Add notification system and smart reminders

[SahilKumar75]

Problem

The app lacks a notification system to remind users about classes, prompt engagement, and provide timely updates.

Issues Identified

1. No Class Reminders

• Users miss classes without reminders
• No notification before class starts
• No daily schedule summary
• No location-based reminders
• Cannot customize reminder timing

2. Missing Engagement Notifications

• No prompts to log meals
• No reminders to upload timetable
• No Myspace cleanup suggestions
• No friend activity notifications
• No room invitations

3. No Smart Notifications

• Not context-aware
• No intelligent timing
• Cannot learn user preferences
• No notification grouping
• No priority levels

4. Limited Notification Management

• Cannot customize per feature
• No quiet hours
• No notification history
• Cannot snooze notifications
• No notification actions

Proposed Solutions

1. Class Reminder System

Timetable Notifications

• 15 minutes before class
• 5 minutes before class
• Daily schedule at 7 AM
• Weekly schedule on Sunday evening
• Class cancellation alerts

Customizable Timing

Allow users to set:

• Reminder lead time (5, 10, 15, 30 min)
• Daily summary time
• Weekend reminders on/off
• Specific class reminders

Rich Notifications

Include in notification:

• Class name and code
• Room number
• Teacher name
• Time and duration
• Quick actions (View, Snooze, Dismiss)

2. Engagement Notifications

Calorie Tracking Reminders

• Breakfast reminder (8 AM)
• Lunch reminder (1 PM)
• Dinner reminder (7 PM)
• Weekly progress summary
• Goal achievement celebration

Myspace Prompts

• Weekly: Review and organize items
• After class: Capture board photos
• Monthly: Clean up old items
• When storage high: Cleanup suggestion

Hangout Notifications

• Friend creates room
• Friend invites you
• Room about to start
• Friend comes online
• Missed call notification

Timetable Maintenance

• Weekly: Upload new timetable
• When timetable expires
• When schedule changes detected
• Semester start reminder

3. Smart Notification Features

Intelligent Timing

• Learn user active hours
• Avoid quiet hours
• Batch non-urgent notifications
• Priority for urgent items
• Respect Do Not Disturb

Context-Aware

• Location-based (near campus)
• Time-based (morning vs evening)
• Activity-based (in class vs free)
• Pattern-based (usual behavior)

Notification Grouping

Group related notifications:

• Today schedule (3 classes)
• Myspace updates (5 new items)
• Hangout activity (2 invites)
• Calorie reminders (3 meals)

4. Notification Management

Settings Screen

Granular control:

• Enable/disable per feature
• Customize timing
• Set quiet hours
• Choose notification sound
• Vibration patterns

Notification History

View past notifications:

• Last 7 days
• Filter by type
• Mark as read
• Clear all

Quick Actions

Notification actions:

• View details
• Snooze (15 min, 1 hour, tomorrow)
• Mark as done
• Dismiss
• Open in app

Implementation Details

Setup Notifications

Use expo-notifications:

• Request permissions
• Configure notification channels
• Set up background tasks
• Handle notification responses

Scheduling System

Create notification scheduler:

• Parse timetable for class times
• Calculate reminder times
• Schedule local notifications
• Update when timetable changes
• Cancel old notifications

Notification Types

Define notification categories:

• Class reminders (high priority)
• Meal reminders (medium priority)
• Engagement prompts (low priority)
• Social notifications (medium priority)
• System updates (low priority)

Background Tasks

Use expo-task-manager:

• Check for upcoming classes
• Send daily summaries
• Process engagement triggers
• Sync notification state

User Experience

Permission Request

Explain value before requesting:

• Never miss a class
• Stay on track with meals
• Get timely updates
• Can customize later

First Notification

Make it delightful:

• Friendly tone
• Clear action
• Easy to dismiss
• Explain how to customize

Notification Content

Keep it concise:

• Title: Class name or action
• Body: Key details (time, room)
• Icon: Feature icon
• Actions: 1-2 quick actions

Notification Sounds

Appropriate sounds:

• Class reminder: Gentle chime
• Meal reminder: Soft bell
• Room invite: Friendly ping
• Achievement: Celebration sound

Technical Implementation

Notification Channels (Android)

Create channels for:

• Class reminders
• Meal tracking
• Social updates
• System notifications

Notification Categories (iOS)

Define categories with actions:

• Class reminder: View, Snooze
• Meal reminder: Log, Skip
• Room invite: Join, Decline
• Timetable update: Upload, Later

Local Notifications

Schedule in advance:

• Parse timetable on upload
• Calculate all reminder times
• Schedule batch notifications
• Update on timetable change

Push Notifications (Future)

For real-time updates:

• Room invitations
• Friend activity
• Schedule changes
• System announcements

Settings UI

Notification Settings Screen

Organized sections:

• Timetable reminders
• Calorie tracking
• Myspace prompts
• Hangout notifications
• Quiet hours
• Notification history

Toggle Controls

For each notification type:

• Enable/disable switch
• Timing picker
• Sound selector
• Vibration toggle
• Preview button

Quiet Hours

Set do-not-disturb:

• Start time picker
• End time picker
• Days of week
• Emergency override
• Exceptions (class reminders)

Acceptance Criteria

Class Reminders

• Notifications before classes
• Daily schedule summary
• Customizable timing
• Rich notification content
• Quick actions work

Engagement Notifications

• Meal reminders
• Timetable upload prompts
• Myspace cleanup suggestions
• Room invitations

Smart Features

• Intelligent timing
• Notification grouping
• Priority levels
• Context awareness

Management

• Granular settings
• Quiet hours
• Notification history
• Snooze functionality

Priority

High - Notifications drive engagement and retention

Dependencies

• expo-notifications
• expo-task-manager
• expo-background-fetch

Related Issues

• Issue 120 (Background sync for notifications)
• Issue 121 (Onboarding for notification permissions)