Handling Push Notifications with React Native and Expo

A guide on integrating Expo push notifications with the Knock SDK in your React Native application.

Note: This guide assumes you're utilizing our KnockExpoPushNotificationProvider for a streamlined push notification setup within your React Native and Expo environment.

Prerequisites

Before diving into the integration process, ensure your Knock account is set up for push notifications. For initial setup instructions, please visit our Push Notification Configuration Guide.

Step 1: Setting Up Push Notifications with Expo

  1. Create a Push Notification Channel in Knock:

    • Log in to your Knock dashboard and navigate to the Channels section.
    • Create a new channel with type Expo Push Notifications and note the channel ID.

  2. Install Expo Dependencies:

    • expo": "~50.0.14
    • expo-constants": "^15.4.0
    • expo-device": "^5.9.3
    • expo-notifications": "^0.27.6

Step 2: Registering for Push Notifications

  1. Wrap Your App with KnockExpoPushNotificationProvider: Ensure your app is wrapped with KnockProvider and then KnockExpoPushNotificationProvider, passing the Expo channel ID from Knock.
  1. Initiate Registration in Your Component:
    • The KnockExpoPushNotificationProvider automatically registers for push notifications.
    • If you want to manually register, Utilize the useExpoPushNotifications hook:

Step 3: Handling Incoming Push Notifications

The KnockExpoPushNotificationProvider automatically handles receiving and tapping on notifications. To customize this behavior:

  1. Custom Notification Handling:
    • Use the onNotificationReceived and onNotificationTapped methods from the useExpoPushNotifications hook to set custom handlers.

Step 4: Sending Test Notifications

Use the Knock dashboard or API to send a test notification to ensure your setup is correct. Verify that the notification appears on your device and that tapping on it triggers the expected behavior.

Troubleshooting

  • Not Receiving Notifications: Ensure your Expo push token is correctly registered with Knock and that your device's notification settings allow push notifications from your app.
  • Handling Silent Notifications: If implementing silent notifications, ensure that your notification payload is correctly configured to not display an alert or sound.

For further assistance, visit our support documentation or reach out to our support team.

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