Easier notifications in iOS 2021.5

    通知 are a popular feature of the Companion apps, but the differences between Android and iOS made it painful to use them to their full potential. Starting with today's 发布 of iOS 2021.5, the vast majority of functionality is now shared across both platforms. As part of this, the 通知 文档 has been extensively updated as well.

    Actionable 通知

    Building actionable 通知 for iOS and watchOS no longer requires defining categories in advance of using them; instead, you can include the 动作 right in the 通知. Support for macOS will be included in a future 发布. Categories were one of the hurdles around multi-server support, so removing them entirely solves that part!

    Included in the 文档 is how to migrate from categories to dynamic 动作. Both are still supported in the app at this time, but categories will be removed in the future.

    Below is an example 脚本 which sends an actionable 通知 and uses 脚本 variables, wait for 触发器, and choose to decide what to run.

    # In a script's `sequence` or an automation's `actions`
- alias: "Set up action variables"
  variables:
    # Including 'id' in 'action' allows us to identify this script run
    # and not accidentally trigger for other notification actions
    action_very: ""
    action_mod: ""
- alias: "Send the notification"
  service: notify.mobile_app_zac_iphone
  data:
    message: "Are you hungry?"
    data:
      actions:
        - action: ""
          title: "Very Hungry"
        - action: ""
          title: "Moderately Hungry"
- alias: "Wait for a response"
  wait_for_trigger:
    # We wait for specific actions because we don't want to run for 
    # any action, only for a response to the one we just sent
    - platform: event
      event_type: mobile_app_notification_action
      event_data:
        action: ""
    - platform: event
      event_type: mobile_app_notification_action
      event_data:
        action: ""
- alias: "Handle the response"
  choose:
    - conditions: ""
      sequence:
        - service: notify.notify
          data:
            message: "⚠️ Soylent Launch Incoming"
        - service: homeassistant.turn_on
          target:
            entity_id: switch.soylent_dispenser
    - conditions: ""
      sequence:
        - service: notify.notify
          data:
            message: "Anyone want to grab a croissant? -Zac"

    This works for both platforms without including any platform-specific logic! Other features around actionable 通知 are also shared, including adding a URL to open when picking an 动作:

    actions:
  - action: "URI"
    title: "View More"
    uri: "/lovelace/some-dashboard"

    Replacing, grouping, clearing

    Replacing existing 通知 or threading certain 通知 was another difference between platforms, and the iOS-specific versions were a bit less ergonomic, so the Android versions now work for both. You can now use the simpler tag and group keys:

    - service: notify.mobile_app_<your_device>
  data:
    message: "The front door is unlocked!"
    data:
      # replace any existing front_door_lock notifications
      tag: front_door_lock
      # thread with other doors notifications
      group: doors

    You can also remove an existing 通知 by its tag:

    - service: notify.mobile_app_<your_device>
  data:
    message: clear_notification
    data:
      tag: front_door_lock

    Attachments

    Attachments no longer require certain categories for dynamic attachment, so you can include streaming playback of a 摄像头 for any 通知:

    - service: notify.mobile_app_<your_device>
  data:
    message: "Motion detected"
    data:
      entity_id: camera.outside

    Specifying a non-dynamic attachment is a little easier now, allowing you to short-hand the attachment part:

    - service: notify.mobile_app_<your_device>
  data:
    message: "3D Print Complete"
    data:
      image: /media/local/3dprinter/latest.jpg

    You can use video, image and audio. Only image is supported on Android.

    You may have noticed that iOS 通知 have file limits; this 发布 adds on-demand downloading of attachments that exceed the size limit or when requested using the lazy attachment option.

    Future areas of improvement

    We're still on the lookout for places of confusion or redundancy in 通知 across the iOS and Android apps. What would you like to see improved?