Mobile app development guide
Add Push Notifications in Newly with OneSignal
To add push notifications in Newly, ask for them in a Remote chat, connect OneSignal from the card, and configure delivery for each platform. An organization owner or admin can create the notification service without a separate OneSignal account. Then install a native build, allow notifications and send a test.[1][2]
Founder, Newly
Reviewed . Based on the current connection and device-testing documentation. Follow the delivery checks below for your own app. Published by Newly.
From a prompt to a delivered notification
Complete the setup for each platform you intend to support. Record the app version and result when testing.
Swipe the table to see every column.
| Step | What you do | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Define the event | Name the recipient, trigger and destination. | A reply alert reaches the author of the post, not every user. |
| Connect OneSignal | Use the card in a Remote chat as an organization owner or admin.[1] | The notification service is connected to the intended project. |
| Configure delivery | Connect Apple for iOS and Google for Android, or upload existing platform credentials.[1] | Each target platform is configured for this app identity. |
| Install and allow | Install the native app and grant notification permission. | You are testing the intended app and build on a real device. |
| Send and open | Send from the card or Deploy → Push notifications.[1] | The message arrives and a tap opens the intended screen. |
1. Describe the event and recipient
A scheduled reminder on a phone and a push sent through a server solve different problems. For a reminder that only needs local information, say that explicitly. For a message caused by another user or a server event, describe the event and intended recipient.
Use a reply alert as the example: when someone replies to a post, notify its author and open that conversation when they tap. Decide whether to suppress alerts for the user’s own actions and whether message content belongs in the notification preview.
Add a push notification when another user replies to my post. Notify only the post author. Tapping the notification should open that conversation after any required sign-in. Keep private message content out of the notification preview. Explain the service connection and platform setup before sending anything.2. Connect OneSignal in a Remote chat
Ask the agent to add push notifications in a Remote chat. The Connect OneSignal card creates the notification service for the project; you do not need to register a separate OneSignal account for the Newly-managed path. Only an organization owner or admin can connect it.[1]
Check the project before completing the connection. If you manage notifications through an existing team account, follow the options offered by the card and confirm who will maintain the service. Keep service credentials out of prompts, screenshots and source repositories.
3. Configure iOS and Android delivery
For iOS, the card’s Apple sign-in connects the App Store Connect app and creates its push key. For Android, connect Google so Newly can create and configure a Firebase project in that account. Teams that already manage an Apple push key or Firebase project can upload their existing configuration instead.[1]
The delivery settings are optional when you first create the service, but the intended platform still needs its configuration before a delivery test can establish that it works. Match the settings to the identity of the app you will install.
4. Install the app on a real phone
For an iPhone, ask for the TestFlight flow in a Remote chat, connect Apple and upload the build. Allow for Apple processing before installing it through TestFlight. An organization owner or admin handles publishing. Newly’s cloud simulators are the preview; there is no Expo Go QR-code flow.[2]
For Android, use a standalone release APK or the Google Play internal-testing path. Install the app version containing the notification changes, open it and accept the notification permission request when it appears.[2]
5. Test delivery and the tap destination
Send a test from the connection card or the Push notifications panel in Deploy. That panel also shows recent sends. Check the physical device as well as the send record: a service-side record alone does not establish that the user saw the alert.[1]
After the basic test, trigger the actual event with synthetic test accounts. Verify the recipient and open the notification. If the app requires sign-in, make sure the user returns to the intended conversation afterward. Repeat after signing out so that a previous user does not receive the next user’s private alerts.
- Permission allowed: the intended installation receives the message.
- Permission denied: the app remains usable and explains how to change the setting.
- Foreground, background and closed app: record the observed behavior in each state.
- Notification tap: the app opens the intended destination or a useful fallback.
- Sign-out and account change: alerts remain associated with the correct user.
- Event targeting: an unrelated account does not receive the notification.
Notification test record
Date and tester:
Platform, device and OS:
App identity and build version:
Trigger and intended recipient:
Permission and app state:
Send record:
Device delivery result:
Tap destination result:
Sign-out and wrong-recipient checks:
Failure and next action:If the notification does not arrive
Check the project and installed build first. Then inspect notification permission, the configured platform delivery settings and the recent-send view. Compare a manual test with the real event: if a manual test works but the event does not, investigate the trigger and recipient selection rather than repeating account setup.
If the alert arrives but opens the wrong screen, describe the destination and sign-in behavior to the agent. Retest the same scenario after the change. Keep the build version with each result so that a successful test belongs to the version you intend to release.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need my own OneSignal account to add push notifications in Newly?
No separate OneSignal account is needed for the Newly-managed connection described in the current docs. An organization owner or admin creates the notification service from the Connect OneSignal card and configures delivery for the target platforms.
Do I have to export my code to add push notifications?
The documented Newly workflow uses a Connect OneSignal card in a Remote chat. Start there, configure platform delivery and test the native app. Source export is a separate workflow.
Are local reminders the same as push notifications?
No. A local reminder is scheduled on the device. A remote push is sent through a notification service in response to an event or campaign. Describe which behavior your app needs.
How do I test push notifications in Newly?
Install the native app, grant notification permission and send a test from the card or Deploy → Push notifications. Check delivery on the device, then tap the message and verify the destination. Repeat using the actual trigger and intended recipient.
Sources and review date
Sources reviewed 3 November 2026. Product capabilities and plan requirements can change; check the linked source before choosing a plan.