Google Cloud Messaging (GCM) was a mobile

notification service A notification service provides means to send a notice to many persons at once. For example, if a flood were likely, residents of a community could be warned it's time to evacuate. If a school were suddenly closed for the day, students or paren ...

developed by

Google Google LLC () is an American multinational technology company focusing on search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics. ...

that enables third-party application developers to send notification data or information from developer-run servers to applications that target the

Google Android Android is a mobile operating system based on a modified version of the Linux kernel and other open-source software, open-source software, designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computer, tablets. Androi ...

Operating System, as well as applications or extensions developed for the

Google Chrome Google Chrome is a cross-platform web browser developed by Google. It was first released in 2008 for Microsoft Windows, built with free software components from Apple WebKit and Mozilla Firefox. Versions were later released for Linux, macOS ...

internet browser. It was available to developers free of charge. The GCM Service was first announced in June 2012 as a successor to Google's now-defunct

Android Cloud to Device Messaging Android Cloud to Device Messaging (commonly referred to as Cloud to Device Messaging), or C2DM, is a defunct mobile notification service that was developed by Google and replaced by the Google Cloud Messaging service. It enabled developers to sen ...

(C2DM) service, citing improvements to authentication and delivery, new API endpoints and messaging parameters, and the removal of limitations on API send-rates and message sizes. It has been superseded by Google's

Firebase Cloud Messaging Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM), formerly known as Google Cloud Messaging (GCM), is a cross-platform cloud solution for messages and notifications for Android, iOS, and web applications, which as of June 2022 can be used at no cost. Firebase Cl ...

(FCM) on May 29, 2019.

Development

GCM first launched as Google's

(C2DM) service, first featured in

Android 2.2 Android Froyo is the sixth version of Android and is a codename of the Android mobile operating system developed by Google, spanning versions between 2.2 and 2.2.3. Those versions are no longer supported. It was unveiled on May 20, 2010, duri ...

. The transition to Google Cloud Messaging was first announced when the Android service was unveiled on June 27, 2012, at

Google I/O Google I/O (or simply I/O) is an annual developer conference held by Google in Mountain View, California. "I/O" stands for Input/Output, as well as the slogan "Innovation in the Open". The event's format is similar to Google Developer Day. Hi ...

. Shortly after announcing the Google Cloud Messaging service, Google published documentation to guide application developers with migrating from the C2DM and onto the new service. Migrating to the service required SDK and code changes, as well as a release of an application update to the publish repository (such as

Google Play Google Play, also known as the Google Play Store and formerly the Android Market, is a digital distribution service operated and developed by Google. It serves as the official app store for certified devices running on the Android (operating sys ...

) for downloading and updating. The Chrome service was announced before Google I/O 2013 in a blog post titled 'Building efficient apps and extensions with push messaging.' At I/O 2015, Google announced a new SDK and

iOS iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also include ...

support.

Technical details

Google Cloud Messaging functions using server APIs and SDKs, both maintained by Google. The GCM has the ability to send

push notifications Push technology or server push is a style of Internet-based communication where the request for a given transaction is initiated by the publisher or central server. It is contrasted with pull/get, where the request for the transmission of informat ...

, deep-linking commands, and application data. Larger messages can be sent with up to 4 KB of

payload Payload is the object or the entity which is being carried by an aircraft or launch vehicle. Sometimes payload also refers to the carrying capacity of an aircraft or launch vehicle, usually measured in terms of weight. Depending on the nature of ...

data. Upon allowing the application permission to receive and display notifications, the client application sends a registration API request to the Google Cloud Messaging interface to begin the registration process. The GCM Service receives and acknowledges the request and responds by giving the device a ''GCM Registration ID'', a unique identifier that the developer later uses to send a notification to the individual device. The identifier is stored onto the device, and is typically sent to the developer's application server to be stored. The GCM Registration ID is a randomly-generated identifier that does not contain any personal or device information that could allow a developer to discover the personal identity of the user. When the developer wishes to send a notification event to a device, the process begins with an API POST request being sent to the GCM Authentication Service. The POST request includes the GCM Registration ID, priority, optional values and links, and the information that is to be displayed on the device upon its arrival. Upon successful verification of the GCM Registration ID and other credentials, an authentication token is returned. Both identifiers are then sent to the GCM Service to be enqueued and delivered to the device.

References

External links

Official Google Cloud Messaging Website

Official Firebase Cloud Messaging

Official Chrome Developer Page

Google Chrome Push Notifications implementation by MindAsk

PushEm - Google Cloud Messaging Provider
{{Android Mobile telecommunication services Cloud Messaging

Development

Technical details

See also

References

External links