iOS Tutorial Scheduling local notifications

There are two ways for your app to notify the user while the app is in the background: push notifications and local (or scheduled) notifications.

This tutorial explains how to create local notifications. Local notifications are simple to use but are also quite limited. While your app is running you can schedule one or more notifications to run.

When the notification runs the user will see a small alert box. If the user will press on the alert box then your app will be started. You can also set a badge number on the app icon.

This video demonstrates this type of notifications. In this example the notification fires in 6 seconds so it is a bit quick. First a notification arrives while the app is running causing the Application_ReceiveLocalNotification event to fire.
In the second case the app is killed and then the notification arrives.
In this case the notification information can be extracted from App.LaunchOptions Map (see the example code):


Before you can show a notification you need to ask the user for permission. This is done by calling App.RegisterUserNotifications. On the first run the user will be asked to allow your app to use these features.

The next step is to create a notification object and call Notification.Register.

Tips:
- You can get the scheduled notifications with App.GetScheduledNotifications.
- You can cancel all scheduled notifications with App.ClearLocalNotifications.
- Only in Release mode you can actually start the app from a notification.

 

[fishwolf]

i have run example on ipad and sound doesn't work

is it possibile play a custom file audio ?
how ?

 

[Erel]

It is not possible to change the sound. Check the app settings in the settings app. Maybe sound is disabled.

 

[tcgoh]

Sound does not work on my iphone 4 also. Sound was enable in the Notification Center > B4i example > sounds

 

[Erel]

Might be related to the issue discussed here: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5366534

 

[Shay]

do you think I can use this and read user location every X minutes
and workaround the background limitation?
(but I don't want to show something on user screen)

 

[Erel]

No. Notifications don't start your app so you cannot run any code.

 

[Alberto Iglesias]

How to get the last PUSH MESSAGE comming from Remote Notification?

I try getting from the UIApplicationLaunchOptionsRemoteNotificationKey but not work, the APP Crash

Dim ln As Notification = App.LaunchOptions.Get("UIApplicationLaunchOptionsRemoteNotificationKey")


Something have an idea how I can start APP from remote notification AND GET the last message?

 

[Erel]

Please start a new thread for this question.

 

[susu]

I tested your sample code on iPhone 4 iOS 7.1.2. Questions:
1. When I run it first time, why it not ask for permission?
2. When the notification arrived, there's icon badge number (number 1 in red). I tap on notification (or app icon) to open it. Why the badge number did not remove although I add this code:

If App.LaunchOptions.IsInitialized Then
        Dim ln As Notification = App.LaunchOptions.Get("UIApplicationLaunchOptionsLocalNotificationKey")
        If ln.IsInitialized Then
            App.ApplicationIconBadgeNumber = 0
            ln.IconBadgeNumber = 0
            hd.ToastMessageShow("Application was started from a notification: " & ln.AlertBody, True)
        End If
    End If

How can I remove badge number when open app? Thank you.

 

[Baris Karadeniz]

Sound works when the app is background. I want that sound works when the app is foreground too. Because app can be at the foreground but user may not look always. How can I provide sound works when the app is foreground too?

 

[Erel]

There is no alert or sound when a notification arrives while your app is in the foreground. However Application_ReceiveLocalNotification event is raised so you can do whatever you like in this sub including playing a sound with MediaPlayer.

 

[Baris Karadeniz]

Ok. I will try it. Another question is; When the app is at background and when the notification arrives, there's icon badge number (number 1 in red). I tap on notification (or app icon) to open it. Why the badge number did not remove? (Same question as in #10 Item 2)

 

[Erel]

Put App.ApplicationIconBadgeNumber = 0 in Application_Foreground.

 

[Baris Karadeniz]

This solved the problem. It is ok now. For your post #12, how can I get the default notification sound to play with media player? can you please give an example?

 

[Erel]

You should start a new thread for each question.