Notifications / Inbox

Notifications in a mobile app inform users in real time about news, reminders, or promotions—such as new messages, offers, status updates, or appointments. An inbox is an area within the app where all notifications are collected and permanently accessible—similar to a mail inbox. Together, they ensure that users stay up to date, even when they’re not actively using the app.

🔧 Technical Explanation

In Expo apps, notifications are implemented using the expo-notifications module. This allows you to:

• Send push notifications, even when the app is running in the background
• Schedule local notifications, e.g., reminders
• Uniquely identify the user via a token (Device Push Token)
• Customize notifications (title, text, icons, data) You’ll usually build an inbox feature yourself:
• Sent notifications are stored within the app (e.g., in a database or via an API)
• The frontend includes a screen that displays all notifications as a list
• New notifications can be marked as “unread” there Push notification services for Expo/React Native:
• Expo Push Notification Service (simple & fast)
• Alternatively: Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) via custom dev clients
• Backend: manually or via tools such as OneSignal, Notifee, or SendGrid

💡 Possible Use Cases

• Transactional messages (e.g., order shipped)
• Display new chat messages or comments
• Appointment reminders or to-dos
• App updates, special promotions, or new content
• Reactivate inactive users through targeted re-engagement
• Central message overview (Inbox) with filters & status (read/unread)

❓ Important Questions and Answers About Notifications / Inbox

How do push notifications work in Expo? The app registers with the Expo Notification Service and receives a push token. This token is stored on your server and used to send messages to the device. Can I send push notifications at a later time or schedule them? Yes—with scheduleNotificationAsync(), you can schedule local notifications, e.g., as reminders. What’s the difference between push notifications and the inbox? Push notifications appear immediately on the screen (banner, pop-up). The inbox stores them permanently—even if the user swipes them away at first. How are notifications stored? Typically in a backend database, such as Firebase, Supabase, or your own server. The app then retrieves them via API. Can I send notifications specifically to certain user groups? Yes—by using tags, user IDs, or segmentation in the backend, you can target specific users, such as only active buyers or trial users.