleTap(response.notification)

        default:
            break
        }
    }

    // Show notification while app in foreground
    func userNotificationCenter(
        _ center: UNUserNotificationCenter,
        willPresent notification: UNNotification
    ) async -> UNNotificationPresentationOptions {
        return [.banner, .sound, .badge]
    }
}

// Set delegate in App
@main
struct MyApp: App {
    @UIApplicationDelegateAdaptor(AppDelegate.self) var appDelegate

    init() {
        UNUserNotificationCenter.current().delegate = NotificationDelegate()
    }
}

Rich Notifications

With Image

func sendImageNotification(imageURL: URL) async throws {
    let content = UNMutableNotificationContent()
    content.title = "New Photo"
    content.body = "Check out this image"

    // Download and attach image
    let (localURL, _) = try await URLSession.shared.download(from: imageURL)
    let attachment = try UNNotificationAttachment(
        identifier: "image",
        url: localURL,
        options: nil
    )
    content.attachments = [attachment]

    let request = UNNotificationRequest(
        identifier: UUID().uuidString,
        content: content,
        trigger: nil
    )

    try await UNUserNotificationCenter.current().add(request)
}

With Custom Data

func sendNotificationWithData(userInfo: [AnyHashable: Any]) async throws {
    let content = UNMutableNotificationContent()
    content.title = "New Message"
    content.body = "You have a new message"
    content.userInfo = userInfo  // Custom data

    let request = UNNotificationRequest(
        identifier: UUID().uuidString,
        content: content,
        trigger: nil
    )

    try await UNUserNotificationCenter.current().add(request)
}

// Access in delegate
func handleNotification(_ notification: UNNotification) {
    let userInfo = notification.request.content.userInfo
    if let messageID = userInfo["messageID"] as? String {
        // Navigate to message
    }
}

Badge Management

func updateBadge(count: Int) async {
    try? await UNUserNotificationCenter.current().setBadgeCount(count)
}

func clearBadge() async {
    try? await UNUserNotificationCenter.current().setBadgeCount(0)
}

Push Notification Payload

Standard Payload

{
    "aps": {
        "alert": {
            "title": "New Message",
            "subtitle": "From John",
            "body": "Hey, how are you?"
        },
        "badge": 5,
        "sound": "default",
        "category": "MESSAGE_CATEGORY"
    },
    "messageID": "12345",
    "senderID": "user123"
}

Silent Push

{
    "aps": {
        "content-available": 1
    },
    "data": {
        "type": "sync"
    }
}

Notification Service Extension

Create Extension

1. File > New > Target > Notification Service Extension

class NotificationService: UNNotificationServiceExtension {
    var contentHandler: ((UNNotificationContent) -> Void)?
    var bestAttemptContent: UNMutableNotificationContent?

    override func didReceive(
        _ request: UNNotificationRequest,
        withContentHandler contentHandler: @escaping (UNNotificationContent) -> Void
    ) {
        self.contentHandler = contentHandler
        bestAttemptContent = (request.content.mutableCopy() as? UNMutableNotificationContent)

        guard let content = bestAttemptContent else {
            contentHandler(request.content)
            return
        }

        // Modify content
        content.title = "[Modified] " + content.title

        // Download and attach image
        if let imageURLString = content.userInfo["imageURL"] as? String,
           let imageURL = URL(string: imageURLString) {
            downloadImage(url: imageURL) { attachment in
                if let attachment = attachment {
                    content.attachments = [attachment]
                }
                contentHandler(content)
            }
        } else {
            contentHandler(content)
        }
    }

    override func serviceExtensionTimeWillExpire() {
        if let contentHandler = contentHandler,
           let content = bestAttemptContent {
            contentHandler(content)
        }
    }
}

Apple Documentation

• UserNotifications
• Scheduling Notifications
• Push Notifications
• Notification Actions
• Notification Service Extension