Android Notifications

Priority: P2 (MEDIUM)

Implementation Guidelines

• Channels: Create NotificationChannel with unique ID (required for API 26+). Notifications without valid channel silently dropped. Use NotificationCompat for backwards compatibility.
• Permissions: Explicitly request POST_NOTIFICATIONS on Android 13+ (API 33). Avoid requesting system permission on app launch; show priming dialog first to explain benefit.
• Service: Implement FirebaseMessagingService with onMessageReceived and onNewToken for background push handling. Declare service in AndroidManifest with MESSAGING_EVENT intent action.
• Flow: Handle notification taps in both onCreate and onNewIntent using PendingIntent. Pass data between activities via Intent extras.
• Payload: Limit notification payload to essential IDs. Perform background data fetching via WorkManager if more data needed.

Anti-Patterns

• No Missing Channel: Notifications fail silently without channels on API 26+.
• No Unconditional Requests: Don't spam permission dialog on first launch.
• No Missing Manifest: Service must declared with MESSAGING_EVENT action.

References

• Implementation Details