How do "local notifications" work?
 

If OmniFocus is using local notifications, why is it not in the notifications list in iPhone Settings, nor able to show an icon badge until it's manually opened?

Thanks.

The 'Notifications" Area in the Settings app is for push/network based notifications, not local. And the badge for an app can be updated either when the app is launched, or through network notifications pushed from an outside source. OmniGroup has no servers to push this information. Local notifications are ways to emulate the network push without actually having a server. They originate only from the app.
Does that make sense? Its a subtle point that Apple doesn't really make clear and relies on the app makers to clarify.

Thanks, but I know exactly how local and push notifications work. OF for iPhone as of version 1.7 supports local notifications, at least according to Omni.

Sorry for the confusion ken, but jjlucsy is correct. The list in the Settings app isn't relevant to the local notifications that we're using, and since we don't use push notifications, the badge will only update when the app is launched/running.

[QUOTE=Brian;92962]Sorry for the confusion ken, but jjlucsy is correct. The list in the Settings app isn't relevant to the local notifications that we're using, and since we don't use push notifications, the badge will only update when the app is launched/running.[/QUOTE]

Are you using the built-in local notifications? If so, why aren't you letting OF throw up a badge when something is due and the app is closed? Sometimes notification messages get lost. Or am I missing something?

Local notifications can be enabled in OmniFocus' Settings screen - tap the gear button in the toolbar.

Once they're turned on, due dates/times will produce a message. I've seen occasions where I come back to my phone after a while and there are messages from several apps all queued up. I'm not sure how deep that queue is, or if there's some point at which the notifications fall off the end of the queue.

[QUOTE=Brian;93103]Local notifications can be enabled in OmniFocus' Settings screen - tap the gear button in the toolbar.

Once they're turned on, due dates/times will produce a message. I've seen occasions where I come back to my phone after a while and there are messages from several apps all queued up. I'm not sure how deep that queue is, or if there's some point at which the notifications fall off the end of the queue.[/QUOTE]

I think that once a message has replaced another, the previous is gone. This is why the icon badges can be necessary. Granted, Apple totally screwed up on notifications. My old Sony Ericssons were better than the iPhone in this respect, but at least the badges help.

As a new Verizon iPhone4 user (iOS 4.2.6), and desktop OF user, just wanted clarification before dropping money on the iPhone app.

If a due date is set on my desktop version of OF, is there some notice on my screen, on the OF iPhone icon, when an item is 'due'? Yes or no?

I see plenty of apps currently that are ToDo apps and offer 'alarms'. Is some sort of notice that I've got "To pickup dry-cleaning at 5:30pm on 2/14/2011" able to transfer from my desktop version of OF to my iPhone version and remind me, like Growl does on the desktop?

I'm confused by older posts, but am wondering if they are referring to iOS3 and possibly earlier versions of iPhone OF?

Happy to help, Haringg!

This all works the way you'd like, assuming you've got sync set up between OmniFocus on your Mac and on the iPhone, and assuming that you've enabled notifications in the Settings screen in the iPhone app.

(To do so, go to the Home page in the app, then tap the button that looks like a gear and scroll down until you see the "Notifications" settings.)

If you enter an action on the Mac, your phone will learn about it the next time it syncs. If the deadline is after that point, the reminder should pop up on the phone at the appointed time.

[QUOTE=Brian;93288]Happy to help, Haringg!

This all works the way you'd like, assuming you've got sync set up between OmniFocus on your Mac and on the iPhone, and assuming that you've enabled notifications in the Settings screen in the iPhone app.

(To do so, go to the Home page in the app, then tap the button that looks like a gear and scroll down until you see the "Notifications" settings.)

If you enter an action on the Mac, your phone will learn about it the next time it syncs. If the deadline is after that point, the reminder should pop up on the phone at the appointed time.[/QUOTE]

That's exactly what I'm looking for! I just bought it, synced it (which is a breeze), added a current due date and it works as I'd hoped! Visual and Audio alerts!

I did notice Start events don't alert on the phone like they do on the desktop. Due dates only will alert on the phone? Correct?