iOS SDK setup

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Overview

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Requirements

• macOS with Xcode 14+ (setup instructions use Xcode 16.2)
• Device with iOS 12+, iPadOS 12+, or Xcode simulator running iOS 16.2+
• Configured OneSignal app and platform

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Configure your OneSignal app and platform

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iOS setup

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1. Add Push Notifications capability to app target

1. Open your app’s .xcworkspace file in Xcode.
2. Select your app target > Signing & Capabilities
3. Click + Capability and add Push Notifications capability

The app target is given Push Notifications capability.

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2. Add Background Modes capability to app target

1. Add Background Modes capability
2. Enable Remote notifications

The app target is given Remote Notifications background execution mode.

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3. Add app target to App Group

• If you do NOT have an App Group configured
• If you DO have an App Group

1. Add App Groups capability
2. In the App Groups capability click +
3. Add a new container ID in format: group.your_bundle_id.onesignal

• Keep group. and .onesignal prefix and suffix. Replace your_bundle_id with your app’s bundle identifier.
• For example, bundle identifier com.onesignal.MyApp, will have the container name group.com.onesignal.MyApp.onesignal.

The app target is part of the App Group.

Your App Group name must exactly match your bundle ID’s spelling and capitalization across all targets.

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4. Add Notification Service Extension

1. In Xcode: File > New > Target…
2. Select Notification Service Extension, then Next.
3. Set the product name to OneSignalNotificationServiceExtension and press Finish.
4. Press Don’t Activate on the Activate scheme prompt.

Select the Notification Service Extension target.

Name the Notification Service Extension .

Cancel activation to continue debugging your app target.

Set the same deployment target as the main app.

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5. Add NSE target to app group

1. Go to OneSignalNotificationServiceExtension > Signing & Capabilities
2. Add App Groups
3. Add the exact same group ID

The NSE now belongs to the same app group as your app target.

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6. Update NSE code

1. Navigate to the OneSignalNotificationServiceExtension folder
2. Replace the contents of the NotificationService.swift or NotificationService.m file with the following:

Navigate to your NotificationService file.

import UserNotifications
import OneSignalExtension

class NotificationService: UNNotificationServiceExtension {
    var contentHandler: ((UNNotificationContent) -> Void)?
    var receivedRequest: UNNotificationRequest!
    var bestAttemptContent: UNMutableNotificationContent?

    // Note this extension only runs when `mutable_content` is set
    // Setting an attachment or action buttons automatically sets the property to true
    override func didReceive(_ request: UNNotificationRequest, withContentHandler contentHandler: @escaping (UNNotificationContent) -> Void) {
        self.receivedRequest = request
        self.contentHandler = contentHandler
        self.bestAttemptContent = (request.content.mutableCopy() as? UNMutableNotificationContent)

        if let bestAttemptContent = bestAttemptContent {
            // DEBUGGING: Uncomment the 2 lines below to check this extension is executing
//            print("Running NotificationServiceExtension")
//            bestAttemptContent.body = "[Modified] " + bestAttemptContent.body

            OneSignalExtension.didReceiveNotificationExtensionRequest(self.receivedRequest, with: bestAttemptContent, withContentHandler: self.contentHandler)
        }
    }

    override func serviceExtensionTimeWillExpire() {
        // Use this as an opportunity to deliver your "best attempt" at modified content, otherwise the original push payload will be used.
        if let contentHandler = contentHandler, let bestAttemptContent =  bestAttemptContent {
            OneSignalExtension.serviceExtensionTimeWillExpireRequest(self.receivedRequest, with: self.bestAttemptContent)
            contentHandler(bestAttemptContent)
        }
    }
}

This file shows an error until you install the package in the next step.

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SDK setup

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1. Add SDK

• Xcode Package Dependencies
• CocoaPods

Navigate to File > Add Package Dependencies… and enter the URL to the OneSignal iOS SDK repository:https://github.com/OneSignal/OneSignal-iOS-SDKSelect the onesignal-ios-sdk package and click Add Package.Choose Package Products for OneSignal-iOS-SDK.

• Important: Add the OneSignalExtension to the OneSignalNotificationServiceExtension Target.
• Add the OneSignalFramework to your App Target.
• If you plan on using in-app messages (recommended) and/or location tracking, then add those packages to your App Target as well.

If your app doesn't require location tracking, you can remove the package as shown in this example.

For more details, see Apple’s Adding package dependencies doc.

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2. Initialize SDK

import SwiftUI
import OneSignalFramework

@main
struct YOURAPP_NAME: App {
  //Connect the SwiftUI app to the UIKit app delegate
    @UIApplicationDelegateAdaptor(AppDelegate.self) var appDelegate
    
    var body: some Scene {
        WindowGroup {
            ContentView()
        }
    }
}

class AppDelegate: NSObject, UIApplicationDelegate {
    func application(_ application: UIApplication, didFinishLaunchingWithOptions launchOptions: [UIApplication.LaunchOptionsKey : Any]? = nil) -> Bool {
      
       // Enable verbose logging for debugging (remove in production)
       OneSignal.Debug.setLogLevel(.LL_VERBOSE)     
       // Initialize with your OneSignal App ID
       OneSignal.initialize("YOUR_APP_ID", withLaunchOptions: launchOptions)
       // Use this method to prompt for push notifications.
       // We recommend removing this method after testing and instead use In-App Messages to prompt for notification permission.
       OneSignal.Notifications.requestPermission({ accepted in
         print("User accepted notifications: \(accepted)")
       }, fallbackToSettings: false)
      
       return true
    }
}

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Testing the OneSignal SDK integration

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Check mobile subscriptions

1

Launch your app on a test device.

The native push permission prompt should appear automatically if you added the requestPermission method during initialization.

iOS and Android push permission prompts

2

Check your OneSignal dashboard

Before accepting the prompt, check the OneSignal dashboard:

• Go to Audience > Subscriptions.
• You should see a new entry with the status “Never Subscribed”.

Dashboard showing subscription with 'Never Subscribed' status

3

Return to the app and tap Allow on the prompt.

4

Refresh the OneSignal dashboard Subscription's page.

The subscription’s status should now show Subscribed.

Dashboard showing subscription with 'Subscribed' status

You have successfully created a mobile subscription. Mobile subscriptions are created when users first open your app on a device or if they uninstall and reinstall your app on the same device.

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Set up test subscriptions

1

Add to Test Subscriptions.

In the dashboard, next to the subscription, click the Options (three dots) button and select Add to Test Subscriptions.

Adding a device to Test Subscriptions

2

Name your subscription.

Name the subscription so you can easily identify your device later in the Test Subscriptions tab.

Dashboard showing the 'Name your subscription' field

3

Create a test users segment.

Go to Audience > Segments > New Segment.

4

Name the segment.

Name the segment Test Users (the name is important because it will be used later).

5

Add the Test Users filter and click Create Segment.

Creating a 'Test Users' segment with the Test Users filter

You have successfully created a segment of test users. We can now test sending messages to this individual device and groups of test users.

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Send test push via API

1

Get your App API Key and App ID.

In your OneSignal dashboard, go to Settings > Keys & IDs.

2

Update the provided code.

Replace YOUR_APP_API_KEY and YOUR_APP_ID in the code below with your actual keys. This code uses the Test Users segment we created earlier.

Copy

Ask AI

curl -X \
POST --url 'https://api.onesignal.com/notifications' \
 --header 'content-type: application/json; charset=utf-8' \
 --header 'authorization: Key YOUR_APP_API_KEY' \
 --data \
 '{
  "app_id": "YOUR_APP_ID",
  "target_channel": "push",
  "name": "Testing basic setup",
  "headings": {
  	"en": "👋"
  },
  "contents": {
    "en": "Hello world!"
  },
  "included_segments": [
    "Test Users"
  ],
  "ios_attachments": {
    "onesignal_logo": "https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/11823027?s=200&v=4"
  },
  "big_picture": "https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/11823027?s=200&v=4"
}'

3

Run the code.

Run the code in your terminal.

4

Check images and confirmed delivery.

If all setup steps were completed successfully, the test subscriptions should receive a notification with an image included:

Push notification with image on iOS and Android

Images will appear small in the collapsed notification view. Expand the notification to see the full image.

5

Check for confirmed delivery.

In your dashboard, go to Delivery > Sent Messages, then click the message to view stats.You should see the confirmed stat, meaning the device received the push.

Delivery stats showing confirmed delivery

If you’re on a Professional plan or higher, scroll to Audience Activity to see subscription-level confirmation:

Confirmed delivery at the device level in Audience Activity

You have successfully sent a notification via our API to a segment.

• No image received? Your Notification Service Extension might be missing.
• No confirmed delivery? Review your App Groups setup.
• Having issues? Copy-paste the api request and a log from start to finish of app launch into a .txt file. Then share both with support@onesignal.com.

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Send an in-app message

1

Close or background your app on the device.

This is because users must meet the in-app audience criteria before a new session starts. In OneSignal, a new session starts when the user opens your app after it has been in the background or closed for at least 30 seconds. For more details, see our guide on how in-app messages are displayed.

2

Create an in-app message.

• In your OneSignal dashboard, navigate to Messages > In-App > New In-App.
• Find and select the Welcome message.
• Set your Audience as the Test Users segment we used previously.

Targeting the 'Test Users' segment with an in-app message

3

Customize the message content if desired.

Example customization of in-app Welcome message

4

Set Trigger to 'On app open'.

5

Schedule frequency.

Under Schedule > How often do you want to show this message? select Every time trigger conditions are satisfied.

In-app message scheduling options

6

Make message live.

Click Make Message Live so it is available to your Test Users each time they open the app.

7

Open the app and see the message.

After the in-app message is live, open your app. You should see it display:

Welcome in-app message shown on devices

Not seeing the message?

• Start a new session
  • You must close or background the app for at least 30 seconds before reopening. This ensures a new session is started.
  • For more, see how in-app messages are displayed.
• Still in the Test Users segment?
  • If you reinstalled or switched devices, re-add the device to Test Subscriptions and confirm it’s part of the Test Users segment.
• Having issues?
  • Follow Getting a Debug Log while reproducing the steps above. This will generate additional logging that you can share with support@onesignal.com and we will help investigate what’s going on.

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User identification

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Assign External ID

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Add data tags

A user profile in OneSignal with a tag called "current_level" set to "6"

Segment editor showing a segment targeting users with a current_level value of greater than 4 and less than 10

Screenshot showing a push notification targeting the Level 5-10 segment with a personalized message

The push notification is received on an iOS and Android device with the personalized content

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Add email and/or SMS subscriptions

• Use the addEmail method to create email subscriptions.
• Use the addSms method to create SMS subscriptions.

A user profile with push, email, and SMS subscriptions unified by External ID

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Privacy & user consent

• setConsentRequired(true): Prevents data collection until consent is given.
• setConsentGiven(true): Enables data collection once consent is granted.

• Data collected by the SDK
• Handling personal data

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Prompt for push permissions

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Listen to push, user, and in-app events

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Push notification events

• addClickListener(): Detect when a notification is tapped. Helpful for Deep Linking.
• addForegroundLifecycleListener(): Control how notifications behave in foreground.

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User state changes

• addObserver() for user state: Detect when the External ID is set.
• addPermissionObserver(): Track the user’s specific interaction with the native push permission prompt.
• addObserver() for push subscription: Track when the push subscription status changes.

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In-app message events

• addClickListener(): Handle in-app click actions. Ideal for deep linking or tracking events.
• addLifecycleListener(): Track full lifecycle of in-app messages (shown, clicked, dismissed, etc.).

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Advanced setup & capabilities

• 🔁 Migrating to OneSignal from another service
• 🌍 Location tracking
• 🔗 Deep Linking
• 🔌 Integrations
• 🧩 Mobile Service Extensions
• 🛎️ Action buttons
• 🌐 Multi-language messaging
• 🛡️ Identity Verification
• 📊 Custom Outcomes
• 📲 Live Activities

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Mobile SDK setup & reference