When a user wants to log in to a web page or desktop using Authlogics Push, an Apple Push Notification (APN) for iPhones or Firebase Cloud Message (FCM) for Android phones is sent to the user’s device from services running in the cloud. These messages are used so that the user does not have to have the Authlogics Authenticator app open or running in the background. The APN/FCM message does not contain any sensitive information, they are used merely to activate the app so that the app can check the appropriate cloud service and begin the push authentication process.
When the user clicks the message ‘Tap to approve or reject’, the app opens, the correct user profile is selected (if more than one profile has been created), and the app displays a popup window which the user can then use to accept or reject the authentication request.
What happens if a user does not receive an APN or FCM push notification on their device?
The APN and FCM messages usually arrive with a few seconds of the request being sent from the authentication server to the cloud, but there is no guarantee from either Apple or Google that they will be delivered to a user’s device. The user may also choose to not show notifications for the Authlogics Authenticator app. In this scenario, the user has to know to open the app to begin the Push authentication process. When the app opens, it will check the appropriate cloud service for any requests and display a popup window accordingly. The app checks for a push authentication request every 10 seconds for the currently selected profile, and every 30 seconds for a device settings sync.
Why is the message to open the app not displayed on a user’s device?
There are two main reasons why a device may choose not to display a APN or FCM notification.
Firstly, a user may choose not to give permissions to the app to display notifications, or may have removed these permissions at a later stage. Permissions can be checked from the app by clicking Settings -> Support -> Show Permissions or from the notifications settings within the device.
Apple Device
Android Device
Secondly, newer versions of iOS and Android use the concept of ‘Focus Modes’ to allow users to not be interrupted by notifications on their device. For example, a user with focus mode set to ‘Work’ on iOS will not notify the user of new any app notifications. In this scenario, they can still choose to view the notifications manually on their device and tap the appropriate notification from Authlogics Authenticator to open the app and begin Push Authentication.
0 Comments