Push Notifications

Overview

Acorn sends exactly two push types:

  • Hold Ready – Item is on the pickup shelf.

  • Courtesy (Pre‑Due) – Reminder ~3 days before the current due date.

They supplement (do not replace) email / phone notices. There is no auto‑renew success or failure push—check Items Out for renewal results.

Push alerts cannot be re‑sent manually. While they do not display as a persistent history inside the patron-facing app (and are not shown as a list in the patron record), each dispatched push notification is retained in Evergreen’s triggered event log for staff verification/audit. This means staff can confirm that a Hold Ready or Courtesy notification was generated even after it disappears from the device.

Notification Types

Type

Trigger

Deep-Link Destination

Notes

Hold Ready

Hold status changes to Ready for Pickup

Opens Holds list

Appears shortly after status flip; respects device Do Not Disturb

Courtesy (Pre‑Due)

Approx. 3 days before due date

Opens Items Out list

Does not renew—patron must still act or rely on auto‑renew policy
Table 1. Example Notifications

Android

iOS

lock screen notification android

lock screen notification ios

Courtesy push = "review or renew"; it is not confirmation that a renewal applied. Tap Items Out to verify due dates.

Enabling Push

  1. Install (or update) and open Acorn.

  2. Accept the OS permission prompt (iOS & Android).

  3. No in‑app toggle currently.

If Don’t Allow / Deny was chosen earlier, enabling must happen in device Settings; reinstalling alone may not re‑prompt on some Android variants.

Verify Permission

Android: Settings → Apps → Acorn → Notifications (ON)

iOS: Settings → Notifications → Acorn (Allow Notifications ON)

If delivery stalls, toggle notifications OFF then ON and open Acorn once to refresh the device token.

Quick Troubleshooting

Issue

What to Check

Action

Gets email but no push

OS permission off

Enable in Settings; open app once

Never saw a prompt

Dismissed earlier / older install pre‑permission

Enable manually in Settings

Expected auto‑renew push

Feature assumption

Explain only Hold Ready & Courtesy exist; check Items Out for renewal success

One loan missed courtesy

Edge timing / item renewed earlier

Rely on email for that case; confirm due date advanced

Delay (minutes)

Platform delivery lag

Note time; escalate if repeats with pattern

Cannot find toggle

OEM‑skinned Android

Search Settings for “Notifications” or “Acorn”

Switched phones recently

Token not refreshed

Open app once on new device

Privacy

Payload text is minimal; detailed account data loads only after app opens. Device tokens are anonymous and rotate if the app is reinstalled or OS clears data.

Reinstall only as a last resort (locally stored logins are lost).

Key Points

  • Only two types: Hold Ready & Courtesy (no overdue, no auto‑renew confirmation)

  • Email remains the durable record

  • New device: open app once to register

  • Courtesy ≠ renewal—verify in Items Out

  • Staff can verify dispatched push events in Evergreen’s triggered event log

Related Documentation