GCM in iOS - clarification - ios

Just wanted to conform if my understanding is correct. As per my understanding, the mechanism involved in delivering the push notification to iOS App is Server -> GCM -> APNS -> iOS App. I am an iOS developer and I know that Apple strictly never allows a server other than APNS server to send a remote notification to iOS App. So, just wanted to know whether the notification is directly pushed to the iOS App from GCM or, via APNS.

Push messages are always sent by APNS.
What services like Google Cloud Messaging or Parse.com do is facilitating the administration of push messages - eg enabling an app to switch pushon or off for an app, or group users so you can send push messages to certain user groups instead of all of them.

GCM is not involved in Push Notification in iOS.
It is carried out through APNS.
Please refer
https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/NetworkingInternet/Conceptual/RemoteNotificationsPG/Chapters/ApplePushService.html
It will clear all your doubts.

Everything will be clear if you just look at image:
Its showing complete APNS process. This is the process for iOS, no GCM included for iOS.

Related

Push Notifications without Apple Push Notification Service?

Can one use a 3rd party service to send Push Notifications without relying on the Apple Push Notification Service (APNS)?
If it is a requirement that one use the APNS service, is it simply a requirement for App Store approval or is it a technological limitation?
I have seen other questions, such as this one: Apple push notification without Apple Server, but it mainly deals with sending files and is several years old.
Apple requires you to use APNS to send push notifications to devices. This cannot be done without APNS, if you found a way around this then Apple would most likely reject the app.
Click here to read the documentation. When you register for push notifications you are actually getting the device token for your app on that specific device from APNS, therefore that is an APNS specific token and you will need to use APNS to send the notification.

iOS push notification using FCM

Currently we are using AWS for sending IOS push notifications and FCM for Android notifications. As FCM also supports IOS notifications, we want to consider that for 2 reasons
It is free service (AWS is not that costly)
to have single interface from app server for push and web notifications
but from FCM documentation, it looks IOS app has to be tightly integrated with FCM API for delivering push notifications (this is not required for AWS). so i want to know if there is a way I can send push notifications without any change to iOS app code.
The iOS app must be configured to receive messages from the FCM Servers.
You'll have to implement the necessary functions (callbacks specifically) in your client app that will handle/receive the messages as mentioned in the Setting Up a Firebase Cloud Messaging Client App on iOS.
It's also through implementing the needed functions you'll be able to generate a token needed by the FCM servers to send a message towards the device(s).

Receive push notifications from APNS to Titanium (iOS) App without using Appcelerator Cloudpush (ACS)?

I'm now responsible for a initial release of an app for iOS and Android. The developer that started the work has left the company and we are left with an incomplete Titanium application to finish.
Once this app is finished we do not plan to continue using Titanium.
We need to add push notifications to this app.
We have enabled Android push notifications using the standard GCM push servers using http://iamyellow.net/post/40100981563/gcm-appcelerator-titanium-module or https://marketplace.appcelerator.com/apps/5165#!overview
Does anyone know of a guide to use APNS that connects directly to the Apple servers and does not require sending the notification payload via ACS?
Thanks
The first step is to get the device token from apple to do this you have to register for Push notifications, you will find it in detail here
The process that follows is saving the token to your database and using it to send Push notifications, this blog explains it best.
Hope it helps.

IOS Framework with push notifications

I am developing an IOS Framework with several functionalities, and I would like to add push notification services. I created my own push notification service using Easy APNS. I do not know how to deal with others apps when They integrated my SDK. I mean, I do not know, if they have to send me their distribution certificates, and I can add them in my push notifications service, or If I need to integrate something in their push notification servie.
I do not know how to deal with a Framework that will work with others app and push notifications.
Yes, If a app supports APNS then it has bundled with APNS enabled service(Push Notification service) certificate.
Assuming that your server is responsible for sending push notifications to all the applications using your SDK, you'll need to get from the developers of those app their push certificates.
I'm assuming that your SDK will handle the sending of the device token from an application to your server. You'll have to know in your server which device token belongs to which application.
For each application for which you wish to send push notifications, you'll have to maintain a separate connection to APNS using the certificate supplied by the developer of that application.

Apple push notification Vs. Parse

i have an app and i'm thinking about implementing push notifications in it. however, i want to use remote notifications. i've tried Parse's push notification service and it's great and works well. You can type any text you want to inform your users about and just press send in order to be delivered to all your App users. On the other hand, i don't know if Apple has any such service that can facilitate the process of sending remote notifications. so which is better to stick to, Apple or Parse? and can i have the same service as Parse from Apple?
Yes, you can get the same services as Parse. You have to build your own server that will talk with Apple APNS. Just for example sending a push notification from your own server without using parse is here.
I didn't understand what are you trying to ask.
You can use Apple push notification service for sending remote content. With Any content related to your App.
Check RemoteNotifications for details. Parse is also using the Apple's push notification service.
Edit: For implementing your own servers for push notification check this tutorial : Push Notification Services

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