Send communication and Time Sensitive notifications

Visual updates

• new look with greater focus on the content and the associated media along with the application icon

• you can now associate notification actions with icons

  • pass a UNNotificationActionIcon instance into the UNNotificationAction icon parameter

  • accepts both system or template images

// Setting up notification actions with icons

let likeActionIcon = UNNotificationActionIcon(systemImageName: "hand.thumbsup") // 👍🏻
let likeAction = UNNotificationAction(identifier: "like-action",
                                           title: "Like",
                                         options: [],
                                            icon: likeActionIcon)
        
let commentActionIcon = UNNotificationActionIcon(templateImageName: "text.bubble") // 💬
let commentAction = UNTextInputNotificationAction(identifier: "comment-action",
                                                       title: "Comment",
                                                     options: [],
                                                        icon: commentActionIcon,
                                        textInputButtonTitle: "Post",
                                        textInputPlaceholder: "Type here…")

let category = UNNotificationCategory(identifier: "update-actions",
                                         actions: [likeAction, commentAction],
                               intentIdentifiers: [], options: [])

Notification management

• Notification summary

  • notifications can now be delivered at scheduled times in the day as a summary

  • reduces the number of active interruptions from incoming notifications and presents them collectively at preset times

  • include media attachments with the notification content so there is a better chance for that notification to be featured at the top of the notification summary

  • adopt the new UNNotificationContent relevanceScore to provide a relevance score for the notification content so the right notifications from the application get featured in the notification summary as well

• Focus

  • in iOS 15, devices can be set in a particular Focus based on the activity or time of day such as Reading, Sleep, or Work

  • when active, the device will filter the presentation and interruption of notifications

  • Focus configuration allows selecting people and applications that can send interruptive notifications

  • it’s possible to break through these management controls

Interruptions

New API for interruption levels as part of the UserNotifications framework

Interruption levels (UNNotificationInterruptionLevel)

• Passive (NEW)

  • delivered silently

  • available when the user will view the notification list

  • to be used when the notification does not require immediate attention but should be seen eventually

• Active (default level)

  • do not interrupt if configured not to

• Time Sensitive (NEW)

  • allowed to breakthrough, if it has been allowed

  • to be used when it is relevant to actively interrupt, requiring immediate attention

• Critical

  • requires approved entitlement

^bypass notification summary and Focus

Set the interruption level while configuring the content object for the notification request

// Interruption levels
// Local notification

import UserNotifications

let content = UNMutableNotificationContent()
content.title = "Passive"
content.body = "I’m a passive notification, so I won’t interrupt you."
content.interruptionLevel = .passive

let trigger = UNTimeIntervalNotificationTrigger(timeInterval: 5, repeats: false)

let request = UNNotificationRequest(identifier: "passive-request-example",
                                       content: content,
                                       trigger: trigger)

For push notifications, provide a new key-value pair, with the key interruption level:

{
  "aps" : {
    "alert" : {
      "title" : "Passive",
      "body" : "I’m a passive notification, so I won’t interrupt you."
    },
    "interruption-level" : "passive"
  }
}

Announce

• Siri can announce notifications if there are compatible devices (AirPods) connected

• in iOS 14 it was available via UNNotificationCategoryOptions.allowAnnouncement

• in iOS 15, any notification is automatically supported

• communication and time sensitive notifications will be announced by default

• communication notifications will be announced by default on CarPlay

Time Sensitive

How to configure:

• enable the associated capability via Xcode for your application

• set the Time Sensitive interruption level on the notification request being posted

Time Sensitive local notification example:

let content = UNMutableNotificationContent()
content.title = "Urgent"
content.body = "Your account requires attention."
content.interruptionLevel = .timeSensitive

let trigger = UNTimeIntervalNotificationTrigger(timeInterval: 0, repeats: false)

let request = UNNotificationRequest(identifier: "time-sensitive—example",
                                       content: content,
                                       trigger: trigger)

Push notification payload example:

{
  "aps" : {
    "alert" : {
      "title" : "Urgent",
      "body" : "Your account requires attention."
    },
    "interruption-level" : "time-sensitive"
  }
}

Communication

• new API that allows your applications to signal what notifications are communications, and the people associated with those communications

• Siri will announce the contents of communication notifications on supported devices including HomePod, AirPods, and CarPlay

• Siri will provide suggestions to help prioritize these communication notifications

• People in your apps will get associated with people in Contacts.app

  • These associations are shown as suggestions on notifications.

  • Once a user confirms a suggestion, Siri Shortcuts are available for tasks with those people in your app

  • Siri will suggest relevant people to break through in the Focus configuration – including those people associated with communications in your app

• needs to integrate with Siri intents (INStartCallIntent, INSendMessageIntent)

• you need to update a NotificationContent object with a SiriKit intent in your app’s NotificationServiceExtension

  • SiriKit intents are local to the device, and thus must be serviced locally

  • you can also do this in your main app process for local notifications

Example for message-related notification:

// Create a messaging notification
// In UNNotificationServiceExtension subclass

func didReceive(_ request: UNNotificationRequest,
                withContentHandler contentHandler: @escaping (UNNotificationContent) -> Void) {
    let incomingMessageIntent: INSendMessageIntent = // ...
    let interaction = INInteraction(intent: incomingMessageIntent, response: nil)
    interaction.direction = .incoming
    interaction.donate(completion: nil)
    do {
        let messageContent = try request.content.updating(from: incomingMessageIntent)
        contentHandler(messageContent)
    } catch {
       // Handle error
    }
}

Example for call-related notification:

// Create a call notification
// In UNNotificationServiceExtension subclass

func didReceive(_ request: UNNotificationRequest,
                withContentHandler contentHandler: @escaping (UNNotificationContent) -> Void) {
    let incomingCallIntent: INStartCallIntent = // ...
    let interaction = INInteraction(intent: incomingCallIntent, response: nil)
    interaction.direction = .incoming
    interaction.donate(completion: nil)
    do {
        let callContent = try request.content.updating(from: incomingCallIntent)
        contentHandler(callContent)
    } catch {
       // Handle error
    }
}

• always set interaction direction to .incoming for notifications

• send intents also for outgoing interactions (a.k.a when the user sends messages or make calls)

  • Siri only learns from outgoing intent donations, so Contacts are not cluttered by people not engaged with

How to configure:

• enable the associated capability via Xcode for your application

• add intent types to NSUserActivityTypes in Info.plist