ADMIN TASK: iOS Push Notifications Not Working (Requires DevOps Access)

🚨 CRITICAL - ADMIN/DEVOPS TASK

ASSIGNED TO: Project Admin (Shay)
REASON: Requires iOS Developer Account access, certificates, and server configuration
PRIORITY: CRITICAL - Affects user retention and communication

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⚠️ Why This Needs Admin Access:

• iOS Developer Account: Push notification certificates and provisioning profiles

• APNs Configuration: Server-side Apple Push Notification service setup

• FlutterFlow Admin: iOS build settings and notification configuration

• Backend Coordination: May need server-side notification service updates

• Security Sensitive: Push certificates and app signing credentials

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How to Reproduce:

1. Setup: Two devices/users (sender and recipient)

2. Log in as any user (employee/employer) on both devices

3. Send a message from sender to recipient

4. Critical: Ensure recipient app is in background or closed

5. Wait at least 3 minutes after the last message was sent

6. Observe notification behavior on recipient's device

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Current Behavior:

❌ iOS (BROKEN):

• Push notifications DO NOT trigger at all

• Messages only appear when user manually opens app

• Completely breaks real-time messaging experience

✅ Android (WORKING):

• Notifications appear correctly when app is background/closed

• Proper notification content and timing

ℹ️ Expected Behavior:

• No notifications when app is active (foreground) - this is correct

• Notifications only trigger if at least 3 minutes have passed since previous message

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Admin Configuration Checklist:

1. iOS Developer Account

• [ ] Verify iOS push notification certificates are valid and not expired

• [ ] Check certificate matches bundle ID exactly

• [ ] Ensure certificates are properly uploaded to FlutterFlow

• [ ] Verify provisioning profiles include push notification capability

2. APNs (Apple Push Notification Service)

• [ ] Check server-side APNs integration

• [ ] Verify APNs authentication key/certificate on backend

• [ ] Test APNs connection from server

• [ ] Validate notification payload format for iOS

3. FlutterFlow Configuration

• [ ] Check iOS notification settings in FlutterFlow project

• [ ] Verify iOS build includes notification capabilities

• [ ] Ensure proper notification permissions are requested

• [ ] Test with latest FlutterFlow iOS build

4. Backend/Server Configuration

• [ ] Check if notifications are being sent to APNs servers

• [ ] Verify iOS vs Android notification sending logic

• [ ] Review server logs for iOS notification attempts

• [ ] Test notification delivery status tracking

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Testing Requirements:

Must Test After Fix:

• [ ] iOS devices (multiple versions - iOS 14, 15, 16, 17)

• [ ] Android devices (regression testing)

• [ ] Background app scenarios

• [ ] Closed app scenarios

• [ ] 3-minute delay timing

• [ ] Different message types

• [ ] Both employee and employer user types

Test Environments:

• [ ] Development environment

• [ ] Staging environment

• [ ] Production environment

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Likely Root Causes:

1. Expired iOS Push Certificate (most common)

2. Incorrect Bundle ID in certificate vs app

3. Missing APNs configuration on server

4. FlutterFlow iOS build settings missing notification capability

5. Server sending incorrect payload format for iOS

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Success Criteria:

• [ ] iOS notifications work consistently when app is background/closed

• [ ] 3-minute delay timing functions correctly

• [ ] No regression in Android notification functionality

• [ ] Proper error handling for failed notifications

• [ ] Delivery confirmation system working

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Reference Materials:

Video Demonstration: Google Drive Link

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Next Steps:

1. Start with iOS Developer Account - check certificate expiration dates

2. Review FlutterFlow iOS settings - ensure notifications are properly configured

3. Check server logs - see if notifications are being sent to APNs

4. Test with development build first before affecting production

Estimated Time: 2-4 hours (mostly configuration and testing)