Mobile apps have made technology and business smarter. Smartphones have drastically changed the mode of communication which has become faster, better and accessible anywhere anytime.
Technology being accessed at your fingertips; mobile apps have made lives better and easier. Ordering food online, shopping online, payments to be made, ticket booking, news updates, name anything you have an app which can be accessed from your comfort zone. Inspite of having mobile friendly websites, mobile apps are considered to drive better traffic and revenue as the content consumed is higher in an app than browser.
Mobile apps are expected to generate $189 billion in revenue by 2020.
The Apple App Store has 2.2 million apps available for download.
There are 2.8 million apps available for download in Google Play Store.
49% of people open an app 11+ times each day.
57% of all digital media usage comes from mobile apps.
The average smartphone owner uses 30 apps each month.
Worldwide app downloads to reach 258.2 billion.
How mobile apps can help your business to grow?
With the above statistics we can see that mobile apps have created humungous opportunities for businesses wherein entrepreneurs can leverage the mobile apps to enhance their business. So, building a mobile app requires immense groundwork and certain key areas to be focused on which include:
Who is your target audience?
Why do you want a mobile app for a business?
What is the uniqueness in the app or what different are you offering over the competitors?
Here are the best ways mobile apps help grow your business:(5 best ways)
Increase your lead generation
Modern Customers prefer an app over a website as it is easier to browse through the products, has better information, easier to place orders which ultimately boosts the retail orders. This will enhance the growth of the business in terms of revenue as well as profits. Also, the payment options are safe, secure and easy as a customer can save his payment details and the next time the process becomes just a few clicks away.
Boost customer experience
A business having an app needs to understand the customer preferences
and build the features accordingly. Responding to your customer queries and having user friendly features is when your customers get converted which ultimately leads to enhanced customer experience.
Brand Visibility
If the business app is built in a way which serves the purpose and satisfies the customer needs, your brand will be recognized at the top of customer choices. Though your business has good online presence, to increase the potential of your brand build an app to reach out to masses.
Unique offers
Offers and launches is another way to grow your business with mobile apps. You can create offers based on customers searches, upcoming festivals, cashback offers, discount coupons and more. Intimating your regular customers through messages, mails or app updates about offers or new launches will get them prepared for the purchases. Customers happy with their purchasing experience will share the feedback with friends and family which in turn helps in the success of the business.
Easily accessible content
As we all know that content is king in the internet space, mobile apps with content which can be easy to understand and accessible will have greater value. Even if there are no sales in an app but is only a learning or information portal content should be genuine and easier to access.
These are just a few apart from various other benefits which mobile apps offer a business. It is not only the big business conglomerate, but also small organizations or startups that can benefit from mobile apps.
Learn how AgilizTech helps in building mobile application irrespective of your business niche to help in the growth strategy. You need a mobile app, but if the cost and resources are hindering in building one then we are here to help you out.
In this blog post, we piece together the steps involved in customizing notification content in iOS before displaying it to the user. Essentially, we will show how a chat application message can be customized to display a name for the sender’s number.
The need
In certain applications, for example chat apps, the server only saves the user’s numbers only. This is because the server cannot maintain the equivalent name of the mobile number as it is saved differently on each device. For example, the name Mr. Adam Smith can be saved as Adam, Adam Smith, Dad, Adam Smith 2, etc. Therefore, it is not possible for server to retain a name. Hence, it is upon the client, that is, the mobile app needs to display names and numbers appropriately, in notifications sent from server.
Developers can enable the application to find the equivalent name for a phone number that has sent you the message, by customizing the notification content in iOS using service and content extensions.
Let’s explore what extensions are and how to configure them, in the next few sections.
What is an extension?
Extensions are background applications, running independently from the app. They are around even when the app is not in the foreground. Service and Content extensions offer powerful new tools for customizing the notification information.
Service Extension
This object intercepts the push payloads from apps and helps developers to change content in the notification before it is presented.
Content extension
An object that presents a custom interface for a delivered local or remote notification. If you want to customize the UI of your notification you can use the content extension.
Note: Before getting started with notification extensions, the developer must be familiar with creating local and remote push notification.
Service Extension Setup
In the User Notifications framework, Apple introduced the Notification Service Extension. It’s a small program running in the background of your device that intercepts payload before notification center presents the push notification. In the Service Extension, you can modify your content with a UNMutablenotificationContent object modifying your content. That can be decrypting an encoded message or grabbing data in the userInfo to modify the content.
Setting up Service Extension
Here are steps to get started with the Service Extension:
To set up the Notification Service Extension, you’ll need a new target in your application. In Xcode, go to File > New > Target.
In the menu box that appears, select iOS. In the list that appears, select NotificationServiceExtension.
Click Next and enter the product name. it is a good practice to suffix ServiceExtension to the app name (that gives more clarity) – for example, yourProductName ServiceExtention.
Click Finish to complete setup.
A dialog box appears seeking permission to activate the ServiceExtension Click Activate.
Using Service Extension
In the navigator a new group appears, which is the Service Extension. This group contains two files. Select the NotificationService.swift file.
This file consists of two functions and two properties. The core method used is the didReceive (Request: withContentHandler). This method assigns the content handler closure to one of the two properties. The other property, bestAttemptContent is a mutable copy of the push notification’s content. In this method, you change the content for the push notification, loading all that rich content you couldn’t fit in the payload, or do any change to the content you wish.
For example, Apple’s default template changes the title. You can go ahead and customize your title by changing “bestAttemptContent.title”.
letcontactName =“Surya” if letbestAttemptContent = bestAttemptContent {
// Modify the notification content here… bestAttemptContent.title = “\(contactName)” contentHandler(bestAttemptContent)
} }
Making changes in payload
Now that we have made adequate settings in the Service Extension, we will initiate changes in the payload. Ensure that you possess the key value pair in your payload’s aps directory.
“mutable-content”:1
Navigate to payload and add this key value pair. The result should look like this:
You can test with this payload by using any 3rd party push testing tool. Here we are using NW pusher.
Configuring the Service Extension with user info
Follow the steps given below to configure the Service Extension:
In Service Extension, click NotificationServiceExtension.swift file
The file has two functions – didReceive with contentHandler and serviceExtensionTimeWillExpire
Place the custom information in the didReceive function. For example, you can change the notification title by editing this line:
bestAttemptContent.title =“custom Title”
Place the custom information into the body, giving a list of the order, and add the subtitle to the subtitle property.
Note: You’ll need the userInfo dictionary. Let’s make referring to the dictionary easier by making it a constant in the function, casting it to the JSON dictionary type of [String:Any].
Here’s how it is done:
//get the dictionary letuserInfo= bestAttemptContent.userInfoas![String:Any]
Subtitles are user info in a payload but are a property of UNMutableNotificationContent, so they need to be transferred. Since it’s a dictionary entry, we’ll unwrap it and check for nil. If not nil, then we have a subtitle and can update the value. Let’s downcast the value to String when assigning it the subtitle content, since the dictionary has the value as Any.
//change the subtitle if userInfo[“subtitle”] != nil{ bestAttemptContent.subtitle = userInfo[“subtitle”] as! String }
if let bestAttemptContent = bestAttemptContent { // Modify the notification content here… // bestAttemptContent.title = “Custom Title”
//Contact number from push payload has been received and the equivalent name of that number should be determined, and that name should be displayed as a notification title
//change the subtitle ifuserInfo[“subtitle”] !=nil{ bestAttemptContent.subtitle = userInfo[“subtitle”]as!String } bestAttemptContent.subtitle =“How are you??” contentHandler(bestAttemptContent) } }
Here findContactName(phoneNumber: contactNumber) is the custom method which retrieves the contact name from our contact list by comparing the mobile number which has been pushed from our payload
With this step we are ready with the Service Extension. In the next section, we need to configure info.plist
The Property List
We’ve a few more steps to complete before running the notification:
Go back to Xcode. There one more file in the service extension we’ve yet to look at.
Click on the info.plist and open NSExtension.
Open the NSExtensionAttributes and access the UNNotificationExtensionCategory
Content extensions run on categories, so whatever category this property is, that will be the category of the notification found in content.category. Change it to category.
This extension will run for only the notification.category notifications. If an extension has another category, it will not run. Remember to do this. If you forget this, the extension will not work for you.
Run the Notification
You are ready to run the notification. When you add extensions, Xcode often defaults to the run scheme for the extension. Check to make sure you are on your device run scheme for the app.
Results
In our payload we gave phone number and while receiving the notification we are getting the customized name.
In the last two posts, we explored how some mobile apps were malicious in nature and indulged in stealing your personal data for their gains. We also looked at a few steps that mobile app developers can undertake to bring stronger, more resilient mobile apps that don’t support dangerous activities of hackers.
In this final part, we will understand what you as an end user can do to stay vigilant and prevent mobile apps from stealing your personal data.
Note to end users – How to hackproof your smartphone
Fingerprints can be lifted. Use passcode
One of the biggest nightmares for an individual these days is losing their phone. While the hardware must have cost big bucks, what’s more vital is the loss of personal data that’s present – think emails containing sensitive information, photos, videos and more. While most of us secure our phones with fingerprints, it is not always safe as it is easy to lift prints. It is better to use strong passcodes. And if you have an evil twin, it is time to say goodbye to facial recognition as an unlocking medium as well.
Also, while smart unlock features such as unlocking phone when you reach home/office is cool, it is dangerous when your phone is in the wrong hands.
Activate Find My Device feature so that even if physically lost, phone can be locked or wiped
Another way to proof your data in the event you have lost your device is to track it online and lock it. You can even wipe it fully so that the hackers cannot glean anything from it. In Android, Find My Device helps to locate the device as well as lock it or wipe it. iPhone users can use Find my iPhone feature to locate their devices and even switch on Lost Mode.
Don’t reveal sensitive data while on Public WiFi
Never use Public WiFi to perform financial or business transactions as hackers can position themselves between you and the connection point and intercept sensitive personal and corporate data. Always use secure connections while performing such activities. According to a Kaspersky Lab report, one in five persons has been a target of cybercrime while abroad and a third (31 per cent) of them are senior business managers.
Review app permissions and EULA before installing
It is important to review what all permissions an app is requesting before completing installation. As said before some apps seek permissions for internet and location just to send targeted ads and make money. And before you know it, your phone is filled with unwanted ads.
While mobile apps have been a boon to smartphone users around the world, the security risks associated with them cannot be denied. It is in your own personal interest that you monitor your apps and eliminate those that you think might compromise your data’s safety. Also, lesser the number of apps and lesser the number of distractions, the more organized your phone and well-spent is your time.
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