# Notification Services

Essential Kit's Notification Services feature lets Unity teams schedule local notifications and deliver push notifications without maintaining platform-specific code. This tutorial walks you through setup, permission handling, notification scheduling, and testing so you can bring players back to your game with timely, relevant notifications.

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Using PlayMaker? See the PlayMaker guide: [PlayMaker](https://assetstore.essentialkit.voxelbusters.com/features/notification-services/playmaker).
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Looking for a working reference? Open the demo scene at `Assets/Plugins/VoxelBusters/EssentialKit/Examples/Scenes/NotificationServicesDemo.unity` and the companion script at `Assets/Plugins/VoxelBusters/EssentialKit/Examples/Scripts/NotificationServicesDemo.cs` to see the full API in action.
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## What You'll Learn

* Request notification permissions and handle user consent gracefully
* Schedule local notifications with time-based and calendar triggers for game timers and daily rewards
* Implement push notifications for server-driven real-time messaging
* Handle notification interactions and manage app badge numbers
* Test notification flows in editor simulator and on devices

## Why Notification Services Matter

* **Player retention**: Remind players about energy refills, daily rewards, and time-limited events
* **Re-engagement**: Bring inactive players back with contextual notifications at optimal times
* **Live operations**: Send real-time updates about tournaments, special offers, and community events
* **Cross-platform**: Single API works across iOS (APNS) and Android (FCM) automatically

## Tutorial Roadmap

1. [Setup](https://github.com/voxelbusters/essential-kit-docs/blob/master/tutorials/v3/features/notification-services/setup.md) - Enable the feature and configure platform-specific requirements
2. [Usage](https://assetstore.essentialkit.voxelbusters.com/features/notification-services/usage) - Permissions, local notifications, push notifications, and event handling
3. [Testing](https://github.com/voxelbusters/essential-kit-docs/blob/master/tutorials/v3/features/notification-services/testing.md) - Simulate in editor and verify on devices
4. [FAQ](https://assetstore.essentialkit.voxelbusters.com/features/notification-services/faq) - Troubleshoot common issues

## Key Use Cases

* **Energy systems**: Schedule notifications when energy refills so players return when they can play
* **Daily rewards**: Send reminders at optimal times to encourage daily login habits
* **Event announcements**: Notify players about limited-time tournaments and special offers
* **Social interactions**: Alert players about friend requests, guild invitations, and multiplayer challenges
* **Server-driven content**: Push real-time announcements for flash sales and surprise events

## Prerequisites

* Unity project with Essential Kit v3 installed and NotificationServices feature included in the build
* iOS or Android target platforms with notification permission descriptions configured
* For push notifications: Server infrastructure or third-party service (Firebase, OneSignal) to send messages
* Test devices to validate permission prompts and notification delivery before release

{% content-ref url="<https://github.com/voxelbusters/essential-kit-docs/blob/master/tutorials/v3/features/notification-services/setup.md>" %}
<https://github.com/voxelbusters/essential-kit-docs/blob/master/tutorials/v3/features/notification-services/setup.md>
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="notification-services/usage" %}
[usage](https://assetstore.essentialkit.voxelbusters.com/features/notification-services/usage)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="<https://github.com/voxelbusters/essential-kit-docs/blob/master/tutorials/v3/features/notification-services/testing.md>" %}
<https://github.com/voxelbusters/essential-kit-docs/blob/master/tutorials/v3/features/notification-services/testing.md>
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="notification-services/faq" %}
[faq](https://assetstore.essentialkit.voxelbusters.com/features/notification-services/faq)
{% endcontent-ref %}