🐛 [firebase_messaging] iOS App does not receive notifications

[MaciDE]

Bug report

Describe the bug
My app does not receive notifications when it's terminated or in the background, however it does receive them when in foreground.
I also noticed that the app does receive notifications correctly when being completely restarted (terminated and opened again).

Steps to reproduce

Steps to reproduce the behavior:

1. Install and configure the firebase_messaging: ^7.0.3 plugin as per documentation and examples.
2. Send a push notification to an iPhone via FCM HTTP API.

Expected behavior

I expect my app to always receive notifications independent from it's state.

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Additional context

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Flutter doctor

Run flutter doctor and paste the output below:

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[✓] Flutter (Channel stable, 1.22.6, on Mac OS X 10.15.7 19H15 darwin-x64, locale de-DE)
    • Flutter version 1.22.6 at /Documents/Developer/Flutter Installations/flutter
    • Framework revision 9b2d32b605 (3 weeks ago), 2021-01-22 14:36:39 -0800
    • Engine revision 2f0af37152
    • Dart version 2.10.5

[✓] Android toolchain - develop for Android devices (Android SDK version 29.0.3)
    • Android SDK at /Users/marcel.opitz/Library/Android/sdk
    • Platform android-29, build-tools 29.0.3
    • Java binary at: /Applications/Android Studio.app/Contents/jre/jdk/Contents/Home/bin/java
    • Java version OpenJDK Runtime Environment (build 1.8.0_242-release-1644-b3-6222593)
    • All Android licenses accepted.

[✓] Xcode - develop for iOS and macOS (Xcode 12.4)
    • Xcode at /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer
    • Xcode 12.4, Build version 12D4e
    • CocoaPods version 1.10.1

[✓] Android Studio (version 4.0)
    • Android Studio at /Applications/Android Studio.app/Contents
    • Flutter plugin version 45.1.1
    • Dart plugin version 192.7761
    • Java version OpenJDK Runtime Environment (build 1.8.0_242-release-1644-b3-6222593)

[✓] VS Code (version 1.53.1)
    • VS Code at /Applications/Visual Studio Code.app/Contents
    • Flutter extension version 3.19.0

[✓] Connected device (1 available)
    • iPhone XR (mobile) • 00008020-001D05611131002E • ios • iOS 14.1

• No issues found!

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Flutter dependencies

Run flutter pub deps -- --style=compact and paste the output below:

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Dart SDK 2.10.5
Flutter SDK 1.22.6
snkra 1.2.5

dependencies:
- animations 1.1.2 [flutter]
- app_review 2.0.1 [http intl package_info url_launcher flutter]
- cockpit_base 1.0.5 [flutter http rxdart intl timezone tracking_client]
- dart_notification_center 1.0.0+1 [meta]
- deal_client 1.3.1 [flutter rxdart cockpit_base tracking_client]
- firebase_dynamic_links 0.6.3 [flutter firebase_core]
- firebase_messaging 7.0.3 [meta flutter firebase_core]
- flare_flutter 2.0.6 [flutter flare_dart meta]
- flutter 0.0.0 [characters collection meta typed_data vector_math sky_engine]
- flutter_common 1.0.5 [flutter shared_preferences rxdart flare_flutter flutter_swiper share intl firebase_dynamic_links tracking_client cockpit_base like_client]
- flutter_facebook_sdk 0.0.1 [flutter]
- flutter_html 0.11.1 [html flutter]
- flutter_localizations 0.0.0 [flutter intl characters collection meta path typed_data vector_math]
- like_client 1.0.3 [flutter shared_preferences cockpit_base tracking_client]
- package_info 0.4.3+4 [flutter]
- push_messaging_client 1.2.1 [flutter firebase_core firebase_messaging http shared_preferences cockpit_base tracking_client flutter_notification_channel]
- release_client 1.0.6 [flutter cockpit_base]
- shared_preferences 0.5.12+2 [meta flutter shared_preferences_platform_interface shared_preferences_linux shared_preferences_macos shared_preferences_web shared_preferences_windows]
- story_client 1.1.1 [flutter rxdart cockpit_base]
- story_view 0.12.6 [flutter flutter_cache_manager rxdart video_player]
- tracking_client 1.0.2 [flutter http firebase_analytics firebase_core firebase_crashlytics sentry firebase_performance]
- url_launcher 5.7.8 [flutter url_launcher_platform_interface url_launcher_web url_launcher_linux url_launcher_macos url_launcher_windows]

dev dependencies:
- flutter_test 0.0.0 [flutter test_api path fake_async clock stack_trace vector_math async boolean_selector characters charcode collection matcher meta source_span stream_channel string_scanner term_glyph typed_data]
- mockito 4.1.3 [analyzer build code_builder collection dart_style matcher meta source_gen test_api]

transitive dependencies:
- _fe_analyzer_shared 11.0.0 [meta]
- analyzer 0.40.4 [_fe_analyzer_shared args charcode cli_util collection convert crypto glob meta package_config path pub_semver source_span watcher yaml]
- archive 2.0.13 [crypto args path]
- args 1.6.0
- async 2.5.0-nullsafety.1 [collection]
- boolean_selector 2.1.0-nullsafety.1 [source_span string_scanner]
- build 1.5.0 [analyzer async convert crypto logging meta path glob]
- built_collection 4.3.2 [collection quiver]
- built_value 7.1.0 [built_collection collection fixnum quiver]
- characters 1.1.0-nullsafety.3
- charcode 1.2.0-nullsafety.1
- cli_util 0.2.0 [path]
- clock 1.1.0-nullsafety.1
- code_builder 3.5.0 [built_collection built_value collection matcher meta]
- collection 1.15.0-nullsafety.3
- convert 2.1.1 [charcode typed_data]
- crypto 2.1.5 [collection convert typed_data]
- csslib 0.16.2 [source_span]
- dart_style 1.3.8 [analyzer args path source_span]
- fake_async 1.2.0-nullsafety.1 [clock collection]
- ffi 0.1.3
- file 5.2.1 [intl meta path]
- firebase 7.3.2 [http http_parser js]
- firebase_analytics 6.3.0 [meta flutter firebase_core firebase_analytics_web firebase_analytics_platform_interface]
- firebase_analytics_platform_interface 1.0.3 [flutter meta]
- firebase_analytics_web 0.1.1 [flutter flutter_web_plugins firebase firebase_analytics_platform_interface meta]
- firebase_core 0.5.3 [firebase_core_platform_interface flutter quiver meta firebase_core_web]
- firebase_core_platform_interface 2.1.0 [flutter meta plugin_platform_interface quiver]
- firebase_core_web 0.2.1+1 [firebase_core_platform_interface flutter flutter_web_plugins meta js]
- firebase_crashlytics 0.2.4 [flutter stack_trace firebase_core firebase_core_platform_interface firebase_crashlytics_platform_interface]
- firebase_crashlytics_platform_interface 1.1.4 [flutter meta collection firebase_core plugin_platform_interface]
- firebase_performance 0.4.3 [flutter firebase_core]
- fixnum 0.10.11
- flare_dart 2.3.4
- flutter_cache_manager 2.1.1 [flutter path_provider uuid http path sqflite pedantic clock file rxdart image]
- flutter_notification_channel 0.0.1 [flutter]
- flutter_page_indicator 0.0.3 [flutter]
- flutter_swiper 1.1.6 [flutter transformer_page_view flutter_page_indicator]
- flutter_web_plugins 0.0.0 [flutter characters collection meta typed_data vector_math]
- glob 1.2.0 [async collection node_io path pedantic string_scanner]
- html 0.14.0+4 [csslib source_span]
- http 0.12.2 [http_parser path pedantic]
- http_parser 3.1.4 [charcode collection source_span string_scanner typed_data]
- image 2.1.19 [archive xml meta]
- intl 0.16.1 [path]
- js 0.6.2
- logging 0.11.4
- matcher 0.12.10-nullsafety.1 [stack_trace]
- meta 1.3.0-nullsafety.3
- mime 0.9.7
- node_interop 1.1.1 [js]
- node_io 1.1.1 [node_interop path]
- package_config 1.9.3 [path charcode]
- path 1.8.0-nullsafety.1
- path_provider 1.6.27 [flutter path_provider_platform_interface path_provider_macos path_provider_linux path_provider_windows]
- path_provider_linux 0.0.1+2 [path xdg_directories path_provider_platform_interface flutter]
- path_provider_macos 0.0.4+8 [flutter]
- path_provider_platform_interface 1.0.3 [flutter meta platform plugin_platform_interface]
- path_provider_windows 0.0.4+1 [path_provider_platform_interface meta path flutter ffi win32]
- pedantic 1.9.2 [meta]
- petitparser 3.1.0 [meta]
- platform 2.2.1
- plugin_platform_interface 1.0.3 [meta]
- process 3.0.13 [file intl meta path platform]
- pub_semver 1.4.4 [collection]
- quiver 2.1.4+1 [matcher meta]
- rxdart 0.24.1
- sentry 3.0.1 [http meta stack_trace usage pedantic]
- share 0.6.5+3 [meta mime flutter]
- shared_preferences_linux 0.0.2+2 [file flutter meta path path_provider_linux shared_preferences_platform_interface]
- shared_preferences_macos 0.0.1+10 [shared_preferences_platform_interface flutter]
- shared_preferences_platform_interface 1.0.4 [meta flutter]
- shared_preferences_web 0.1.2+7 [shared_preferences_platform_interface flutter flutter_web_plugins meta]
- shared_preferences_windows 0.0.1+1 [shared_preferences_platform_interface flutter ffi file meta path path_provider_platform_interface path_provider_windows]
- sky_engine 0.0.99
- source_gen 0.9.7+1 [analyzer async build dart_style glob meta path pedantic source_span]
- source_span 1.8.0-nullsafety.2 [charcode collection path term_glyph]
- sqflite 1.3.2+3 [flutter sqflite_common path]
- sqflite_common 1.0.3+1 [synchronized path meta]
- stack_trace 1.10.0-nullsafety.1 [path]
- stream_channel 2.1.0-nullsafety.1 [async]
- string_scanner 1.1.0-nullsafety.1 [charcode source_span]
- synchronized 2.2.0+2
- term_glyph 1.2.0-nullsafety.1
- test_api 0.2.19-nullsafety.2 [async boolean_selector collection meta path source_span stack_trace stream_channel string_scanner term_glyph matcher]
- timezone 0.5.9 [path]
- transformer_page_view 0.1.6 [flutter]
- typed_data 1.3.0-nullsafety.3 [collection]
- url_launcher_linux 0.0.1+3 [flutter]
- url_launcher_macos 0.0.1+8 [flutter]
- url_launcher_platform_interface 1.0.9 [flutter meta plugin_platform_interface]
- url_launcher_web 0.1.5 [url_launcher_platform_interface flutter flutter_web_plugins meta]
- url_launcher_windows 0.0.1+1 [flutter]
- usage 3.4.2 [path]
- uuid 2.2.2 [crypto convert]
- vector_math 2.1.0-nullsafety.3
- video_player 1.0.1 [meta video_player_platform_interface video_player_web flutter]
- video_player_platform_interface 2.2.0 [flutter meta]
- video_player_web 0.1.4+1 [flutter flutter_web_plugins meta video_player_platform_interface]
- watcher 0.9.7+15 [async path pedantic]
- win32 1.7.3 [ffi]
- xdg_directories 0.1.2 [meta path process]
- xml 4.5.1 [collection convert meta petitparser]
- yaml 2.2.1 [charcode collection string_scanner source_span]

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[markusaksli-nc]

Hi @MaciDE
Please consider upgrading to the latest non-null version firebase_messaging: ^8.0.0-dev.14. The version you are using is outdated and will be completely replaced soon. The new version is a lot more stable and reliable.

You can take a look at the migration guide https://firebase.flutter.dev/docs/migration#messaging and the new official example https://github.com/FirebaseExtended/flutterfire/tree/master/packages/firebase_messaging/firebase_messaging/example/lib and the Apple integration guide https://firebase.flutter.dev/docs/messaging/apple-integration

I've seen multiple similar issues get solved just by switching to the new version.
Thank you

[babulpatel1309]

Did you follow all the steps listed under the documentation for iOS specific?

> Especially this step => Enable capability of push notification.

I had similar kind of issue in one of my apps, i had followed above step and also double checked the firebase configuration for ios app. Well firebase looks fine in your case, as you're receiving push in foreground.

[MaciDE]

@markusaksli-nc Thanks for your reply. For now it looks like 8.0.0-dev.13 performs significantly better than the older versions and indeed fixes my issue. I think ^7.0.3 should be replaced by ^8.0.0-dev.14 in all documentation to prevent more people to suffer from the old, broken and now deprecated version.