iOS Push Notifications for AI-Built Apps (No Swift)

Push Notifications for Apps Built with AI

You built your app in Lovable, Base44, or Replit. It looks great in the browser. But when you ship it to the App Store, one feature breaks the experience instantly: push notifications. Web push doesn't work on iOS Safari. Service workers can't reach the lock screen. And wiring up Apple Push Notification service (APNs) traditionally means writing Swift, managing certificates, and learning a stack you didn't sign up for.

Wanilla is the bridge. We wrap your AI-built web app in a native iOS shell that handles APNs end-to-end — token registration, permission prompts, foreground/background delivery, deep links, and rich payloads — without you writing a single line of native code.

Why Web Push Fails on iOS

Apple only added limited Web Push support in iOS 16.4, and only for installed PWAs — which most users never install. For a real, App Store-distributed app, you need APNs. APNs requires:

• An Apple Developer account and APNs Auth Key (.p8)
• A native iOS app that registers a device token on launch
• A backend that signs JWTs and POSTs to api.push.apple.com
• Handlers for the three delivery states: foreground, background, and terminated

None of this is reachable from a Lovable, Base44, or Replit web app on its own. That's the gap Wanilla closes.

How Wanilla Delivers Push Without Native Code

Your web app stays exactly where it is. We add a thin native iOS layer that:

1. Registers the device with APNs on first launch and stores the token against your user.
2. Exposes a JS bridge (window.wanilla.push) so your web code can request permission, read the token, and listen for taps.
3. Handles delivery — your backend POSTs a single JSON payload to our endpoint; we sign and forward it to APNs with retry, batching, and silent-push support.
4. Routes deep links — taps on a notification open the right route in your web app via the navigation bridge.

You stay in your AI tool. We handle the iOS plumbing.

Platforms We Support

Wanilla works with every major AI app builder. Pick yours below for a step-by-step integration guide:

• Push notifications for Lovable apps
• Push notifications for Base44 apps
• Push notifications for Replit apps

By Use Case

Different verticals push for different reasons. We've documented the patterns that actually drive retention and revenue:

• Push notifications for fitness apps — workout reminders, streak alerts, weekly summaries
• Push notifications for chat apps — message delivery, typing indicators, group mentions
• Push notifications for ecommerce apps — abandoned cart, price drops, order status
• Push notifications for news apps — breaking news, daily digest, topic alerts

Wanilla vs OneSignal vs Firebase

OneSignal and Firebase Cloud Messaging both require you to ship a native app with their SDK installed. If you're building in Lovable or Base44, you don't have a native app — you have a web app. Wanilla gives you the native shell, the APNs integration, and a clean JS API in one product. No SDK juggling, no separate dashboard, no extra monthly fee.

What You'll Need

• An Apple Developer account ($99/year)
• Your AI-built web app (live URL)
• A backend endpoint that triggers sends (or use ours)

From signup to first push delivered: typically under 24 hours.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to write Swift code?

No. The native iOS shell ships with APNs registration and the JS bridge built in. Your only code lives in your web app.

Can I send rich notifications with images?

Yes. Pass an image_url field in the payload and Wanilla's notification service extension renders it.

What about silent / background push?

Supported. Send content-available: 1 and your web app receives a JS event when the user opens the app next.

How do I segment users?

Tag device tokens from your web app via window.wanilla.push.setTags(), then filter on send.

Pair push with viral loops

Push notifications are most powerful when combined with referral-driven acquisition — re-engaged users invite new users, who get re-engaged in turn. referral and affiliate tooling walks through the mechanics.