apns-push-type key required for all push notifications?

The WatchOS 6 beta 2 release notes states that a new key - apns-push-type -- is needed. It states: "To send a UserNotifications push to a watchOS device, a new

apns-push-type
key is now required as part of the APNs request header. Depending on the type of notification, this key can be set to
alert
or
background
and is supported across all Apple platforms." The question is whether the key is required for all apns push notifications or is this just if you have an independent Watch app and want to send a push notification to the Watch? I have not been able to find any documentation on this new key.

Replies

Please see Table 1 in https://developer.apple.com/documentation/usernotifications/setting_up_a_remote_notification_server/sending_notification_requests_to_apns.


The important part is that the apns-push-type header is: "Required when delivering notifications to devices running iOS 13 and later, or watchOS 6 and later. Ignored on earlier system versions."


Hope that helps!

Thank you! That is an authoritative answer!

Ok, but surpringly push updates of iCloud payload does not contain that key, and not getting push updates on watchOS 6.0

I'm a bit confused because it appears that push notifications without apns-push-type header are working for apps built with Xcode 10 or 11 on devices running iOS 13. When will this be required because currently it is not?