silent-pushes-setup_skill

This skill helps you set up, debug, and validate iOS silent pushes with APNs, ensuring correct entitlements, registration, and widget refresh.

Python

7

GitHub Stars

1

Bundled Files

2 months ago

Catalog Refreshed

4 months ago

First Indexed

Readme & install

Copy the install command, review bundled files from the catalogue, and read any extended description pulled from the listing source.

Installation

Preview and clipboard use veilstrat where the catalogue uses aiagentskills.

npx veilstrat add skill vladimirbrejcha/ios-ai-skills --skill silent-pushes-setup

SKILL.md4.0 KB

Overview

This skill helps you set up, validate, and debug iOS silent (background) push notifications via APNs. It covers entitlements, device token registration, correct APNs requests (headers and payload), background handling in the app, and widget refresh behavior. Use it to confirm environment, diagnose delivery failures, and verify backend integration.

How this skill works

The skill walks through a stepwise inspection of the signed app entitlements, runtime token registration, backend token storage, and the APNs HTTP/2 request details. It verifies the correct APNs host, required headers (apns-push-type, apns-priority, apns-topic), and minimal payload for background pushes. It also checks the app-side background handler and widget refresh calls, and explains expected throttling and best-effort delivery behavior.

When to use it

Setting up silent/background push notifications for an iOS app
Debugging aps-environment entitlement errors or missing entitlements in the signed binary
Troubleshooting device token registration or duplicate token constraints on the backend
Verifying APNs requests (sandbox vs production host, headers, and payload) before sending
Ensuring widget timelines update after a background push

Best practices

Confirm real device testing; silent pushes do not work in the simulator
Ensure the signed app contains aps-environment matching the build (development vs production)
Register for remote notifications early and send the device token to the backend immediately
Use apns-push-type: background and apns-priority: 5 with payload {"aps":{"content-available":1}} for silent pushes
Implement application(_:didReceiveRemoteNotification:fetchCompletionHandler:) and call WidgetCenter.shared.reloadAllTimelines() as needed
Design backend to upsert tokens and record environment + last_push_at for diagnostics

Example use cases

Validate an app failing with “no valid aps-environment entitlement string found” by inspecting signed entitlements
Debug missing background deliveries by confirming APNs host, headers, and payload structure from the backend
Fix duplicate token registration errors by converting register endpoint to idempotent upsert
Test widget refresh by triggering a data change, sending a background push, and verifying timeline reload
Verify throttling behavior when many silent pushes are sent in a short period and adjust backend logic

FAQ

Confirm you are on a physical device, the app is signed with aps-environment for the correct environment, registerForRemoteNotifications completed and the token was stored on the backend, and the backend sent a background APNs request with apns-push-type: background and content-available:1. Also expect best-effort delivery and possible throttling.

Which APNs host and headers should my backend use for silent pushes?

Use api.sandbox.push.apple.com for development and api.push.apple.com for production. Include apns-push-type: background, apns-priority: 5, and apns-topic equal to the app bundle ID. Payload should be {"aps":{"content-available":1}} with no alert/sound/badge.