In Chapter 20, Streamlining Experiences With Siri, you were introduced to app extensions by implementing an intent extension for Siri. You learned that app extensions allow you to integrate your app with iOS on a very deep level. Since iOS 10, Apple added extension capabilities for notifications, while also completely revamping how notifications work. In this chapter, you will learn how notifications work on iOS, and how you can implement extensions for notifications to create a rich notification experience.
First, you will learn about notifications in general. You will learn how notifications appear in iOS and how they work. Even though you won't dive straight into the fine details of implementing notifications, you will gain a deep understanding of notifications by looking at the different types of notifications, and the different ways of scheduling notifications that are available. Once you know how notifications work, you will learn how to implement and use them in your app.
By the end of this chapter, you will know everything there is to know about notifications and how they can be used to create a unique, engaging user experience. People receive lots of notifications throughout the day, so providing a great experience that stands out will ensure that people don't get annoyed with your notifications to the point of wanting to disable them entirely.
This chapter is divided into the following topics:
- Gaining a deep understanding of notifications
- Scheduling and handling notifications
- Implementing notification groups
- Implementing notification extensions