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iosapple-push-notificationspassbookpasskit

notification for Apple wallet pass updates delivered quietly and with no notification banners

I'd like to implement solution to actively notify user upon incoming Apple wallet pass update. I have implemented all the passkit server api and most of the stuff seems to work ok. The only thing is that the incoming notifications are available only "quietly" to the user. This means while the update appears on the lock screen and notification centre, the device is not waking up the screen nor vibration/sound is played and no banner is being shown.

I tried different approaches to update and even while browsing for similar cases I found barely one place mentioning no banners for pass update (yet the problem there seems more complex and with no solution - https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/65986) stating the banners.

I am able to see two kind of Notification Centre updates

  • one for arbitrary field change using changeMessage (with/without optional %@ string):

sample update changes fragment from pass.json (notification banner is then presented in a usual way in Notification Centre, but just silent delivery)

{
  "eventTicket" : {
    "headerFields" : [{
      "key" : "code",
      "value" : "The Code",
      "changeMessage": "Code changed to: %@"
  }]
}
  • second for relevantDate and/or location fields updated where the notification banner is presented on top of Notification Centre showing pass on click - still the notification delivery is silent (no lock screen wake up nor sound/vibration).

sample update changes fragment from pass.json:

{
  "locations": [{
    "longitude" : 20.000,
    "relevantText" : "the location!",
    "latitude" : 50.000
   }]
}

I checked wallet notification settings and all three options (Lock Screen, Notification Centre and Banners) are selected. I am looking either for some similar problem being solved, some guidelines in regard to active (lock scree wake up/sound/vibration) pass update notification or at least some clear description describing if/how/why this feature is not possible.

UPDATE: the above is valid for iPhone 6s device with iOS 13.5.2

on iPhone 8 with iOS 13.7 for changeMessage update the same changes do trigger locked screen wake up and also badges are showing up, but still no sound/vibration. Also for relevantDate updates no locked screen wakeup nor banners/sound/vibrations.

Solution

  • The behaviour you describe in your update is the current behaviour of wallet. Relevant date and location messages have always been passive as they are designed to make locating the card easier when your are in the right place at the right time (E.g. at the airport on the day of your flight, or in the queue at Starbucks).

    Change message updates are considered active updates. These used to vibrate and/or make a sound when they arrived, but Apple reduced this to simply waking the phone and displaying on the Lock Screen several releases ago. There is nothing that you can do as an issuer, or the customer can do on their phone to change this behaviour.

    The best advice I can give is to feedback to Apple with your use case and why making a sound or vibrating would provide a better experience to users.