Add push notifications to an AI mobile app: permission, tokens and useful events

A worked example: where the task becomes difficult

A fictional appointment app wants to notify a customer when the shop changes a visit time. The generated code schedules a local reminder but calls it push delivery. Those mechanisms answer different tasks. Define the event and destination account, then use the runtime’s current notification setup with a controlled device. Keep messages free of unnecessary private details that could appear on a lock screen.

Decisions to make before implementation

Choose notification categories, user preferences and conditions for delivery. Map devices to the correct account and remove or disable registrations appropriately on sign-out. Understand the selected provider’s token and receipt contract. Decide what happens when permission is denied or a device is offline. The underlying appointment state must remain available inside the app even if notification delivery fails.

A practical sequence for the work

Use the sequence below as a task boundary, not as a claim that the example has been executed. Work with approved inputs and the project’s actual architecture. If a required integration or permission is unavailable, keep that stage visibly incomplete rather than generating a plausible substitute result.

• Define one approved event and its minimal notification content.
• Configure the runtime and provider using current official requirements.
• Register a controlled device under the intended account and request permission.
• Send an authorized test and inspect device receipt and failure handling.

A detailed brief you can adapt for your agent

Replace the illustrative context with your approved facts and controlled inputs. Keep the stated boundaries when adapting the brief. The expected deliverable matters more than a particular tool name: ask for an explanation grounded in the inspected material and evidence for the requested outcome.

Implement one appointment-change notification using the project’s actual runtime and current provider contract. Separate local reminders from remote push. Handle permission, account-bound device registration and token changes. Use a controlled device and minimal lock-screen content. Do not send to all production tokens or claim receipt from provider acceptance alone.

Failure modes that an attractive preview can hide

Notification setup often depends on build configuration and physical-device support. A development preview may not exercise the production path. Avoid sending test messages to every stored token. Also prevent a token left from a previous account on a shared device from receiving the next account’s private events.

Technical references: Expo: notifications

Acceptance checks and the evidence to retain

Keep build requirements, registration ownership, provider test references and device outcomes. Identify which delivery paths remain unverified.

Specific answers

Common questions