Notification Badges - request for a new action

[Airy]

Apple allows all apps (for any of Apple's OS's) to show a "notification badge" which is a red number that appears on the upper right corner of the app.

As far as I know, this is freely available to any app that uses the appropriate API to send data to an Apple online server which manages and notifies iCloud users of the latest "number" to be displayed.

Also, as far as I know, Keyboard Maestro doesn't use this feature for its Editor app. So I would like KM to create a new action called "Create New Badge" that tells the OS to create a new number on the icon. In addition, there should probably be an action called "Remove One Badge" and "Clear all Badges".

But more importantly, I would like to see a new app for iPadOS, iOS and WatchOS called "Keyboard Maestro Badges" which does absolutely nothing but display the badge number.

The reason I'm coming up with this suggestion is that I normally use the "Send iMessage" action to notify myself of macro failures when I'm away from home, but as Peter indicates below, that action is unreliable (I'm not blaming KM for this; it's probably a macOS problem) and I'm finding it unreliable myself.

Send iMessage/SMS Suddenly No Longer Works

It's possible that the fix may cause problems for some existing uses. Messages must be running (launched should be ok). Check the action and see if the popup menu offers the recipient. If it does, selecting the recipient may resolve the issue. The problem is, the old method used something akin to participant "Fred" and Messages’ AppleScript will sometimes return a completely different participant in response to that. So instead Keyboard Maestro now searches for a participant that matches …

[Nige_S]

@Airy

The reason I'm coming up with this suggestion is that I normally use the "Send iMessage" action to notify myself of macro failures when I'm away from home

Have you looked at using a service such as Pushover (I'm sure other services are available) for notifications?

But yes, badges would be nice too!

[Airy]

I did look at it earlier, but stopped using it. I can't remember why. I'll check it again.

[peternlewis]

@Airy

As far as I know, this is freely available to any app that uses the appropriate API to send data to an Apple online server which manages and notifies iCloud users of the latest "number" to be displayed.

I don't believe this is correct. As far as I am aware the app would need to receive push notifications, and that is far more complicated than “send an API to Apple’s server”.

@Airy

But more importantly, I would like to see a new app for iPadOS, iOS and WatchOS called "Keyboard Maestro Badges" which does absolutely nothing but display the badge number.

I doubt Apple would even approve such an app (so there is no chance I am going to spend the time creating it to find out, which is the silent cost of Apple’s App Review).

[Airy]

I'm sorry that I misunderstood the issues. But thanks for considering my request.