Push Notifications (iOS / APNs)

When publishing, BLOCQ sets up push notifications almost entirely automatically. Android (FCM) and the Cloud Functions – including the broadcast sender for manual admin pushes – are all configured automatically. For iOS, one manual step is required that Apple does not allow to be automated.

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What Happens Automatically

Cloud Functions

sendPushNotification and sendBroadcastPush are deployed automatically – no manual action needed.

Android / FCM

FCM delivery for Android devices is fully configured automatically.

In-App Notification Center

The in-app notification center is set up with your active notification types.

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What You Need to Do Manually for iOS

Apple does not allow any external platform to automatically create an APNs auth key or upload it to the Firebase Console – this step must be completed by you once.

1. Open your Apple Developer Account

   Go to developer.apple.com → Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles → Keys → ”+” (create new key).

   Enable the service “Apple Push Notifications service (APNs)” and enter a name (e.g. “BLOCQ APNs Key”). Tap “Continue” → “Register”.

2. Download the key and note the details

   Download the .p8 file.

   Download available once only

   Apple makes the .p8 key available for download only once after creation. Store it securely (e.g. password manager or encrypted drive) – it cannot be downloaded again.

   Note down:

   • Key ID – 10-character alphanumeric ID (visible in the key list)
   • Team ID – 10-character ID in your Apple Developer Account (profile menu top right → Membership)

3. Open the Firebase Console

   Open the Firebase Console → select your project → Project Settings (gear icon) → tab “Cloud Messaging”.

   Scroll to the “Apple app configuration” section and tap “Upload” next to “APNs authentication key”.

   Upload the .p8 file and enter the Key ID and Team ID. Save.

4. Confirm in the BLOCQ Publish Wizard

   Return to the publish wizard in the app. Check the confirmation:

   “I have uploaded the APNs auth key in the Firebase Console.”

   The wizard can only proceed after this confirmation.

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Important Notes

Without this step: no iOS push

Without the APNs auth key uploaded, iPhones and iPads will receive no push notifications. Android devices are not affected – FCM works fully automatically regardless.

Key details: lifetime, reuse, environments

• The .p8 key works for both development and production – no separate key needed.
• A key does not expire (unlike APNs certificates).
• The same key can be used for multiple apps within the same Apple Developer team.

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Why Can’t This Be Automated?

Technical limitation

Apple does not re-issue the .p8 key after creation – BLOCQ cannot retrieve it in the background. Firebase also does not offer a public API for uploading APNs auth keys. This is why this single step is intentionally manual and secured by a mandatory confirmation in the wizard.

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Next Step in the Wizard

After confirming, the wizard moves to the next step.