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Mobile App Guide

Install and use the Notifer mobile app for iOS and Android.

Native Experience

The mobile app provides native push notifications, offline support, and optimized performance for smartphones.

Installing the App

iOS (iPhone/iPad)

  1. Download from App Store

    • Open App Store on your device
    • Search for "Notifer"
    • Tap "Get""Install"
    • Or visit: apps.apple.com/notifer (coming soon)
  2. System Requirements

    • iOS 14.0 or later
    • iPhone 6s or newer
    • iPad (5th generation) or newer

Android

  1. Download from Google Play

  2. System Requirements

    • Android 8.0 (Oreo) or later
    • 50 MB free storage

Beta Testing

Join TestFlight (iOS):

  1. Install TestFlight app
  2. Open beta invitation link
  3. Accept and install Notifer beta

Join Play Console Beta (Android):

  1. Visit beta signup URL
  2. Accept invitation
  3. Update app to beta version

First Launch Setup

Sign In

Option 1: Email/Password

  1. Tap "Sign In"
  2. Enter email and password
  3. Tap "Continue"

Option 2: Google Sign-In

  1. Tap "Continue with Google"
  2. Select Google account
  3. Grant permissions

New User:

Grant Notification Permission

iOS:

  1. App prompts: "Allow notifications?"
  2. Tap "Allow"
  3. Permission granted immediately

Android:

  1. App prompts: "Allow notifications?"
  2. Tap "Allow"
  3. May need to enable in Settings → Apps → Notifer → Notifications
Permission Required

Without notification permission, you won't receive push notifications. You can enable it later in device settings.

Sync Subscriptions

After signing in:

  • Existing subscriptions sync automatically
  • Topics from web dashboard appear in app
  • Notification settings preserved

App Navigation

Bottom Navigation Bar

The app has 4-5 tabs in the bottom navigation bar:

Messages (💬)

  • Combined message feed from all subscribed topics
  • Real-time updates via SSE
  • Filter by topic, priority, tags

Subscriptions (📥)

  • List of topics you're subscribed to
  • Quick access to subscribed topic feeds
  • Notification status for each subscription

Topics (📁)

  • Topics you own/created
  • Create new topics
  • Manage your topics

Browse (✨)

  • Discover new public topics
  • Search for topics
  • Subscribe to topics shared by others

Teams (👥) — TEAM plan only

  • View and manage your teams
  • Create new teams
  • Team members and invitations
Accessing Settings

Settings is not a tab. Access it by tapping the gear icon (⚙️) in the screen header.

Managing Topics

Subscribing to Topics

From Browse Tab:

  1. Tap the "Browse" tab in bottom navigation
  2. Browse available public topics
  3. Tap topic card
  4. Tap "Subscribe" button
  5. Configure notification settings
  6. Tap "Save"

From Topic URL:

  1. Open link: app.notifer.io/topic/topic-name
  2. App opens automatically (deep link)
  3. Tap "Subscribe"

Creating Topics

  1. Tap the "Topics" tab (your owned topics)
  2. Tap the "+" button (floating action button)
  3. Enter topic details:
    • Name (required)
    • Description (optional)
    • Access level: Public or Private
    • Discoverable: Show in Browse or hidden
  4. Tap "Create Topic"

Viewing Messages

From Subscriptions Tab:

  1. Tap the "Subscriptions" tab
  2. Tap a subscribed topic
  3. Message feed opens

From Messages Tab:

  1. Tap the "Messages" tab
  2. View combined feed from all subscriptions
  3. Tap a message to see details or go to topic

Message Feed:

  • Shows all messages for topic
  • Auto-updates in real-time
  • Pull to refresh
  • Infinite scroll (load more)

Message Details:

  • Tap message to expand
  • View full content
  • See metadata (priority, tags, timestamp)
  • Actions: Copy, Share, Delete (owner only)

Push Notifications

Notification Settings

Global Settings:

  1. Tap the gear icon (⚙️) in the header
  2. Go to "Notifications"
  3. Toggle "Push notifications" on/off for this device

Per-Topic Settings:

  1. Open topic
  2. Tap the settings icon (⚙️) in the top right
  3. Configure in the Notifications section:
    • Push notifications - Enable/disable for this topic
    • Priority threshold - Minimum priority to notify (P1-P5)
    • Sound - Enable and choose notification sound (Default, Chime, Alert, Urgent)
    • Vibration - Enable/disable vibration
    • Tag filter - Only notify for specific tags (comma-separated)
Detailed Notification Configuration

To learn more about advanced notification settings, visit the Notifications Guide.

Priority-Based Notifications

Control which messages notify you:

PriorityBehavior
1 - CriticalPersistent + sound + vibration
2 - HighNotify + sound
3 - DefaultStandard notification
4 - LowSilent (optional)
5 - InfoNo notification (silent)

Set Threshold:

Topic: "server-alerts"
Threshold: P2 (High)
Result: Only P1 and P2 notify

Tag Filtering

Subscribe to specific message types:

Example:

Topic: "deployments"
Tag filter: "production"
Result: Only messages tagged "production" notify

Configure:

  1. Open topic notification settings
  2. Tap "Tag filter"
  3. Enter tags (comma-separated)
  4. Select mode:
    • Any - Message has any tag
    • All - Message has all tags
  5. Tap "Save"

Sound Options

Built-in Sounds

iOS:

  • Default - Standard notification
  • Alert - Attention-grabbing tone
  • Urgent - Loud, repeating (for P1 priority)
  • Subtle - Soft chime (for low priority P4/P5)
  • Silent - No sound

Android:

  • System notification sounds
  • Custom sounds (coming soon)

Custom Sounds (ESSENTIALS Feature)

Upload your own notification sounds:

  1. Settings → Sounds → Upload Sound
  2. Select .mp3 or .wav file (max 5 seconds)
  3. Name your sound
  4. Use in per-topic settings

Priority-Based Behavior

Priority 1 - Critical (P1)

  • Sound: Urgent, loud tone
  • Vibration: Strong, repeated (persistent + sound + vibration)
  • Banner: Full-screen alert (iOS)
  • Badge: Red dot
  • Notification: Remains until dismissed

Priority 2 - High (P2)

  • Sound: Alert tone
  • Vibration: Medium (notification + sound)
  • Banner: Standard notification
  • Badge: Orange dot
  • Notification: Auto-dismiss after 30s

Priority 3 - Default (P3)

  • Sound: Default chime
  • Vibration: Light
  • Banner: Brief notification (standard, default)
  • Badge: Blue dot
  • Notification: Auto-dismiss after 10s

Priority 4 - Low (P4)

  • Sound: Soft tone (optional)
  • Vibration: None
  • Banner: Minimal
  • Badge: Gray dot
  • Notification: Silent (optional)

Priority 5 - Info (P5)

  • Sound: None
  • Vibration: None
  • Banner: None
  • Badge: Optional
  • Notification: No notification (silent, in-app only)

Notification Behavior

When App is:

Closed:

  • Push notification appears
  • Tap → Opens app to topic
  • Unread badge updates

Background:

  • Push notification appears
  • Optional background sync
  • Badge count updates

Foreground (Active):

  • WebSocket real-time update
  • In-app banner (optional)
  • No system notification

Deep Linking

Tapping notification:

  1. Opens Notifer app
  2. Navigates to specific topic
  3. Scrolls to message that triggered notification
  4. Marks message as read

URL Scheme:

notifer://topic/{topic-name}
notifer://topic/{topic-name}/message/{message-id}

Real-Time Updates

WebSocket Connection

When app is active:

  • WebSocket connection for instant updates
  • Lower latency than push notifications
  • More efficient battery usage
  • Automatic reconnection

Connection Status:

  • 🟢 Connected - Live updates
  • 🟡 Connecting - Establishing connection
  • 🔴 Disconnected - Offline mode

Offline Support

Cached Messages:

  • Recent messages cached locally
  • Available when offline
  • Syncs when back online

Queued Actions:

  • Publishing messages queued
  • Subscriptions queued
  • Auto-send when connection restored

Background Sync

iOS Background App Refresh:

  1. Settings → General → Background App Refresh
  2. Enable for Notifer
  3. App syncs periodically

Android Background Sync:

  • Enabled by default
  • Ensure battery optimization disabled

Publishing Messages

From Mobile App

From Messages Tab:

  1. Tap the "Messages" tab
  2. Tap the send button (📤) in the bottom right corner
  3. Select the topic to publish to
  4. Enter message details:
    • Message - Content (required)
    • Title - Optional header
    • Priority - 1-5 selector
    • Tags - Comma-separated
  5. Tap "Publish Message"

Quick Publish

Coming Soon

Share extension and home screen widgets are planned for a future release.

App Settings

Access settings by tapping the gear icon (⚙️) in any screen header.

Account

  • View your avatar, username, and email
  • Email is display-only (cannot be changed in app)

Subscription

  • View current plan (FREE, ESSENTIALS, TEAM)
  • Upgrade Plan - View pricing and upgrade
  • Manage - Open App Store/Play Store subscription management

Appearance

  • Theme - Toggle between Light and Dark mode

Language

  • Select from 7 supported languages (English, Polish, German, Italian, Spanish, French, Portuguese)

Currency

  • Select preferred currency for pricing display

Notifications

  • Push notifications - Master toggle for this device

Security

  • Change password - Update your password (not available for OAuth accounts)
  • API Keys - Create and manage API keys for integrations

Privacy & Data

  • Download my data - Export all your data as JSON
  • Delete account - Permanently delete your account and all data

Support (TEAM plan only)

  • Contact Support - Open live chat with support team

Developer Options

Hidden Feature

Developer options are hidden by default. Tap the app version 7 times to enable them.

  • Push Registration - View registration status
  • Device ID - View current device ID
  • Push Token - View FCM/APNs token
  • Debug Logs - View WebSocket and connection logs

Subscription Plans

Location: Settings → Subscription

View and upgrade your subscription:

┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Current plan: ESSENTIALS │
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Messages today: 456 / 15,000 │
│ Private topics: 3 / 10 │
│ │
│ [Upgrade to TEAM] │
│ [Manage subscription] │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘

Plans:

FREE

  • 1,000 messages/day
  • 1 private topic
  • Push notifications
  • 7-day retention

ESSENTIALS

  • 15,000 messages/day
  • 10 private topics
  • 30-day retention
  • Cross-topic search

TEAM

  • 25,000 messages/day
  • 25 private topics
  • 60-day retention
  • Team collaboration
  • Priority support

In-App Purchase:

  • Upgrade via App Store/Play Store
  • Seamless billing
  • Cancel anytime

Tips and Best Practices

Battery Optimization

iOS:

  • Background App Refresh enabled
  • Low Power Mode may delay notifications
  • Push notifications don't drain battery

Android:

  • Disable battery optimization for Notifer
  • Settings → Apps → Notifer → Battery → Unrestricted
  • Ensure not in "Doze" mode

Managing Notifications

Reduce Noise:

  1. Set priority threshold to P2 for noisy topics
  2. Use tag filters for specific alerts
  3. Enable quiet hours in settings

Critical Topics:

  • Set threshold to P5 (all messages)
  • Enable custom sound
  • Bypass quiet hours

Configure Per-Topic Settings

Don't rely on global settings alone:

Production alerts:  Priority P2+, urgent sound
Test alerts: Priority P3+, default sound
Debug logs: Notifications OFF

Use Tag Filters

Focus on relevant messages:

Topic: server-monitoring
Tag filter: production, critical
→ Receive only critical production alerts

Test Notification Settings

Send test messages to verify:

  1. Create a test topic
  2. Publish messages with different priorities
  3. Verify sound/vibration
  4. Adjust settings as needed

Manage Battery Life

For better battery performance:

  • Disable notifications for low-priority topics
  • Use tag filters to reduce noise
  • Close the app when not actively monitoring

Regular Cleanup

  • Unsubscribe from unused topics
  • Clear old messages (swipe to delete)
  • Review notification settings monthly

Platform-Specific Features

iOS-Only Features

  • Haptic feedback on actions
  • Native push notification sounds
  • Face ID / Touch ID (for secure login)

Android-Only Features

  • Native push notification sounds
  • Notification channels (system setting)
  • Battery optimization (disable for best results)

Coming Soon

  • Apple Watch app
  • Siri shortcuts
  • Home screen widgets
  • Share extension

Troubleshooting

Not Receiving Notifications

Problem: Push notifications don't appear

Solution:

  1. Check app permission
    • iOS: Settings → Notifer → Notifications → Allow
    • Android: Settings → Apps → Notifer → Notifications → Enabled
  2. Check system notifications
    • iOS: Settings → Notifications → Show Previews → Always
    • Android: Settings → Apps → Notifer → Notifications → All categories ON
  3. Check battery optimization
    • Android: Disable for Notifer
  4. Verify push token (Developer options)
    • Tap app version 7 times to enable Developer options
    • Check Push Registration status and Push Token
  5. Test notification
    • Publish test message with P1 or P2 priority

App Crashes

Problem: App crashes on launch or during use

Solution:

  • Update to latest version
  • Reinstall app (this clears local cache)
  • Report to support with device model and iOS/Android version

Messages Not Syncing

Problem: Messages don't update or show old data

Solution:

  • Pull to refresh on topic feed
  • Check internet connection
  • Sign out and sign in again
  • Reinstall app if issues persist

Delayed Notifications

Problem: Notifications arrive with a delay

Causes:

  • Network latency
  • Device in low power mode
  • Too many apps using push
  • Server issues

Solutions:

  • Check connection status
  • Disable Low Power Mode (iOS)
  • Close background apps
  • Check status.notifer.io

Messages Not Loading

Problem: Messages don't load in a topic

Solutions:

  1. Pull down to refresh
  2. Check internet connection
  3. Verify topic access (private topics)
  4. Reinstall app if issues persist

Connection Issues

Problem: WebSocket shows "Disconnected"

Solution:

  • Check WiFi/mobile data
  • Disable VPN temporarily
  • Try different network
  • Check firewall settings (corporate networks)

Battery Drain

Problem: App is excessively draining battery

Solutions:

  1. Disable notifications for low-priority topics
  2. Limit WebSocket connections (close unused topics)
  3. Enable "WiFi Only" for images
  4. Update to the latest app version

Privacy and Security

Permissions

Required:

  • Notifications - Receive push notifications
  • Internet - Sync messages

Optional:

  • ⚠️ Camera - Scan QR codes for topic URLs
  • ⚠️ Photos - Upload avatar image

Data Storage

Local Storage:

  • Message cache (encrypted)
  • User preferences
  • Session tokens (encrypted)

Remote Storage:

  • Messages on Notifer servers
  • Retention: 7-60 days (plan-dependent)

Data Deletion:

  • Uninstall app → Local data deleted
  • Delete account → All data deleted from servers

Network Security

  • All connections over HTTPS
  • TLS 1.3 encryption
  • Certificate pinning
  • No analytics tracking

Beta Testing (TestFlight)

Providing Feedback

Help improve the app:

  1. Open the TestFlight app
  2. Tap Notifer
  3. Tap "Send Beta Feedback"
  4. Describe the issue or suggestion
  5. Attach screenshots (optional)

Known Issues (Beta)

  • Occasional notification delay (< 5s)
  • WebSocket reconnection improvements needed
  • Dark mode color refinements in progress

Upcoming Features

Next Beta (v1.1):

  • Message search
  • Message export
  • Custom notification sounds
  • Rich notifications (images, actions)

Future Releases:

  • Apple Watch app
  • iPad optimization
  • Siri integration
  • Voice messages

App Versions

Current Version

iOS: v1.0.0-beta (TestFlight) Android: Coming soon Q1 2026

Release History

  • v1.0.0-beta (Nov 2025) - First TestFlight release
  • v0.9.0 (Oct 2025) - Internal alpha testing

Minimum Requirements

iOS:

  • iOS 14.0+
  • iPhone 6s or newer
  • 50 MB free storage

Android (coming soon):

  • Android 8.0+
  • 50 MB free storage

Support

Getting Help

Reporting Bugs

Include:

  • Device model (e.g., iPhone 13, Pixel 6)
  • OS version (e.g., iOS 16.1, Android 13)
  • App version (Settings → About)
  • Steps to reproduce
  • Screenshots/screen recording

Next Steps