Push notifications

Your app can ask people to allow notifications, and you can then send a message to everyone who said yes. iPhones need a push key from Apple. Android phones need a key from a Firebase project of your own.

1. Turn it on

1. In your app's Settings → Native features, turn on Push notifications.
2. Under Ask, choose when the app asks:
   • On the second launch. People see what your app does first. This is the default.
   • On the first launch.
   • Only when my app asks. Your app's own code calls window.StoreReady.push.ask(), for example right after someone places an order.
3. Write the Title and the Text of the sheet the app shows. It has two buttons, Not now and Turn on, and comes before the phone's own prompt. <app name> in the text becomes your app's name.
4. Press Save.

Someone who taps Not now is asked again after 14 days, at most twice.

2. iPhones: your APNs key

About 2 minutes. One key works for every app on your Apple team, so you add it once.

1. Open developer.apple.com/account and sign in as the Account Holder or an Admin of your team.
2. Go to Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles, then Keys.
3. Click the + button. Name the key StoreReady Push and tick Apple Push Notifications service (APNs).
4. If Apple asks you to configure it, choose Sandbox & Production for the environment and Team Scoped (All Topics), so the key works for all your apps. Save.
5. Click Continue, then Register.
6. Click Download. The file is named AuthKey_ followed by the Key ID and ends in .p8. Apple lets you download it only once, so keep it safe.
7. In StoreReady, open your app's Settings → Stores. Next to Push key (APNs), press Add key. Choose the file in Key file (.p8). The Key ID fills in from the file name when it still has it. Press Save key.

The row says Connect Apple first? Connect your Apple account in the same place first. See Publishing to the App Store.

3. Android: your Firebase key

About 3 minutes. Android phones get notifications through Google's Firebase, in a Firebase project of your own, so your subscribers stay yours. Google doesn't charge for notifications.

1. Open the Firebase console and sign in with your Google account.
2. Click Create a project. Name it after your app and continue. When it asks about Google Analytics, turn it off, then click Create project. Wait for "Your new project is ready" and click Continue.
3. Click the gear next to Project Overview (top left), then Project settings.
4. Open the Service accounts tab.
5. Click Generate new private key, then Generate key. A .json file downloads.
6. In StoreReady, open your app's Settings → Stores. Next to Push key (Firebase), press Add key. Choose the file in Key file (.json) and press Save key. We check it with Google and add your app to the project for you.

The row says Set the App ID first? Your app needs its App ID before Firebase can know it. Pick one in setup step 3.

You can use one Firebase project for several of your apps.

4. Build again

Notifications go into your next build. Start a new build. Phones that install it and say yes can get your messages.

5. Send a notification

Open your app's Notifications tab. Under Send to everyone:

1. Write a Title (up to 60 characters) and a Message (up to 240).
2. To open a page of your app on tap, fill in Open this page with its path, like /shop.
3. Press Send to … devices. It says Nobody has said yes yet. until someone allows notifications.

Each app can send up to 30 notifications a day. Devices shows how many iPhones and Android phones said yes, and Sent notifications shows how many devices got each message.

If something goes wrong

• "Apple did not accept this key." Check the Key ID, and that the key belongs to the same team as your App Store connection. A key made a minute ago can take a few minutes to start working.
• No Keys page or no + button at Apple. Only the Account Holder or an Admin can create keys.
• "Key creation is not allowed." Your Google account belongs to a company whose admin blocks keys. Create the Firebase project with a personal Google account, or ask your admin.
• "Firebase did not let us add the app." On the Project Overview page in Firebase, click Add app, choose Android, paste the package name StoreReady shows you and click Register app. Skip the remaining steps, then upload the key again.
• The Notifications tab says "Push notifications are off for this app". Press Open settings and do step 1.
• "iPhones won't get anything…" or "Android phones won't get anything…" That key is missing. Add it in Settings → Stores (steps 2 and 3).

Keep your keys safe

The .p8 and .json files work like passwords. Don't share them or put them in your code. StoreReady keeps them encrypted and uses them only to send your apps' notifications. To take access away, press Remove next to the key in Settings → Stores, then revoke the key at Apple or delete it in Google Cloud.