Apple May Be Blocking Push Notifications In Unlocked IPhones
We don’t have confirmation on this beyond the word of a Czech-based developer who has tested it, but apparently Apple is blocking push notification services in unofficially unlocked iPhones. However, we have tested it and it works.
The developer says the following:
According to technical documentation, every Push application has to request the unique token from the Apple’s APNS servers to identify the device it’s running on. Thanks to that token, APNS servers always know which device is yours. The token can be understood as an IP address — the server has to know where to send the notification and for which application. APNS can also change your token regularly for higher reliability, so it’s critical that the application requests the token again on every start (or when enabling the Push feature) to replace the old one if new token is forced by APNS.
On any unlocked iPhone, the application requesting the token is stuck. APNS does not provide any response at all and the application can either cancel the request completely by automatic timeout or let user wait with the proggress bar forever. Either way, the user will never receive any Push message, because APNS has not provided the token.
However, I have an unlocked iPhone here in Spain and the push notification works perfectly—for example, with AIM. The catch, however, may be that my JesusPhone is using the official Movistar network, not a different one.
Whatever is the case, can Apple legally block these push services to people running iPhones on non-official networks? Would they be interested in doing this on purpose—since unlocked iPhones is such a small percentage of units? Or maybe it’s just a technical glitch?
According to the developer, it doesn’t matter: They argue that Apple has all the right to block services for these users—since they don’t use the official carrier—even while it’s hurting its ratings. However, they are asking Apple to provide a way to inform users with unlocked phones about why they don’t get push services using third-party applications. [Powerybase via AppAdvice via 9to5]
Comments (AU Comments | US Comments)
I’m using a Ultrasn0w Unlocked iPhone 3G and Push works perfectly…almost instant…
I have spent hours trying to make this work, I’ve tried all of the “fixes” online, I even sshed the certs onto my phone. I have watched the logs on my router. I am convinced that apple is refusing to send push notifications to my ISP. I live in Nepal, no attempts to communicate on port 2195 have happened on my router.
Would it be very difficult to create a HPNS? Hackle Push Network service? Get Apple out of the loop? Seriously, the only reason the iphone is worth a turd is because it has been hacked so thoroughly by the open source community. Thank you free lovers!
what the hey? No sooner than I posted this then somehow 1 prowl message managed to get through. I look at my router and guess what… NOTHING! No sign of the packet. Geesh, so I got one. I’ve tried since and got nothing, but I got one. Guess it was worth 6 hours?