Apple recently announced an APNS Security Update, requiring updated server certificates for push notifications starting March 29, 2025. If you rely on Apple Push Notification Service (APNS) for delivering notifications to iOS devices, you may be wondering what actions, if any, are needed to ensure uninterrupted service.

We’re excited to confirm: Courier customers are unaffected by this update. Notifications sent via APNS with P8 keys or P12 certificates work seamlessly, and no immediate changes are required.

For background, Apple’s official announcement outlines the new requirements for all servers communicating with APNS. If you haven’t already, you can also check out our original Courier blog post for additional context and preparation tips.

Here’s everything you need to know:

What’s Changing with APNS?

Starting March 29, 2025, Apple will require all servers communicating with APNS to use updated root certificates. This change ensures APNS maintains the highest level of security and compatibility with industry standards. Any outdated configurations or unsupported certificates will no longer work beyond the deadline.

What We Tested

To stay ahead of this update, we tested APNS push notifications using both P8 keys and P12 certificates with Native iOS apps.

The result: Everything is working as expected. 🎉 Courier customers do not need to make changes.

Key Takeaways

1. Courier customers are unaffected by this update.

   • Push notifications continue to work seamlessly with current configurations.

2. If you’re using AWS Lambda or GCP Cloud Functions, it is likely your configuration is also unaffected when using libraries like node-apn. However, be sure to test your setup on the APNS sandbox environment soon to confirm your setup is working properly.

   • Testing is always recommended to ensure compatibility with your specific implementation.

3. For older or custom APNS implementations, ensure your server is using the updated root certificates. Apple’s technical documentation provides all necessary details.

Recommended Actions If You Are Not Using Courier:

We recommend that you do the following if not using Courier:

1. Test your app’s push notifications in both sandbox and production environments.
2. Verify your APNS configurations, particularly if you use custom setups or older libraries.
3. Stay informed by following Apple’s official announcement.