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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.runable.com/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

Push notifications are how your app talks to users when it is closed. Runable wires them up end-to-end: permissions, device tokens, sending, deep linking, and the screen-by-screen behavior when the user taps. You ask for the experience you want; the agent handles the moving parts.

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What you can do

Remote push

Send a notification from your back end to a single user, a segment, or everyone. Title, body, image, action buttons.

Local notifications

Schedule a notification from inside the app daily reminders, time-based prompts, location-triggered alerts. No server round-trip.

Tap-to-deep-link

Tap a notification and the app opens directly on the right screen, with the right data loaded.

Rich content

Images, GIFs, and action buttons (Reply, Like, Open) right from the notification on the lock screen.

iOS Live Activities

Persistent updates on the lock screen and in the Dynamic Island perfect for timers, deliveries, scores, and journeys.

Android channels

Group notifications by category so users can mute one type without muting your app entirely.

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How notifications flow

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Add push to your app

1

Ask for it in chat

Add push notifications. The user gets prompted after onboarding, not on first launch. Daily reminder at 8pm with a quote-of-the-day notification.The agent wires up the permission flow, the device-token registration, and the screen that handles the tap.
2

Set up the Apple and Google sides (one-time)

For push to actually reach a real phone you need two things:
  • An Apple Push Notifications service (APNs) key from your Apple Developer account
  • A Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) credential for Android
The agent opens a panel with step-by-step links. For Apple, you generate a key once and the agent stores it encrypted. For Android, you upload the credentials JSON from Firebase. Setup is one-time per app, not per build.
3

Choose when to ask for permission

The single biggest lever on opt-in rate is when you ask. The system prompt only fires once if the user declines, you have to send them to Settings to flip it back on.The agent never asks for push permission on the very first screen. Instead, it picks the right moment based on the prompt:
  • After onboarding for utility apps (most opt-in)
  • The first time the user does an action that would benefit from a notification (a habit checked off, an order placed, a reminder set)
  • In a custom in-app screen first, with a “Turn on notifications” button that triggers the real system prompt
4

Send your first notification

From the project dashboard, open the Notifications panel:
  • Title (one line)
  • Body (up to a few hundred characters)
  • Image (optional, used on the lock screen)
  • Tap destination (which screen to open, what data to pass)
  • Audience (all users, a segment, a single user)
Click Send test to fire the notification to your own device first. Click Send to roll it out.
5

Schedule local reminders

For predictable reminders (daily, weekly, at-time), use local notifications no server needed. Ask:Add a daily 8pm local reminder with a random affirmation pulled from a local list.The agent schedules the notification, picks the message at fire time, and reschedules tomorrow’s automatically.

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Permission prompt copy that actually converts

The system push prompt is short and you cannot edit the body. What you can do is ask in your own screen first.
“Cairn would like to send you notifications.” [Don’t Allow] [Allow]
The user has no idea why. Most decline.
Ask the agent to add a custom permission screen and it will style it to match your brand.

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Deep linking from a notification tap

Every notification can carry a “where to open” instruction. The agent wires up the tap so the app routes to the right screen, pre-loaded with the right data. 
You send: "John replied to your comment"
Notification opens: the thread, scrolled to John's reply

You send: "Your delivery is 2 stops away"
Notification opens: the live tracking screen for the active order
The agent generates the screen list and the routing the moment you describe the notifications you want to send.

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iOS Live Activities and the Dynamic Island

For situations where the user wants ongoing context a timer, a live score, a food delivery Live Activities pin a card to the lock screen and the Dynamic Island. The activity updates in real time without the user opening the app. Ask: add a Live Activity for the focus timer that shows minutes remaining on the lock screen and in the Dynamic Island. The agent generates the activity layout, the start/update/end logic, and the matching lock-screen UI. Live Activities require iOS 16.1+; older devices fall back to standard notifications.
Live Activities cannot be tested in the Expo Go preview. The agent generates a custom preview build the first time you ask for a Live Activity. Setup takes 510 minutes; subsequent ships reuse the build.

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Android notification channels

Android groups notifications into channels. The user can mute one channel (for example, “Promotions”) without muting your app entirely. The agent generates a sensible default set:
ChannelPurposeDefault importance
remindersDaily nudges, scheduled promptsHigh
socialLikes, replies, mentionsDefault
transactionsOrders, payments, shipping, security alertsHigh
marketingAnnouncements, promos, content roundupsLow
Override or add channels at any time: add an “achievements” channel set to default importance with a custom icon.

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Watch what users do with notifications

The project dashboard shows for every notification you send:
  • Delivered (Apple/Google accepted the push)
  • Opened (the user tapped)
  • Conversion (the user did the action you set as the goal)
Use this to find which notifications drive engagement and which annoy users. Notifications with a high open rate but a low conversion rate often need clearer copy. Notifications with a low open rate are usually showing up at the wrong time.

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What you cannot do

  • Push to users who have not opted in. Both stores forbid it. There is no workaround.
  • Send arbitrary content for marketing in jurisdictions that require consent. Local laws (GDPR in the EU, parts of CASL in Canada) require explicit opt-in for marketing pushes specifically utility pushes are usually fine. The agent flags the regions where this applies.
  • Bypass the per-app rate limits. Apple and Google both throttle push at the device level. Sending too many notifications per user per day can get your push privileges revoked.
  • Push to a user across devices guaranteed to all arrive. Push is best-effort. The agent uses an in-app banner on next launch as a backup for important content.

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Next steps

Over-the-air Updates

Pair a push announcement with an instant update so users see what is new.

Analytics

Track which notifications drive opens, conversions, and uninstalls.

Payments & Subscriptions

Send win-back pushes to lapsed subscribers and renewal reminders.

Deploy to App Store & Play Store

Push requires a fresh store build ship one when you add it.