Skip to main content

Apple Push (APNs) Credentials

On iOS, Paylisher delivers push through Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM), which relays messages to the Apple Push Notification service (APNs). So the APNs credential is an APNs Authentication Key (.p8) that lives on the Firebase project which sends to your iOS app — see also Firebase (FCM).

Who adds the key — and where
  • Hosted (using Paylisher's services): your iOS app is registered under Paylisher's Firebase project. You create the APNs key in your Apple Developer account and hand it to Paylisher; Paylisher adds it to that Firebase project. You do not upload it to a Firebase project yourself, and there is no Paylisher dashboard step.
  • On-prem (self-hosted): you run your own Firebase project — you upload the key there yourself.

1. Create an APNs Authentication Key (.p8) — everyone​

In the Apple Developer portal:

  1. Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles → Keys → +.
  2. Enable Apple Push Notifications service (APNs) and register the key.
  3. Download the .p8 file — you can download it only once, so store it safely. Note the Key ID and your Team ID.
tip

The .p8 Auth Key is recommended over an APNs SSL Certificate (.p12): it doesn't expire and works for all apps under the same Apple team.

2. Add the key to the Firebase project​

Hosted (Paylisher's services)​

Send Paylisher the .p8 file, its Key ID, and your Team ID (through a secure channel). Paylisher uploads it to the Firebase project that serves your app. Nothing else is required on your side — there is no self-service upload and no dashboard field.

On-prem (your own Firebase)​

In the Firebase Console → your project → Project Settings → Cloud Messaging → Apple app configuration, upload the APNs Authentication Key (.p8) with its Key ID and Team ID.

Checklist​

  • APNs .p8 key created in Apple Developer (Key ID + Team ID noted).
  • Hosted: .p8 + Key ID + Team ID handed to Paylisher. On-prem: uploaded to your own Firebase project (Cloud Messaging → Apple app configuration).

For the iOS SDK integration itself (Podfile, didRegisterForRemoteNotifications, forwarding the APNs token to Firebase), see the iOS → Notifications guide.