Send a test message to a backgrounded Apple app

To get started with FCM, build out the simplest use case: sending a test notification message from the Notifications composer to a development device when the app is in the background on the device. This page lists all the steps to achieve this, from setup to verification — it may cover steps you already completed if you have set up an Apple client app for FCM.

Add Firebase to your Apple project

This section covers tasks you may have completed if you have already enabled other Firebase features for your app. For FCM specifically, you'll need to upload your APNs authentication key and register for remote notifications.

Prerequisites

Install the following:
- Xcode 13.3.1 or later
Make sure that your project meets these requirements:
- Your project must target these platform versions or later:
  - iOS 10
  - macOS 10.12
  - tvOS 12
  - watchOS 6

Set up a physical Apple device to run your app, and complete these tasks:
- Obtain an Apple Push Notification Authentication Key for your Apple Developer account.
- Enable Push Notifications in XCode under App > Capabilities.

Sign into Firebase using your Google account.

If you don't already have an Xcode project and just want to try out a Firebase product, you can download one of our quickstart samples.

Create a Firebase project

Before you can add Firebase to your Apple app, you need to create a Firebase project to connect to your app. Visit Understand Firebase Projects to learn more about Firebase projects.

Create a Firebase project

In the Firebase console, click Add project.
- To add Firebase resources to an existing Google Cloud project, enter its project name or select it from the dropdown menu.
- To create a new project, enter the desired project name. You can also optionally edit the project ID displayed below the project name.
  
  Firebase generates a unique ID for your Firebase project based upon the name you give it. If you want to edit this project ID, you must do it now as it cannot be altered after Firebase provisions resources for your project. Visit Understand Firebase Projects to learn about how Firebase uses the project ID.
If prompted, review and accept the Firebase terms.
Click Continue.

(Optional) Set up Google Analytics for your project, which enables you to have an optimal experience using any of the following Firebase products:

Either select an existing Google Analytics account or to create a new account.

If you create a new account, select your Analytics reporting location, then accept the data sharing settings and Google Analytics terms for your project.

Click Create project (or Add Firebase, if you're using an existing Google Cloud project).

Firebase automatically provisions resources for your Firebase project. When the process completes, you'll be taken to the overview page for your Firebase project in the Firebase console.

Register your app with Firebase

To use Firebase in your Apple app, you need to register your app with your Firebase project. Registering your app is often called "adding" your app to your project.

Go to the Firebase console.
In the center of the project overview page, click the iOS+ icon to launch the setup workflow.

If you've already added an app to your Firebase project, click Add app to display the platform options.
Enter your app's bundle ID in the bundle ID field.
What's a bundle ID, and where do you find it?
- A bundle ID uniquely identifies an application in Apple's ecosystem.
- Find your bundle ID: open your project in Xcode, select the top-level app in the project navigator, then select the General tab.
  
  The value of the Bundle Identifier field is the bundle ID (for example, com.yourcompany.yourproject).
- Be aware that the bundle ID value is case-sensitive, and it cannot be changed for this Firebase app after it's registered with your Firebase project.
Make sure to enter the bundle ID that your app is actually using. The bundle ID value is case-sensitive, and it cannot be changed for this Firebase Apple app after it's registered with your Firebase project.
(Optional) Enter other app information: App nickname and App Store ID.
How are the App nickname and the App Store ID used within Firebase?
- App nickname: An internal, convenience identifier that is only visible to you in the Firebase console
- App Store ID: Used by Firebase Dynamic Links to redirect users to your App Store page and by Google Analytics to import conversion events into Google Ads. If your app doesn't yet have an App Store ID, you can add the ID later in your Project settings.
Click Register app.

Add a Firebase configuration file

Click Download GoogleService-Info.plist to obtain your Firebase Apple platforms config file (GoogleService-Info.plist).
What do you need to know about this config file?
- The Firebase config file contains unique, but non-secret identifiers for your project. To learn more about this config file, visit Understand Firebase Projects.
- You can download your Firebase config file again at any time.
- Make sure the config file name is not appended with additional characters, like (2).
Move your config file into the root of your Xcode project. If prompted, select to add the config file to all targets.

If you have multiple bundle IDs in your project, you must associate each bundle ID with a registered app in the Firebase console so that each app can have its own GoogleService-Info.plist file.

Add Firebase SDKs to your app

Use Swift Package Manager to install and manage Firebase dependencies.

In Xcode, with your app project open, navigate to File > Add Packages.
When prompted, add the Firebase Apple platforms SDK repository:

  https://github.com/firebase/firebase-ios-sdk

Choose the Firebase Cloud Messaging library.
For an optimal experience with Firebase Cloud Messaging, we recommend enabling Google Analytics in your Firebase project and adding the Firebase SDK for Google Analytics to your app. You can select either the library without IDFA collection or with IDFA collection.
When finished, Xcode will automatically begin resolving and downloading your dependencies in the background.

Upload your APNs authentication key

Upload your APNs authentication key to Firebase. If you don't already have an APNs authentication key, make sure to create one in the Apple Developer Member Center.

Inside your project in the Firebase console, select the gear icon, select Project Settings, and then select the Cloud Messaging tab.
In APNs authentication key under iOS app configuration, click the Upload button.
Browse to the location where you saved your key, select it, and click Open. Add the key ID for the key (available in the Apple Developer Member Center) and click Upload.

Initialize Firebase in your app

You'll need to add Firebase initialization code to your application. Import the Firebase module and configure a shared instance as shown:

Import the FirebaseCore module in your UIApplicationDelegate, as well as any other Firebase modules your app delegate uses. For example, to use Cloud Firestore and Authentication:
Swift
```
import FirebaseCore
import FirebaseFirestore
import FirebaseAuth
// ...
      
```
Objective-C
```
@import FirebaseCore;
@import FirebaseFirestore;
@import FirebaseAuth;
// ...
      
```
Configure a FirebaseApp shared instance in your app delegate's application(_:didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:) method:
Swift
```
// Use Firebase library to configure APIs
FirebaseApp.configure()
```
Objective-C
```
// Use Firebase library to configure APIs
[FIRApp configure];
```

Register for remote notifications

Either at startup, or at the desired point in your application flow, register your app for remote notifications. Call registerForRemoteNotifications as shown:

Note: SwiftUI apps should use the UIApplicationDelegateAdaptor or NSApplicationDelegateAdaptor property wrappers to provide a type corresponding to the appropriate app delegate protocol.

Swift

if #available(iOS 10.0, *) {
  // For iOS 10 display notification (sent via APNS)
  UNUserNotificationCenter.current().delegate = self

  let authOptions: UNAuthorizationOptions = [.alert, .badge, .sound]
  UNUserNotificationCenter.current().requestAuthorization(
    options: authOptions,
    completionHandler: { _, _ in }
  )
} else {
  let settings: UIUserNotificationSettings =
    UIUserNotificationSettings(types: [.alert, .badge, .sound], categories: nil)
  application.registerUserNotificationSettings(settings)
}

application.registerForRemoteNotifications()
AppDelegate.swift

Objective-C

if ([UNUserNotificationCenter class] != nil) {
  // iOS 10 or later
  // For iOS 10 display notification (sent via APNS)
  [UNUserNotificationCenter currentNotificationCenter].delegate = self;
  UNAuthorizationOptions authOptions = UNAuthorizationOptionAlert |
      UNAuthorizationOptionSound | UNAuthorizationOptionBadge;
  [[UNUserNotificationCenter currentNotificationCenter]
      requestAuthorizationWithOptions:authOptions
      completionHandler:^(BOOL granted, NSError * _Nullable error) {
        // ...
      }];
} else {
  // iOS 10 notifications aren't available; fall back to iOS 8-9 notifications.
  UIUserNotificationType allNotificationTypes =
  (UIUserNotificationTypeSound | UIUserNotificationTypeAlert | UIUserNotificationTypeBadge);
  UIUserNotificationSettings *settings =
  [UIUserNotificationSettings settingsForTypes:allNotificationTypes categories:nil];
  [application registerUserNotificationSettings:settings];
}

[application registerForRemoteNotifications];AppDelegate.m

You must assign the UNUserNotificationCenter's delegate property and FIRMessaging's delegate property. For example, in an iOS app, assign it in the applicationWillFinishLaunchingWithOptions: or applicationDidFinishLaunchingWithOptions: method of the app delegate.

Access the registration token

To send a message to a specific device, you need to know that device's registration token. Because you'll need to enter the token in a field in the Notifications composer to complete this tutorial, make sure to copy the token or securely store it after you retrieve it.

By default, the FCM SDK generates a registration token for the client app instance on app launch. Similar to the APNs device token, this token allows you to send targeted notifications to any particular instance of your app.

In the same way that Apple platforms typically deliver an APNs device token on app start, FCM provides a registration token via FIRMessagingDelegate's messaging:didReceiveRegistrationToken: method. The FCM SDK retrieves a new or existing token during initial app launch and whenever the token is updated or invalidated. In all cases, the FCM SDK calls messaging:didReceiveRegistrationToken: with a valid token.

The registration token may change when:

The app is restored on a new device
The user uninstalls/reinstall the app
The user clears app data.

Set the messaging delegate

To receive registration tokens, implement the messaging delegate protocol and set FIRMessaging's delegate property after calling [FIRApp configure]. For example, if your application delegate conforms to the messaging delegate protocol, you can set the delegate on application:didFinishLaunchingWithOptions: to itself.

Swift

Messaging.messaging().delegate = self

Objective-C

[FIRMessaging messaging].delegate = self;

Fetching the current registration token

Registration tokens are delivered via the method messaging:didReceiveRegistrationToken:. This method is called generally once per app start with registration token. When this method is called, it is the ideal time to:

If the registration token is new, send it to your application server.
Subscribe the registration token to topics. This is required only for new subscriptions or for situations where the user has re-installed the app.

You can retrieve the token directly using token(completion:). A non null error is provided if the token retrieval failed in any way.

Swift

Messaging.messaging().token { token, error in
  if let error = error {
    print("Error fetching FCM registration token: \(error)")
  } else if let token = token {
    print("FCM registration token: \(token)")
    self.fcmRegTokenMessage.text  = "Remote FCM registration token: \(token)"
  }
}

Objective-C

[[FIRMessaging messaging] tokenWithCompletion:^(NSString *token, NSError *error) {
  if (error != nil) {
    NSLog(@"Error getting FCM registration token: %@", error);
  } else {
    NSLog(@"FCM registration token: %@", token);
    self.fcmRegTokenMessage.text = token;
  }
}];

You can use this method at any time to access the token instead of storing it.

Monitor token refresh

To be notified whenever the token is updated, supply a delegate conforming to the messaging delegate protocol. The following example registers the delegate and adds the proper delegate method:

Swift

func messaging(_ messaging: Messaging, didReceiveRegistrationToken fcmToken: String?) {
  print("Firebase registration token: \(String(describing: fcmToken))")

  let dataDict: [String: String] = ["token": fcmToken ?? ""]
  NotificationCenter.default.post(
    name: Notification.Name("FCMToken"),
    object: nil,
    userInfo: dataDict
  )
  // TODO: If necessary send token to application server.
  // Note: This callback is fired at each app startup and whenever a new token is generated.
}
AppDelegate.swift

Objective-C

- (void)messaging:(FIRMessaging *)messaging didReceiveRegistrationToken:(NSString *)fcmToken {
    NSLog(@"FCM registration token: %@", fcmToken);
    // Notify about received token.
    NSDictionary *dataDict = [NSDictionary dictionaryWithObject:fcmToken forKey:@"token"];
    [[NSNotificationCenter defaultCenter] postNotificationName:
     @"FCMToken" object:nil userInfo:dataDict];
    // TODO: If necessary send token to application server.
    // Note: This callback is fired at each app startup and whenever a new token is generated.
}AppDelegate.m

Alternatively, you can listen for an NSNotification named kFIRMessagingRegistrationTokenRefreshNotification rather than supplying a delegate method. The token property always has the current token value.

Send a notification message

Install and run the app on the target device. You'll need to accept the request for permission to receive remote notifications.
Make sure the app is in the background on the device.
Open the Notifications composer and select New notification.
Enter the message text.
Select Send test message.
In the field labeled Add an FCM registration token, enter the registration token you obtained in a previous section of this guide.
Click Test

After you click Test, the targeted client device (with the app in the background) should receive the notification in the notification center .

For insight into message delivery to your app, see the FCM reporting dashboard, which records the number of messages sent and opened on Apple and Android devices, along with data for "impressions" (notifications seen by users) for Android apps.

Next steps

To go beyond notification messages and add other, more advanced behavior to your app, see: