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| 1 | +# React Hooks for Push Notifications |
| 2 | + |
| 3 | +Use Ably Push Notifications in your React application using idiomatic React Hooks. |
| 4 | + |
| 5 | +Using these hooks you can: |
| 6 | + |
| 7 | +- [Activate and deactivate devices](https://ably.com/docs/push/activate-subscribe) for push notifications |
| 8 | +- [Subscribe devices or clients](https://ably.com/docs/push/activate-subscribe#subscribing) to push notifications on channels |
| 9 | +- List active push subscriptions for a channel |
| 10 | + |
| 11 | +> [!NOTE] |
| 12 | +> Push notifications require the Push plugin to be loaded. If you're using the modular bundle, ensure the Push plugin is included in your client options. See the [Push Notifications documentation](https://ably.com/docs/push) for general concepts and setup. |
| 13 | +
|
| 14 | +--- |
| 15 | + |
| 16 | +<!-- @import "[TOC]" {cmd="toc" depthFrom=2 depthTo=6 orderedList=false} --> |
| 17 | +<!-- code_chunk_output --> |
| 18 | + |
| 19 | +- [Prerequisites](#prerequisites) |
| 20 | +- [usePushActivation](#usepushactivation) |
| 21 | +- [usePush](#usepush) |
| 22 | +- [Error Handling](#error-handling) |
| 23 | +- [Full Example](#full-example) |
| 24 | +- [API Reference](#api-reference) |
| 25 | + |
| 26 | +## <!-- /code_chunk_output --> |
| 27 | + |
| 28 | +## Prerequisites |
| 29 | + |
| 30 | +Push hooks require the Ably client to be configured with the Push plugin. When using the default `ably` bundle, the Push plugin is included automatically. If you're using the modular bundle, you must provide it explicitly: |
| 31 | + |
| 32 | +```jsx |
| 33 | +import * as Ably from 'ably'; |
| 34 | +import Push from 'ably/push'; |
| 35 | + |
| 36 | +const client = new Ably.Realtime({ |
| 37 | + key: 'your-ably-api-key', |
| 38 | + clientId: 'me', |
| 39 | + plugins: { Push }, |
| 40 | +}); |
| 41 | + |
| 42 | +root.render( |
| 43 | + <AblyProvider client={client}> |
| 44 | + <App /> |
| 45 | + </AblyProvider>, |
| 46 | +); |
| 47 | +``` |
| 48 | + |
| 49 | +--- |
| 50 | + |
| 51 | +## usePushActivation |
| 52 | + |
| 53 | +The `usePushActivation` hook provides functions to activate and deactivate the current device for push notifications. It works directly under an `AblyProvider` and does **not** require a `ChannelProvider`. |
| 54 | + |
| 55 | +```jsx |
| 56 | +import { usePushActivation } from 'ably/react'; |
| 57 | + |
| 58 | +const PushActivationComponent = () => { |
| 59 | + const { activate, deactivate } = usePushActivation(); |
| 60 | + |
| 61 | + return ( |
| 62 | + <div> |
| 63 | + <button onClick={() => activate()}>Enable push notifications</button> |
| 64 | + <button onClick={() => deactivate()}>Disable push notifications</button> |
| 65 | + </div> |
| 66 | + ); |
| 67 | +}; |
| 68 | +``` |
| 69 | + |
| 70 | +#### Activation lifecycle |
| 71 | + |
| 72 | +Activation registers the device with Ably's push service (on web, this requests browser notification permission and registers a service worker). The device identity is persisted to `localStorage`, so: |
| 73 | + |
| 74 | +- **Activation survives page reloads and app restarts.** You do not need to call `activate()` on every mount. |
| 75 | +- **Calling `activate()` when already activated is safe** — it confirms the existing registration without side effects. |
| 76 | +- **`deactivate()` is for explicit user opt-out only.** It removes the device registration from Ably's servers and clears all persisted push state. Do not call it on unmount or app close. |
| 77 | + |
| 78 | +A typical pattern is to call `activate()` once in response to a user action (e.g. tapping "Enable notifications"), not automatically on mount: |
| 79 | + |
| 80 | +```jsx |
| 81 | +const NotificationBanner = () => { |
| 82 | + const { activate } = usePushActivation(); |
| 83 | + const [enabled, setEnabled] = useState(false); |
| 84 | + |
| 85 | + const handleEnable = async () => { |
| 86 | + try { |
| 87 | + await activate(); |
| 88 | + setEnabled(true); |
| 89 | + } catch (err) { |
| 90 | + console.error('Push activation failed:', err); |
| 91 | + } |
| 92 | + }; |
| 93 | + |
| 94 | + if (enabled) return null; |
| 95 | + |
| 96 | + return ( |
| 97 | + <div className="banner"> |
| 98 | + <p>Get notified about new updates</p> |
| 99 | + <button onClick={handleEnable}>Enable notifications</button> |
| 100 | + </div> |
| 101 | + ); |
| 102 | +}; |
| 103 | +``` |
| 104 | + |
| 105 | +#### Multiple clients |
| 106 | + |
| 107 | +If you use multiple Ably clients via the `ablyId` pattern, pass the ID to `usePushActivation`: |
| 108 | + |
| 109 | +```jsx |
| 110 | +const { activate, deactivate } = usePushActivation('providerOne'); |
| 111 | +``` |
| 112 | + |
| 113 | +--- |
| 114 | + |
| 115 | +## usePush |
| 116 | + |
| 117 | +The `usePush` hook provides functions to manage push notification subscriptions for a specific channel. It must be used inside a `ChannelProvider`. |
| 118 | + |
| 119 | +```jsx |
| 120 | +import { usePush } from 'ably/react'; |
| 121 | + |
| 122 | +const PushSubscriptionComponent = () => { |
| 123 | + const { subscribeDevice, unsubscribeDevice } = usePush('your-channel-name'); |
| 124 | + |
| 125 | + return ( |
| 126 | + <div> |
| 127 | + <button onClick={() => subscribeDevice()}>Subscribe to channel</button> |
| 128 | + <button onClick={() => unsubscribeDevice()}>Unsubscribe from channel</button> |
| 129 | + </div> |
| 130 | + ); |
| 131 | +}; |
| 132 | +``` |
| 133 | + |
| 134 | +> [!IMPORTANT] |
| 135 | +> The device must be activated (via `usePushActivation`) before calling `subscribeDevice()` or `unsubscribeDevice()`. See [Error Handling](#error-handling) for details on what happens if activation hasn't been completed. |
| 136 | +
|
| 137 | +#### Subscribe by device or by client |
| 138 | + |
| 139 | +`usePush` supports both device-level and client-level subscriptions: |
| 140 | + |
| 141 | +```jsx |
| 142 | +const { |
| 143 | + subscribeDevice, // Subscribe the current device |
| 144 | + unsubscribeDevice, // Unsubscribe the current device |
| 145 | + subscribeClient, // Subscribe all devices for the current clientId |
| 146 | + unsubscribeClient, // Unsubscribe all devices for the current clientId |
| 147 | +} = usePush('your-channel-name'); |
| 148 | +``` |
| 149 | + |
| 150 | +- **Device subscriptions** target the specific device. Use when you want per-device control. |
| 151 | +- **Client subscriptions** target all devices that share the same `clientId`. Use when a user should receive push notifications regardless of which device they're on. |
| 152 | + |
| 153 | +> [!NOTE] |
| 154 | +> `subscribeClient` and `unsubscribeClient` require the Ably client to be configured with a `clientId`. An error will be thrown if no `clientId` is set. |
| 155 | +
|
| 156 | +#### Listing subscriptions |
| 157 | + |
| 158 | +You can list active push subscriptions for the channel: |
| 159 | + |
| 160 | +```jsx |
| 161 | +const { listSubscriptions } = usePush('your-channel-name'); |
| 162 | + |
| 163 | +const handleListSubscriptions = async () => { |
| 164 | + const result = await listSubscriptions(); |
| 165 | + console.log('Active subscriptions:', result.items); |
| 166 | +}; |
| 167 | +``` |
| 168 | + |
| 169 | +`listSubscriptions` accepts an optional params object to filter by `deviceId` or `clientId`: |
| 170 | + |
| 171 | +```jsx |
| 172 | +const result = await listSubscriptions({ deviceId: 'specific-device-id' }); |
| 173 | +``` |
| 174 | + |
| 175 | +#### Push subscriptions are persistent |
| 176 | + |
| 177 | +Unlike presence (which enters on mount and leaves on unmount), push subscriptions are **persistent server-side state**. They survive app restarts and are not automatically removed when a component unmounts. This is by design — push notifications are meant to be delivered even when your app is not running. |
| 178 | + |
| 179 | +To remove a subscription, explicitly call `unsubscribeDevice()` or `unsubscribeClient()` in response to a user action. |
| 180 | + |
| 181 | +--- |
| 182 | + |
| 183 | +## Error Handling |
| 184 | + |
| 185 | +### Push plugin not loaded |
| 186 | + |
| 187 | +If the Push plugin is not included in your client configuration, `usePush` will throw immediately on render: |
| 188 | + |
| 189 | +``` |
| 190 | +Error: Push plugin not provided (code: 40019) |
| 191 | +``` |
| 192 | + |
| 193 | +For `usePushActivation`, the error is thrown when `activate()` or `deactivate()` is called. |
| 194 | + |
| 195 | +To fix this, ensure the Push plugin is loaded. See [Prerequisites](#prerequisites). |
| 196 | + |
| 197 | +### Device not activated |
| 198 | + |
| 199 | +If you call `subscribeDevice()` or `unsubscribeDevice()` before the device has been activated, the promise will reject with: |
| 200 | + |
| 201 | +``` |
| 202 | +Error: Cannot subscribe from client without deviceIdentityToken (code: 50000) |
| 203 | +``` |
| 204 | + |
| 205 | +Ensure `activate()` has completed successfully before subscribing: |
| 206 | + |
| 207 | +```jsx |
| 208 | +const { activate } = usePushActivation(); |
| 209 | +const { subscribeDevice } = usePush('alerts'); |
| 210 | + |
| 211 | +const handleEnablePush = async () => { |
| 212 | + await activate(); |
| 213 | + await subscribeDevice(); |
| 214 | +}; |
| 215 | +``` |
| 216 | + |
| 217 | +### No clientId set |
| 218 | + |
| 219 | +If you call `subscribeClient()` or `unsubscribeClient()` without a `clientId` configured on the Ably client, the promise will reject with: |
| 220 | + |
| 221 | +``` |
| 222 | +Error: Cannot subscribe from client without client ID (code: 50000) |
| 223 | +``` |
| 224 | + |
| 225 | +Ensure your Ably client is created with a `clientId`: |
| 226 | + |
| 227 | +```jsx |
| 228 | +const client = new Ably.Realtime({ key: 'your-api-key', clientId: 'me' }); |
| 229 | +``` |
| 230 | + |
| 231 | +### Connection and channel errors |
| 232 | + |
| 233 | +Like other channel-level hooks, `usePush` returns `connectionError` and `channelError`: |
| 234 | + |
| 235 | +```jsx |
| 236 | +const { subscribeDevice, connectionError, channelError } = usePush('your-channel-name'); |
| 237 | + |
| 238 | +if (connectionError) { |
| 239 | + return <p>Connection error: {connectionError.message}</p>; |
| 240 | +} |
| 241 | +if (channelError) { |
| 242 | + return <p>Channel error: {channelError.message}</p>; |
| 243 | +} |
| 244 | +``` |
| 245 | + |
| 246 | +--- |
| 247 | + |
| 248 | +## Full Example |
| 249 | + |
| 250 | +A complete example showing activation, channel subscription, and error handling: |
| 251 | + |
| 252 | +```jsx |
| 253 | +import { AblyProvider, ChannelProvider, usePushActivation, usePush } from 'ably/react'; |
| 254 | +import * as Ably from 'ably'; |
| 255 | +import { useState } from 'react'; |
| 256 | + |
| 257 | +const client = new Ably.Realtime({ key: 'your-ably-api-key', clientId: 'me' }); |
| 258 | + |
| 259 | +const App = () => ( |
| 260 | + <AblyProvider client={client}> |
| 261 | + <PushActivation /> |
| 262 | + <ChannelProvider channelName="alerts"> |
| 263 | + <AlertSubscription /> |
| 264 | + </ChannelProvider> |
| 265 | + </AblyProvider> |
| 266 | +); |
| 267 | + |
| 268 | +const PushActivation = () => { |
| 269 | + const { activate, deactivate } = usePushActivation(); |
| 270 | + const [active, setActive] = useState(false); |
| 271 | + const [error, setError] = useState(null); |
| 272 | + |
| 273 | + const handleToggle = async () => { |
| 274 | + try { |
| 275 | + if (active) { |
| 276 | + await deactivate(); |
| 277 | + } else { |
| 278 | + await activate(); |
| 279 | + } |
| 280 | + setActive(!active); |
| 281 | + setError(null); |
| 282 | + } catch (err) { |
| 283 | + setError(err.message); |
| 284 | + } |
| 285 | + }; |
| 286 | + |
| 287 | + return ( |
| 288 | + <div> |
| 289 | + <button onClick={handleToggle}> |
| 290 | + {active ? 'Disable' : 'Enable'} push notifications |
| 291 | + </button> |
| 292 | + {error && <p className="error">{error}</p>} |
| 293 | + </div> |
| 294 | + ); |
| 295 | +}; |
| 296 | + |
| 297 | +const AlertSubscription = () => { |
| 298 | + const { subscribeDevice, unsubscribeDevice, connectionError, channelError } = usePush('alerts'); |
| 299 | + const [subscribed, setSubscribed] = useState(false); |
| 300 | + |
| 301 | + if (connectionError) return <p>Connection error: {connectionError.message}</p>; |
| 302 | + if (channelError) return <p>Channel error: {channelError.message}</p>; |
| 303 | + |
| 304 | + const handleToggle = async () => { |
| 305 | + try { |
| 306 | + if (subscribed) { |
| 307 | + await unsubscribeDevice(); |
| 308 | + } else { |
| 309 | + await subscribeDevice(); |
| 310 | + } |
| 311 | + setSubscribed(!subscribed); |
| 312 | + } catch (err) { |
| 313 | + console.error('Subscription error:', err); |
| 314 | + } |
| 315 | + }; |
| 316 | + |
| 317 | + return ( |
| 318 | + <button onClick={handleToggle}> |
| 319 | + {subscribed ? 'Unsubscribe from' : 'Subscribe to'} alerts |
| 320 | + </button> |
| 321 | + ); |
| 322 | +}; |
| 323 | +``` |
| 324 | + |
| 325 | +--- |
| 326 | + |
| 327 | +## API Reference |
| 328 | + |
| 329 | +### `usePushActivation` |
| 330 | + |
| 331 | +```typescript |
| 332 | +function usePushActivation(ablyId?: string): PushActivationResult; |
| 333 | + |
| 334 | +interface PushActivationResult { |
| 335 | + activate: () => Promise<void>; |
| 336 | + deactivate: () => Promise<void>; |
| 337 | +} |
| 338 | +``` |
| 339 | + |
| 340 | +| Property | Type | Description | |
| 341 | +| ------------ | --------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |
| 342 | +| `activate` | `() => Promise<void>` | Activates the device for push notifications. Persists to `localStorage`. | |
| 343 | +| `deactivate` | `() => Promise<void>` | Deactivates the device and removes the registration from Ably's servers. | |
| 344 | + |
| 345 | +### `usePush` |
| 346 | + |
| 347 | +```typescript |
| 348 | +function usePush(channelNameOrNameAndOptions: ChannelParameters): PushResult; |
| 349 | + |
| 350 | +interface PushResult { |
| 351 | + channel: Ably.RealtimeChannel; |
| 352 | + subscribeDevice: () => Promise<void>; |
| 353 | + unsubscribeDevice: () => Promise<void>; |
| 354 | + subscribeClient: () => Promise<void>; |
| 355 | + unsubscribeClient: () => Promise<void>; |
| 356 | + listSubscriptions: (params?: Record<string, string>) => Promise<PaginatedResult<PushChannelSubscription>>; |
| 357 | + connectionError: Ably.ErrorInfo | null; |
| 358 | + channelError: Ably.ErrorInfo | null; |
| 359 | +} |
| 360 | +``` |
| 361 | + |
| 362 | +| Property | Type | Description | |
| 363 | +| -------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | |
| 364 | +| `channel` | `Ably.RealtimeChannel` | The channel instance. | |
| 365 | +| `subscribeDevice` | `() => Promise<void>` | Subscribes the current device to push notifications on this channel. | |
| 366 | +| `unsubscribeDevice` | `() => Promise<void>` | Unsubscribes the current device from push notifications on this channel. | |
| 367 | +| `subscribeClient` | `() => Promise<void>` | Subscribes all devices for the current `clientId` to push on this channel. | |
| 368 | +| `unsubscribeClient` | `() => Promise<void>` | Unsubscribes all devices for the current `clientId` from push on this channel. | |
| 369 | +| `listSubscriptions` | `(params?) => Promise<PaginatedResult<...>>` | Lists active push subscriptions for this channel. | |
| 370 | +| `connectionError` | `Ably.ErrorInfo \| null` | Current connection error, if any. | |
| 371 | +| `channelError` | `Ably.ErrorInfo \| null` | Current channel error, if any. | |
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