Push Notifications and MastoBlaster

On iOS, push notifications must go through Apple’s servers. This is not something that can be bypassed, as it is part of the operating system’s architecture.

MastoBlaster, like other Fediverse apps, uses a design that maximizes user privacy.

When you log in to your instance, the app and the server exchange the necessary cryptographic keys. The app also communicates to the instance the address of the relay, which is the server responsible for forwarding notifications to Apple.

When a new notification is generated:

1. Your instance encrypts the notification.
2. It sends the encrypted payload to the relay.
3. The relay forwards it to Apple using its own authentication key.
4. Apple delivers it to your device.

The content of the notification is encrypted by your Fediverse server and can only be decrypted by your device.

The relay, which in the case of MastoBlaster is dedicated and hosted on a FreeBSD server, receives only encrypted data. It cannot read the content, does not know which account the notification belongs to, and does not store any information about the notification itself.

Apple knows which relay sent the notification and which device it must be delivered to, but it cannot access the content.

In short, only your instance and your device can read the notification.

#MastoBlaster #Fediverse #Mastodon #GoToSocial #Akkoma #iOS #Apple #PushNotifications #FreeBSD

Build 78 is out:

• Build 77 should have fixed the markdown rendering issues
• Build 78 should have fixed the GoToSocial char limit issue

Please test. There are some random crashes when something "weird" appears in the timeline, but I haven't been able to reproduce it, yet.

#MastoBlaster

@[email protected], BSD Cafe barista, developer extraordinaire and even better human being, has started working on an iOS Mastodon API / Fediverse app named #Mastoblaster.

The difference from other Mastodon API clients is that this one has #snac as a first class citizen.

I'm so glad!

https://mastoblaster.app/ @[email protected]

Attention #GoToSocial people: I have been testing @mastoblaster - an iOS Fediverse client - and it's working SO WELL! It's even grouping GtS notifications... something that Ivory doesn't do.

More info here:

🔗​: https://mastoblaster.app

Congratulations @stefano for your brilliant work on it!

#snac #MastoBlaster

Build 76 is out. I introduced a regression in build 75. Adding GoToSocial push notifications broke the ones sent by Mastodon (falling back to the generic You have a new notification text).

It should be fixed now.

Sorry about that

#MastoBlaster

MastoBlaster Build 75 is here!

A new build is now available on TestFlight. I tried to solve or improve some of the issues you've kindly pointed out.

The most important ones are:

• Now dark mode can be configured to show a grey background instead of black. Less optimised for battery, but much more readable. "It works for me!"
• Added the “Bookmarks” menu item, so bookmarks can now be displayed
• VoiceOver improvements - I'm not an expert, so I hope I'm doing it right
• GoToSocial - editing posts and push notifications should now be working - Notifications needed both relay and app support. Please test!

#MastoBlaster #MastoBlasterUpdates

Hello #snac world from #MastoBlaster! #snac2 With bold letters!