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Configuring iOS Push Credentials (APNs)

Configure iOS Push Credentials (APNs)

To send push notifications to iOS devices, Attentive authenticates with Apple's Push Notification service (APNs) on your behalf using token-based authentication. You'll need to generate a .p8 auth key from your Apple Developer account — unlike certificates, auth tokens don't expire and a single token works across all of your apps.

Before you begin, make sure you have access to your Apple Developer account.

You'll need to collect the following four credentials:

  • .p8 file — the private key file used to sign push notification requests
  • Bundle ID — identifies your specific app
  • Key ID — identifies the APNs auth key you create
  • Team ID — identifies your Apple Developer organization

Step 1: Locate Your Team ID and Bundle ID

  1. Sign in to the Apple Developer portal.
  2. To find your Team ID, click Account in the top nav, then go to Membership details. Your Team ID is the 10-character alphanumeric string listed there.
  3. To find your Bundle ID, go to Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles → Identifiers in the left nav.
  4. Select your app from the list.
  5. Record the Bundle ID shown on the app's configuration page (e.g., com.example.myapp).
  6. While you're here, confirm that Push Notifications is checked under Capabilities. If it isn't, enable it and save before continuing.
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Tip: If you have multiple apps (e.g., a staging and production version), make sure you're capturing the Bundle ID for the app you intend to send push notifications from.

Step 2: Create Your APNs Auth Key

  1. In the Apple Developer portal, go to Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles → Keys in the left nav.
  2. Click the + button in the top right to create a new key.
  3. Give the key a descriptive name (e.g., Attentive Push Key).
  4. Check the box next to Apple Push Notifications service (APNs).
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Important: Make sure the environment is set to Production & Sandbox (not Sandbox only). Attentive requires a key that works across both environments.

  1. Click Continue, review the summary, then click Register.
  2. On the confirmation page, copy and save the Key ID — you'll need this later.
  3. Click Download to save the .p8 file to your machine.
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Important: You can only download the .p8 file once. Apple does not store a copy. Save it somewhere secure immediately — if you lose it, you'll need to revoke the key and create a new one.

Step 3: Enter Your Credentials in Attentive

  1. In Attentive, navigate to Setup → Settings → Mobile App Settings.
  2. Select the iOS (APNs) tab.
  3. Under APNs Key Upload, upload your .p8 file.
  4. Enter your Bundle ID, Key ID, and Team ID in the corresponding fields.
  5. Click Save Settings.