Exercise APNs, FCM, and Expo Push delivery for the installed app

The job to be done

Find out which part of the push path failed

When a test notification never appears, the cause could be the provider credential, the device token, the payload, the gateway, or the app's own handling. Sending through your backend adds the server code to that list.

TestDock sends from the test phone straight to Expo Push, Firebase Cloud Messaging, or, on iOS, Apple Push Notification service, and saves the provider's answer in a log for that app.

You need TestDock Pro to send test pushes. Each app profile has its own targets, setups, and templates, so one app's token is never offered for another.

Recommended path

Send one known-good push, then change one thing at a time

Start with the simplest notification the app should display. Once it arrives, vary the template or its data values to test routing and background handling.

1. Copy the token from the app under test

   Have a debug build print or display its push token, then save it under Targets with a name that identifies the phone.

2. Add the provider setup

   Under Providers, choose Expo Push, Firebase / FCM, or, on iOS, APNs, and paste the credential. For APNs, set the bundle identifier as the topic and the gateway that matches the build's signing.

3. Save a template per behavior

   Create a Visible alert for what users see and a Background data template for silent updates. Add the custom data keys your app reads, such as a conversation ID.

4. Fix the diagnostics, then send

   In Send push, select the setup, target, and template. TestDock lists payload errors and the byte count below them, and Send Push stays disabled until every error is resolved.

5. Compare the log with the phone

   The Log shows whether the provider accepted, rejected, or failed the request, with guidance for common errors. Then check the phone for the notification and what a tap on it did.

Capabilities involved

The push tools used in this workflow

Limits to know

What the provider's answer does and does not tell you

An accepted status only means the provider took the request. Delivery to the phone and the app's handling are things you check on the device.

TestDock offers APNs only on iOS. Expo Push and Firebase / FCM work on both platforms, so an Android phone sends through one of those two.

Every push feature, from saved targets to the log, requires Pro; the free version covers deep links and one scenario of your own for one app profile.

TestDock cannot read another app's push token; the app under test has to expose it. Tokens can change after a reinstall, so replace a saved target when the provider reports it as unregistered.

Related manual

Test push delivery and repeatable app flows

Configure provider-specific push targets, reuse payload templates, and combine delivery checks with observable manual scenarios.

Its sections cover create a provider setup and a push target, build a reusable payload, validate, send, and inspect, turn behavior into a scenario. Use it when you are ready to reproduce this workflow with your own project data.

Direct answers

Questions about this use case.