Getting Started

This package is archived (last release October 2017) and targets Ionic Push, a service Ionic shut down — treat this as a migration/reference exercise, not a greenfield choice. If you inherit a codebase using it, the steps below are how you get oriented.

Install (only on a legacy Laravel 5.x app):
```
composer require laravel-notification-channels/ionic-push-notifications
```
Laravel 5.5+ auto-discovers NotificationChannels\IonicPush\IonicPushServiceProvider. On older versions, add it to config/app.php providers.
Credentials. Add your Ionic API key to .env and wire it into config/services.php:
```
'ionic' => [
    'api_key' => env('IONIC_API_KEY'),
],
```
Check the service provider in src/ for the exact config key it reads — some channel packages use a dedicated published config file instead of services.php.
Ionic dashboard setup. You need a security profile configured in the Ionic dashboard (this is where your FCM/GCM server key lives). Without it, Android pushes are accepted by the API but never delivered — the single most common "it worked in staging" failure with this channel.
Client side. Register the device with the Ionic client SDK to obtain a push token, then persist it on your user (e.g. ionic_push_token column or a device_tokens relation).

First notification.

php artisan make:notification OrderShipped

public function via($notifiable)
{
    return [\NotificationChannels\IonicPush\IonicPushChannel::class];
}

public function toIonicPush($notifiable)
{
    return \NotificationChannels\IonicPush\IonicPushMessage::create('Your order has shipped')
        ->title('Order #1234')
        ->badge(1)
        ->sound('default');
}

And on the notifiable:

public function routeNotificationForIonicPush()
{
    return $this->ionic_push_token;
}

Then $user->notify(new OrderShipped($order));

Where to look first: src/IonicPushChannel.php for the HTTP call and error handling, src/IonicPushMessage.php for the fluent API surface, and the service provider for the config key and any bindings.

Implementation Patterns

Multi-device routing. Return an array of tokens from routeNotificationForIonicPush() and the channel fans out in one API call. Store tokens per device (a device_tokens table keyed by user is the sane model) so you can prune dead ones independently.

Message builder. The fluent IonicPushMessage is the primary abstraction. Typical chain:

IonicPushMessage::create($body)
    ->title($title)
    ->badge($count)
    ->sound('default')
    ->payload(['route' => '/orders/1234', 'type' => 'order']);

The payload array is what your Ionic client app reads for deep links and in-app routing — keep it small, stable, and version it if the mobile app ships at a different cadence than the backend.

Guard the channel in via(). Don't send to a user with no tokens:

public function via($notifiable)
{
    return $notifiable->ionic_push_token
        ? [IonicPushChannel::class]
        : [];
}

Otherwise you get API errors or silent no-ops buried in logs.

Queue it. Any real volume means the channel's Guzzle call sits in your request cycle. Add implements ShouldQueue to the notification, or send from a queued job. The notification channel contract composes fine with ShouldQueue.

On-demand notifications. Most channels of this vintage read routeNotificationFor() under the hood, so Notification::route('IonicPush', $token)->notify(...) typically works for one-off sends (test pushes, transactional messages before a user is logged in). Verify against the channel source before relying on it.

Testing. Use Notification::fake() and assertSentTo($user, OrderShipped::class, fn ($n) => ...) to assert routing/conditions without hitting the network. If the package uses Guzzle 6 directly rather than Laravel's Http facade, Http::fake() won't intercept it — mock the Guzzle client or bind a fake channel implementation in the container instead.

Migration path. For anything new, replace this channel with laravel-notification-channels/fcm (FCM v1) or a direct APNs channel, and keep your own toFcm()/toApns() message classes. The Notification + NotificationChannel shape transfers one-to-one; only the message builder and credentials change.

Gotchas and Tips

The service is dead. Ionic Push was discontinued; the API endpoint this package calls will not accept new credentials, and existing apps were migrated off years ago. The archived repo is a reference implementation, not a dependency. Score 0.30 and 0 dependents reflect that accurately.
Laravel/PHP compatibility ceiling. A 2017 release assumes PHP 7.0/7.1 and Laravel 5.3–5.5. Expect breakage on Laravel 9+ (typed via()/toX() conventions, Symfony/Guzzle major bumps, container resolution changes). Don't attempt to composer require it into a modern app and expect it to resolve.
Security profile is mandatory for Android. Token sends without a profile will return 2xx and deliver nothing. Set a default profile in the dashboard and, if the message builder exposes a profile() setter, set it explicitly per environment (dev/prod credentials differ).
CouldNotSendNotification. The channel throws this on non-2xx responses. Don't swallow it blindly — log the response body, which carries per-token rejection reasons that tell you which device tokens are stale.
Token hygiene. Tokens rotate on reinstall and go stale silently. Prune on device not registered-style errors and re-register on app launch; otherwise a single dead token can make a whole batch look broken.
Badge/sound are iOS-shaped. Android ignores them. Put anything Android-specific (notification channel IDs, icon, priority) in the payload, and be aware newer Android versions require a notification channel to be created client-side or nothing renders.
Config caching. With php artisan config:cache in production, changes to IONIC_API_KEY need a cache clear. Classic first-deploy footgun.
Debugging. Tail the log and confirm the outbound payload shape against src/IonicPushChannel.php; the 2017-era API expected { tokens, profile, notification: { title, message, payload } }. If your messages look malformed, the message class's toArray() is the place to inspect and override.
Extension points. If you're cannibalizing this code rather than using it, keep the IonicPushMessage builder pattern but swap the transport for Laravel's Http facade — that buys you retries, timeouts, Http::fake() testability, and events, none of which the original Guzzle call offers.
No maintainer, no issues triage. 25 stars, archived, zero dependents means zero community answers. Budget for reading the ~200 lines of source yourself; it's small enough to fully audit in an afternoon, which is the only real redeeming quality here.

Ionic Push Notifications Laravel Package

Getting Started

Implementation Patterns

Gotchas and Tips