Satellites are no longer just useful for space exploration and communication. With the introduction of iOS 18, developers can now harness satellite features to improve their app’s performance and user experience. In this article, we will explore some of the most exciting new features in iOS 15 that you should start incorporating into your app development process today.

Background Fetch

Background fetch is one of the most popular satellite features in iOS 18. With this feature, your app can continue to download content and updates even when it’s not actively being used by the user. This means that users can have access to new features and content as soon as they open their app again, providing a seamless experience and keeping them engaged.

To enable background fetch, you need to add the following code to your Info.plist file:

xml

UIBackgroundFetchType
Always

Once enabled, your app will automatically download content in the background, allowing you to provide a better user experience and keep them engaged.

Local Notifications

Local notifications are another important satellite feature that you should be aware of. With this feature, you can send push notifications directly to the user’s device, even when they don’t have an internet connection. This means that your app can still keep users informed and engaged, even if they don’t have access to the latest content or updates.

To enable local notifications, you need to follow these steps:

1. Register a notification center in your app using the following code:
   swift
   UNUserNotificationCenter.current().requestAuthorization { granted, error in
   if (granted) {
   DispatchQueue.main.async {
   self.notificationCenter = UNUserNotificationCenter.current()
   }
   }
   }

2. Create a notification content using the following code:
   swift
   let content = UNMutableNotificationContent()
   content.title = "New Feature Available"
   content.body = "Check out our latest feature now!"

3. Schedule the notification to be delivered at a later time using the following code:
   swift
   let request = UNNotificationRequest(identifier: "new-feature", content: content, trigger: UNTimeIntervalNotificationTrigger(timeInterval: 60 * 60))
   self.notificationCenter.add(request) { success, error in
   if (success) {
   print("Notification scheduled successfully!")
   } else {
   print("Error scheduling notification: (error?.localizedDescription ?? "Unknown error")")
   }
   }

By following these steps, you can enable local notifications and keep your users informed even when they don’t have an internet connection.

Offline Caching

Offline caching is another important satellite feature in iOS 18 that you should be aware of. With this feature, you can cache data and content on the user’s device, allowing them to access it even when they don’t have an internet connection. This means that your app can still provide a seamless experience and keep users engaged, even if they don’t have access to the latest content or updates.

To enable offline caching, you need to use the following code:

swift
let cachePolicy = NSCachePolicy(readCompletionHandler: { success, error in
if (success) {
print("Data cached successfully!")
} else {
print("Error caching data: (error?.localizedDescription ?? "Unknown error")")
}
})

You can then use this cache policy to request data from the server and cache it on the user’s device. This means that your app can still provide a seamless experience even when the user doesn’t have an internet connection.

Case Study: Medium

Medium is a great example of an app that utilizes satellite features in iOS 18 to improve its performance and user experience. The app uses background fetch to download content and updates, allowing users to have access to new features and content as soon as they open their app again. It also uses local notifications to keep users informed and engaged, even if they don’t have an internet connection.

Additionally, Medium uses offline caching to cache data and content on the user’s device, allowing them to access it even when they don’t have an internet connection. This means that users can still read articles and engage with content even if they’re not connected to the internet.

Comparison: Background Fetch vs Local Notifications

While both background fetch and local notifications are important satellite features in iOS 18, they serve different purposes. Background fetch is useful for downloading content and updates in the background, allowing users to have access to new features and content as soon as they open their app again. Local notifications, on the other hand, are useful for sending push notifications directly to the user’s device, even when they don’t have an internet connection.

Both features are important for improving the performance and user experience of your app. However, which one you choose to use will depend on the specific needs of your app and your users.

Summary

Satellite features in iOS 18 offer a range of opportunities for developers to improve their app’s performance and user experience. By enabling background fetch, local notifications, and offline caching, you can provide a better user experience and keep your users engaged, even when they don’t have an internet connection.