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

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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.

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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.