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Researched and read w/ interest this thread re: programmers creating their own apps to interact w/ iBeacons. Great stuff: iBeacon Notification when the app is not running

However, I have a follow-up Q. Assuming other conditions are met (phone locked, etc.) does this background alert method work when using the common Passbook app with iBeacons -- rather than a programmer's own app? I'd like to trigger an alert via Passbook, rather than requiring the user to download a brand's proprietary app.

Thanks in advance, folks!

Micah Donahue
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  • What do you mean by alert? If you mean a local notification, the answer is no. A pass' relevance is determined by various factors, location being one of them. Passes will appear on the lock screen if you are in proximity to an iBeacon, but this isn't like a notification. No alert tone is played, the pass is simply made accessible from the lock screen. – Tomas McGuinness Jun 24 '15 at 19:34

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Yes, this is how it works. Passbook works like any other app in that it registers CLBeaconRegion and CLCircularRegion (for geofences) objects with the built-in iOS CoreLocation service.

CoreLocation remembers what apps have registered for region entry/exit events, event when they are not running, and relaunches them automatically when these boundaries are crossed.

davidgyoung
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  • It is worth nothing that Passbook's implementation of iBeacon is a passive alert. Upon waking (by pressing the home button) of the device, Passbook will scan and display any alerts that are relevant to the user's current location, but there will be no vibrate, sound or any other active alert. The functionality only exists to make the pass available on the lock screen when in proximity to the beacon and requires action on the user's part to activate the device. The same is true for GPS locations, which as of iOS8 take precedence over iBeacons in the same physical location. – PassKit Jun 25 '15 at 15:28
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    Nice clarification. And clearly from a real authority: @PassKit :) – davidgyoung Jun 25 '15 at 16:22
  • Thanks David, your knowledge and contribution to the iBeacon community is unsurpassed! – PassKit Jun 25 '15 at 16:27