Treat notifications as a cross-layer feature: permission UX, device registration, server delivery, foreground presentation, user interaction, routing, preferences, and observability must agree.
Ask for Permission in Context
Do not request notification permission on first launch without explaining value. Show a pre-permission screen after the user reaches a moment where alerts are useful, then trigger the system prompt from a clear action. If permission is denied, preserve the product and offer a settings path later without nagging.
Register Reliably
- Test on a physical device.
- Configure platform credentials and project identifiers for each environment.
- Store tokens against the signed-in installation or user and update them when refreshed.
- Remove invalid tokens after provider feedback.
- Never treat a push token as authentication.
Expo Notifications is a good direct foundation. OneSignal can add segmentation, campaigns, dashboards, and delivery tooling. Pick one owner for delivery and token lifecycle rather than layering providers accidentally.
Route from Notification Data
Use a versioned, validated payload such as { type, entityId, route, version }. Convert it into an internal navigation intent only after the app is ready and authentication is resolved. Handle foreground, background, and terminated launches; deduplicate repeated responses.
Use the dedicated react-native-notification-actions guide for action buttons, background work, and rich media extensions.
Measure the Whole Funnel
Record requested, permission result, registered, sent, accepted by provider, delivered where available, opened, action selected, and destination resolved. Keep transactional alerts separate from marketing consent and expose granular preferences.
Sources
Use Expo's current push-notification overview, setup guide, and notifications API for configuration and lifecycle behavior.