getInitialNotification is always returning null

[filipecrosk]

Bug

I can't get getInitialNotification() to work, its always returning null. Regular notification when the app is already open is working fine, but if the app is closed and I receive a new notification it will ways return null for me.

Environment info

React native info output:

System:
    OS: macOS 10.14.6
    CPU: (4) x64 Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-7660U CPU @ 2.50GHz
    Memory: 1.39 GB / 16.00 GB
    Shell: 5.3 - /bin/zsh
  Binaries:
    Node: 8.10.0 - ~/.nvm/versions/node/v8.10.0/bin/node
    Yarn: 1.17.0 - /usr/local/bin/yarn
    npm: 5.6.0 - ~/.nvm/versions/node/v8.10.0/bin/npm
    Watchman: 4.9.0 - /usr/local/bin/watchman
  SDKs:
    iOS SDK:
      Platforms: iOS 12.4, macOS 10.14, tvOS 12.4, watchOS 5.3
    Android SDK:
      API Levels: 28
      Build Tools: 28.0.3, 29.0.1
      System Images: android-Q | Google Play Intel x86 Atom
  IDEs:
    Android Studio: 3.4 AI-183.6156.11.34.5692245
    Xcode: 10.3/10G8 - /usr/bin/xcodebuild
  npmPackages:
    react: 16.8.6 => 16.8.6
    react-native: 0.60.4 => 0.60.4
  npmGlobalPackages:
    react-native-cli: 2.0.1

Library version: 1.0.2

Steps To Reproduce

1. Install the library
2. Add all settings to AppDelegate.m
3. Add code to your app
4. Send a notification

componentDidMount() {
    PushNotificationIOS.addEventListener('notification', function(notification) {
      console.log('Log - notification is open', notification);
      if (!notification) {
        return;
      }
      const data = notification.getData();
      Alert.alert(JSON.stringify({ data, source: 'CollapsedApp' }));
    });

    PushNotificationIOS.getInitialNotification().then(notification => {
      console.log('Log - notification from closed', notification);
      if (!notification) {
        return;
      }
      const data = notification.getData();
      Alert.alert(JSON.stringify({ data, source: 'ClosedApp' }));
    });
    PushNotificationIOS.requestPermissions();
  }

...

A code sample can be found here https://github.com/filipecrosk/react-native-push-notification-ios-test

[Linoa65]

Same here, tried with 3 different methods (RNCPushNotificationIOS, RNFirebase & RN-Push-Notification) and unable to get this initial notification when I click on notification to open app. It seems there is a problem there...

Hope someone will help us ! :)

[danielzzz]

yep, the promise always returns null after a cold start.

[ingiulio]

Same here:

React Native Environment Info:
    System:
      OS: macOS 10.14.4
      CPU: (8) x64 Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-7700HQ CPU @ 2.80GHz
      Memory: 68.46 MB / 16.00 GB
      Shell: 3.2.57 - /bin/bash
    Binaries:
      Node: 8.11.1 - /usr/local/bin/node
      npm: 5.7.1 - ~/.nvm/versions/node/v8.11.1/bin/npm
    SDKs:
      iOS SDK:
        Platforms: iOS 13.0, DriverKit 19.0, macOS 10.15, tvOS 13.0, watchOS 6.0
    IDEs:
      Xcode: 11.0/11A420a - /usr/bin/xcodebuild
    npmPackages:
      react: 16.8.3 => 16.8.3
      react-native: 0.59.8 => 0.59.8
    npmGlobalPackages:
      react-native-cli: 2.0.1

Appreciate the help!

[phoenix377]

Same here. It always returns null.

[tlow92]

anyone found a workaround?

[cmoel]

I found this to be a problem when the Scheme's Build Configuration is set to Debug but not when it's set to Release. I'm using React Native 0.59.9 and not using this library yet.

Details

At least in my case, through some digging in Objective-C, I found that two React Native bridges were created when doing a Debug build, while only one was created for a Release build. For Debug, the initial notification was included in the first bridge's bridge.launchOptions (ref) while bridge.launchOptions was nil for the second instance. I added some debugging statements in RCTBridge's setUp method, which is how I discovered it was being called twice.

I then changed the Scheme's Build Configuration to Release and tried again. Only one React Native bridge was created and PushNotificationIOS.getInitialNotification returned the notification I used to launch the app.

[tlow92]

I found this to be a problem when the Scheme's Build Configuration is set to Debug but not when it's set to Release. I'm using React Native 0.59.9 and not using this library yet.

Details

At least in my case, through some digging in Objective-C, I found that two React Native bridges were created when doing a Debug build, while only one was created for a Release build. For Debug, the initial notification was included in the first bridge's bridge.launchOptions (ref) while bridge.launchOptions was nil for the second instance. I added some debugging statements in RCTBridge's setUp method, which is how I discovered it was being called twice.

I then changed the Scheme's Build Configuration to Release and tried again. Only one React Native bridge was created and PushNotificationIOS.getInitialNotification returned the notification I used to launch the app.

Thanks for the input.

Maybe it's because I am using RN 0.61.1, but even in release configuration getInitialNotification is always returning null.

[shanemduggan]

Seeing the same thing on RN 0.59.8.

[tlow92]

Only solution is to use react-native-firebase, but i don't want to introduce it only for detecting opening of push notifications and it has its own problems, like receiving device token etc.

Libraries like zo0r/react-native-push-notification also don't work because they depend on this project here.

If someone has a hint, what the underlying problem could be, I'm happy to take a look into it.

[mkarazin]

I had this issue and solved it, at least enough for my needs.

On RN 0.59.10, running locally on a device using a dev/debug build (hot reload, debugger running) all calls to getInitialNotification returned null. Following @cmoel comment, I created a release build and distributed the .ipa to my test device. It worked fully there, with push notifications to a closed app as well as a backgrounded app. getInitialNotification would return the notification correctly, using exactly the same code as I ran in the dev/debug build.

Obviously this isn't ideal. It would be great to be able to received initial notifications on a dev build with debugger and hot reload working. I'm wondering if this isn't really a bug but is actually an issue with how react-native loads the js bundle. In my dev build, whenever the app is opened from closed state, the js bundle is redownloaded. Perhaps this is in essence opening the app twice, and the initial notification is not available by the time it opens fully.

[acro5piano]

Same here. I'm trying to find any solutions.

I read both Obj-C and JS, and found this line:

https://github.com/react-native-community/react-native-push-notification-ios/blob/master/ios/RNCPushNotificationIOS.m#L411

I don't know Obj-c much, but do you think this change will make a difference?

- NSMutableDictionary<NSString *, id> *initialNotification =
-  [self.bridge.launchOptions[UIApplicationLaunchOptionsRemoteNotificationKey] mutableCopy];
+  [[self.bridge.launchOptions objectForKey:UIApplicationLaunchOptionsRemoteNotificationKey] mutableCopy];

[nighttiger1990]

Same here, in RN 61.5. Hope someone fix this

[acro5piano]

disabling Debug JS Remotely solved the issue for me.

[dominiczaq]

getInitialNotification only returns data when the app is starting from cold boot. Additionally it won't return data in development build, but it will in release build.