Show & tell: omp-ntfy: free, zero-config phone push notifications for long tasks & input prompts

[hakkm]

I built omp-ntfy, an extension for Pi and oh-my-pi that delivers instant, 100% free push notifications to your phone (Android and iOS) via ntfy.sh.

The Problem It Solves

When running long agent tasks, large refactors, or multi-step tool sequences, you shouldn't have to keep staring at the terminal waiting for the agent to finish or stop to ask for input/clarification.

Existing notification setups often require paid SMS gateways, browser tab watchers, or WhatsApp Web QR linking (which drops sessions every few weeks and blocks self-directed push notifications on mobile).

Key Features

• 100% Free & Open Source: Powered by the public ntfy.sh network (or your own self-hosted ntfy instance).
• Zero Accounts / No Logins: Pick any topic name in the free ntfy mobile app and subscribe. No account creation or API keys needed.
• One-Shot Arming (/ntfy once): Arms notifications for only the next prompt execution. Once the agent finishes or requests input, your phone buzzes and notifications automatically disarm so you are not spammed during interactive work.
• Session-Aware Titles: Notification titles automatically include the active session or working directory name ([project-name] Task Completed) so you immediately know which session responded when running multiple agents.
• Clean Text: Pure plain-text notifications with no emoji clutter.
• Reliable Lock Screen Alerts: Configured with high priority so Android Doze or iOS backgrounding won't drop the alert.

Quick Start

1. Install the free ntfy app on your phone (Google Play / F-Droid / iOS App Store).
2. Tap + and subscribe to a topic name of your choice (e.g. my-pi-topic).
3. In your agent terminal:

   /ntfy topic my-pi-topic
   /ntfy test

4. Before kicking off a long task:

   /ntfy once

Installation

For stock pi:

pi install npm:omp-ntfy

For oh-my-pi:

omp install npm:omp-ntfy
# or via marketplace:
/marketplace add hakkm/omp-ntfy
/marketplace install omp-ntfy@omp-ntfy

Or directly from git:

pi install git:github.com/hakkm/omp-ntfy

Links

• GitHub: https://github.com/hakkm/omp-ntfy
• npm: https://www.npmjs.com/package/omp-ntfy

Feedback, suggestions, and PRs are welcome!