Notifications
Stay connected with real-time updates about your relationship.
What are Notifications?
ReKindle's notification system keeps you informed about important events, partner interactions, and opportunities to strengthen your relationship. Notifications appear both within the app and as push notifications on your device.
Accessing Notifications
Notification Center
View all your notifications:
- Tap the bell icon in the top-right corner (on any screen)
- See your complete notification history
- Unread notifications are highlighted
- Tap any notification to take action
Notification Badge
A red badge on the bell icon shows the count of unread notifications.
Notification Types
Partner Request
When: Someone sends you a partner link request
Contents:
- Request message
- Sender's name
- Two action buttons: Accept | Decline
Actions:
- Tap Accept to link with the person
- Tap Decline to reject the request
- Both actions work directly from the notification (no need to navigate elsewhere)
Partner Accepted
When: Someone accepts your partner link request
Contents:
- Celebration message
- Partner's name
- Success indicator
Action:
- Tap to view your new partner's profile
Hearts Received
When: Your partner awards you balance hearts
Contents:
- Number of hearts received (1, 2, or 3)
- Partner's name
- Optional message from your partner
Action:
- Tap to view balance details on Dashboard
Example:
"💝 John sent you 3 hearts: 'Thanks for cooking dinner!'"
Balance Reminders
When: Your appreciation balance is out of sync or you haven't exchanged hearts in a while
Types:
- Reciprocity reminder — When your partner has been giving much more than you recently. Tap to view suggestions for ways to show appreciation.
- Re-engagement reminder — When neither partner has exchanged hearts for a week. A gentle nudge to reconnect.
Action:
- Tap to view suggestions or the Dashboard
Completed activities and rewards
Creating or generating ideas, adding them to To do, replacing them and removing them are silent. Completing an AI or manual activity notifies its beneficiary. Sending thanks with hearts notifies the performer; offering a manual reward also notifies them. Declining a reward or dismissing a reminder sends nothing. See AI Suggestions for the shared flow.
Important Date Reminder
When: An important date is approaching (based on your reminder settings)
Contents:
- Date name and type (birthday, anniversary, custom)
- Days until the date (or "Today!")
- Optional: Suggested category for generating ideas
- Call-to-Action button: "Generate Ideas"
Actions:
- Tap "Generate Ideas" to create suggestions in the recommended category
- Tap notification to view Important Dates screen
Example - Advance Reminder:
"📅 Upcoming: Sarah's Birthday Sarah's Birthday is coming up in 2 weeks on January 17. [Generate Gift Ideas]"
Example - Day-Of Reminder:
"🎉 Today: Anniversary Don't forget - today is your anniversary!"
Profile Regeneration Ready
When: You have 10+ new card swipes since your last profile generation
Contents:
- Count of new swipes
- Suggestion to regenerate for fresh insights
Action:
- Tap to navigate to Profile screen
- Regenerate your AI profile with updated data
Example:
"🔄 You have 12 new swipes - regenerate your profile for updated insights!"
Achievement Unlocked
When: You earn a new badge
Contents:
- Badge name and icon
- Badge description
- Achievement date
Action:
- Tap to view your Badge collection
Example:
"🎉 Badge Unlocked: Card Master You've swiped 50 cards!"
System Notification
When: Important app updates, announcements, or system messages
Contents:
- Custom title and message
- Relevant information or calls-to-action
Action:
- Varies by notification type
Notification Management
Interaction Guide
| Action | Gesture |
|---|---|
| Read a notification / take action | Tap the notification |
| Delete a single notification | Swipe left on the notification |
| Delete all notifications | Tap the trash icon in the header |
| Mark all as read | Tap the "Mark All as Read" button |
Mark as Read
Individual Notification:
- Tap any notification to automatically mark it as read
- Unread notifications have a visual highlight (brighter background)
All Notifications:
- Tap "Mark All as Read" button at the top of the notification screen
- All unread notifications become read instantly
- Notification badge clears
Pull to Refresh
Pull down on the Notifications screen to:
- Check for new notifications
- Refresh notification status
- Update timestamps
Notification Lifespan
Notifications have expiration dates based on type:
| Notification Type | Expiration |
|---|---|
| Partner Request | 7 days |
| Partner Accepted | 30 days |
| Hearts Received | 30 days |
| Reciprocity Reminder | 7 days |
| Inactivity Reminder | 3 days |
| Important Date | Varies (tied to date) |
| Completed activities / offered rewards | 30 days |
| Achievement Unlocked | 30 days |
| System Notification | 7-30 days |
Expired notifications are automatically removed from your feed.
Push Notifications
System-Wide Notifications
ReKindle sends push notifications to your device for:
- New partner requests
- Hearts received from partner
- Important date reminders
- Profile regeneration availability
- Achievement unlocks
Notification Permissions
Granting Permissions:
- During onboarding, you'll be asked to enable notifications
- Tap "Enable Notifications" to grant permission
- Accept the system prompt
Managing Later:
Change notification settings through:
- Your device's Settings app
- ReKindle → Notifications
- Enable/disable specific types (coming soon)
Notification Preferences
Granular notification preferences (choose which types to receive) will be available in a future update.
Actionable Notifications
Some notifications include action buttons for quick responses:
Partner Request Actions
- ✅ Accept - Link with the requester
- ❌ Decline - Reject the request
Important Date Actions
- 💡 Generate Ideas - Create suggestions in the recommended category
- 📅 View Date - See date details
These actions work directly from the notification without opening another screen.
Notification History
Chronological Feed
Notifications are displayed in reverse chronological order:
- Most recent at the top
- Timestamps show relative time:
- "just now"
- "5 minutes ago"
- "2 hours ago"
- "yesterday"
- "Jan 3" (for older notifications)
Empty State
When you have no notifications:
- Friendly empty state message appears
- Encourages you to engage with the app
Example:
"No notifications yet. Start swiping cards and connecting with your partner!"
Local vs. Backend Notifications
ReKindle uses a hybrid notification system:
Backend Notifications
Stored on the server and synced across devices:
- Partner requests/responses
- Hearts received
- Important date reminders
- System announcements
Local Notifications
Stored only on your device:
- Profile regeneration reminders
- Quick tips and reminders
- Temporary alerts
Both types appear in the unified Notifications screen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I delete individual notifications?
A: Yes! Swipe left on any notification to delete it. You can also tap the trash icon in the header to delete all notifications at once. Notifications also expire automatically after their lifespan (see the lifespan table above).
Q: Why didn't I receive a push notification?
A: Check that:
- Notifications are enabled in your device settings
- ReKindle has notification permissions
- You're connected to the internet
- Your notification preferences are enabled (when available)
Q: Can I mute notifications temporarily?
A: Use your device's Do Not Disturb mode to temporarily silence all app notifications. Per-app muting is coming in a future update.
Q: Do notifications work offline?
A: Backend notifications require internet to sync. Local notifications (like profile regeneration reminders) work offline.
Q: Can I see notifications I've already read?
A: Yes, all notifications (read and unread) remain in your notification center until they expire.
Q: How do I turn off notifications completely?
A: Go to your device's Settings → ReKindle → Notifications → Toggle off. Note: You'll miss important updates from your partner.
Q: Will I be notified every time my partner swipes a card?
A: No, card swipes are private. You'll only be notified about meaningful interactions like hearts received or activities completed.
Q: Can I customize which notifications I receive?
A: Granular notification preferences are coming in a future update. Currently, it's all or nothing via your device settings.
Q: What's the red number on the bell icon?
A: That's your unread notification count. It shows how many notifications you haven't viewed yet.
Chat Session History
Your past conversations with Elisa are accessible from the Chat History screen.
Accessing Chat History
- Tap the Chat icon in the navigation bar
- Tap the history icon in the top-right corner
- Browse your past conversation sessions
Session Interactions
| Action | Gesture |
|---|---|
| Open a past session | Tap the session card |
| Delete a single session | Swipe left on the session card |
| Delete all sessions | Tap the trash icon in the header |
Each session card shows the date, time, message count, and duration to help you find the conversation you're looking for.
Chat sessions are private — your partner cannot see your conversations with Elisa.
Related Features
- Partner Linking - Receive partner request notifications
- Balance System - Get notified when you receive hearts
- Important Dates - Receive date reminders
- AI Profile - Get notified when profile regeneration is available
- Badges - Receive achievement unlock notifications
Together notifications
Movie Night can notify you about a match. Our Memories can let you know when your free library is nearly full or a photo archive is ready to download. If you have a linked partner and have not added a photo after two weeks on ReKindle, you may receive a gentle invitation to start. Open a notification to reach the relevant module or your archives. Push delivery follows your preferences; notices also appear in the app. See Our Memories for photo space and downloads.
Partner memories and refresh
When your partner adds a new daily photo, you receive one notification. Select it to open that exact photo. Replacements and edits do not send another notice. Notifications contain no caption or picture. If the photo was deleted or is no longer shared with you, you see an unavailable message. An open draft stays open; the requested photo opens after you close it.
The timeline checks for new photos every 30 seconds while you are viewing it, and updates when a foreground push arrives. Returning to the page, foregrounding the app or reconnecting also refreshes it. Pull down from the top on mobile to refresh, or use Refresh in the web timeline. Your loaded history and current photo stay in place. If refreshing fails, your existing photos remain visible.
Personal heart grants
When the ReKindle team adds hearts to your personal heart bank, you receive a notification with the amount. Tap it to open your bank and see the new balance. This is separate from the hearts you exchange with your partner.