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.