How do I create push notifications with a countdown timer for time-based offers?

Creating push notifications with a timer or countdown is an effective way to promote time-sensitive deals. Both iOS and Android now have a native mechanism for this, and Pushwoosh supports each of them.

For iOS

On iOS, use Live Activities — a native iOS feature that displays real-time, glanceable information from your app on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island. It is ideal for countdowns, delivery statuses or live sports scores.

Note that Live Activities require token-based (.p8) iOS configuration in Pushwoosh; certificate-based configuration is not supported for them.

See: iOS Live Activities

For Android

Android 16 (API 36) introduced Live Updates — ongoing, progress-style notifications that the system promotes on the lock screen, in the notification drawer and as a status chip. They are the Android counterpart of iOS Live Activities.

Pushwoosh supports Android Live Updates through the pushwoosh-liveupdates module, available in Android SDK 6.9.0 and later. The whole lifecycle is server-driven: your backend sends a start push, update pushes as the activity progresses, and a final end push; the SDK renders each one automatically.

See: Live Updates on Android

Older Android versions. On devices below Android 16, or if you do not want to adopt Live Updates, you can still approximate a countdown by customising the notification layout with the Notification Factory. See Customize Android SDK.