APNS Configuration

To send push notifications through Pulsate, you need to provide Apple Push Notification service (APNs) credentials. Pulsate accepts either a .p8 APNs authentication key (recommended) or a legacy .pem certificate.

Which credential to use

Use a .p8 APNs authentication key

Token-based .p8 keys are the recommended approach:

• Easier to create than certificates
• One key works for both production and sandbox
• No expiry — unlike .pem certificates, which expire every year and must be renewed

You create a .p8 key in the Apple Developer portal under Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles → Keys.

If you use a legacy .pem certificate instead, you can generate it manually (many online guides walk through the full process) or automate it with a tool such as Fastlane. Remember that .pem certificates expire annually.

Development vs. production push testing

To test APNs on development builds, set your Pulsate app to Development, not Production. Production Pulsate apps use the production APNs endpoint; Development Pulsate apps use the sandbox endpoint. We recommend maintaining two Pulsate apps — one for development and one for production.

Upload the credential to Pulsate

1. Go to Settings → App Settings and click Choose file.
2. Select your .p8 key (or .pem certificate) from your computer.
3. If you’re uploading a .pem and set a password, enter it. (A .p8 key has no password.)

Your iOS app can now receive pushes from the Pulsate platform.