1
0
Fork 0
mirror of https://github.com/binwiederhier/ntfy.git synced 2024-12-29 13:12:36 +01:00
ntfy/docs/faq.md
2021-12-18 22:02:36 -05:00

48 lines
2.6 KiB
Markdown

# Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
## Isn't this like ...?
Who knows. I didn't do a lot of research before making this. It was fun making it.
## Can I use this in my app? Will it stay free?
Yes. As long as you don't abuse it, it'll be available and free of charge. I do not plan on monetizing
the service.
## What are the uptime guarantees?
Best effort.
## What happens if there are multiple subscribers to the same topic?
As per usual with pub-sub, all subscribers receive notifications if they are
subscribed to a topic.
## Will you know what topics exist, can you spy on me?
If you don't trust me or your messages are sensitive, run your own server. It's <a href="https://github.com/binwiederhier/ntfy">open source</a>.
That said, the logs do not contain any topic names or other details about you.
Messages are cached for the duration configured in `server.yml` (12h by default) to facilitate service restarts, message polling and to overcome
client network disruptions.
## Can I self-host it?
Yes. The server (including this Web UI) can be self-hosted, and the Android app supports adding topics from
your own server as well. Check out the [install instructions](install.md).
## Why is Firebase used?
In addition to caching messages locally and delivering them to long-polling subscribers, all messages are also
published to Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) (if `FirebaseKeyFile` is set, which it is on ntfy.sh). This
is to facilitate notifications on Android.
If you do not care for Firebase, I suggest you install the [F-Droid version](https://f-droid.org/en/packages/io.heckel.ntfy/)
of the app and [self-host your own ntfy server](install.md).
## How much battery does the Android app use?
If you use the ntfy.sh server and you don't use the [instant delivery](subscribe/phone.md#instant-delivery) feature,
the Android app uses no additional battery, since Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) is used. If you use your own server,
or you use *instant delivery*, the app has to maintain a constant connection to the server, which consumes about 4% of
battery in 17h of use (on my phone). I use it, and it makes no difference to me.
## What is instant delivery?
[Instant delivery](subscribe/phone.md#instant-delivery) is a feature in the Android app. If turned on, the app maintains a constant connection to the
server and listens for incoming notifications. This consumes <a href="#battery-usage">additional battery</a>,
but delivers notifications instantly.
## Why is there no iOS app (yet)?
I don't have an iPhone or a Mac, so I didn't make an iOS app yet. It'd be awesome if
<a href="https://github.com/binwiederhier/ntfy/issues/4">someone else could help out</a>.