How to use Physical Web & Nearby Notifications

ABSTRACT

This document explains how to configure and use Physical Web & Nearby Notifications, and all needed requirements.

AUDIENCE

This document is focused on iBKS Family Products users.

  1. Before you start
  2. Physical Web Setup
  3. Nearby Notifications Setup
  4. Issues

Before you start

Before you start setting your beacons and devices in order to use Physical Web or Nearby Notifications, check the main differences between them by clicking this link.

70912d2ac4b5441beae8618b50dbc918a42fd24e5b8d09b373pimgpsh_fullsize_distrIMPORTANT

The URL used, regardless if it’s for Physical Web or Nearby Notifications, MUST be HTTPS. Use this validator to check if the URL will be solved.

Physical Web Setup

Follow the next steps to set up Physical Web:

numbers-1-filled-icon Enable Eddystone URL on your iBKS beacon

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  1. Connect to the beacon using iBKS Config Tool (remember that the beacon must be in connectable mode).
  2. Being connected, click on Eddystone Service to expand.
  3. Select a free slot to configure it as URL.
  4. Fill all the required fields (remember that the URL must be HTTPS).
  5. Click back button to disconnect and Save Changes.

70912d2ac4b5441beae8618b50dbc918a42fd24e5b8d09b373pimgpsh_fullsize_distr Need help using iBKS Config Tool? Check the User Manual for Android or iOS.

 

numbers-2-filled-icon Enable Physical Web on your Android or iOS device

  1. Check if Google Chrome is installed on your device. Otherwise, install it.
  2. Turn on Physical Web on Chrome. How to do it? Check this link.
  3. Remember that bluetooth, location and internet must be enabled!

 

numbers-3-filled-icon That’s All! You should start now receiving physical web notifications   broadcasted around you.

Nearby Notifications Setup

70912d2ac4b5441beae8618b50dbc918a42fd24e5b8d09b373pimgpsh_fullsize_distr Nearby Notification requires a static ID (iBeacon, Eddystone UID or Eddystone EID) registered on the Google Platform.  Therefore, a google account is required.

Follow the next steps to set up Nearby Notifications:

numbers-1-filled-icon Create a project in Google Developers Console. How to do it? Check this link.

 

numbers-2-filled-icon Enable an iBeacon, Eddystone UID or Eddystone EID on your iBKS beacon.

 

70912d2ac4b5441beae8618b50dbc918a42fd24e5b8d09b373pimgpsh_fullsize_distr For this example, iBeacon slot is used. The same steps apply to Eddystone UID & EID.

imatge-1

  1. Using iBKS Config Tool, select the project created in the step 1 (Settings > Switch Project).
  2. Connect to the beacon (remember that the beacon must be in connectable mode).
  3. Being connected, click on iBeacon Service to expand (for Eddystone UID or EID, you should click on Eddystone service).
  4. Select a free iBeacon slot to configure it.
  5. Fill all the required fields.
  6. Enable the “Register iBeacon” option. If the message “ALREADY_EXISTS” appears, it means that this UUID/Major/Minor is already registered in other account and, therefore, you must use another one.
  7. Click back button to disconnect and Save Changes.

70912d2ac4b5441beae8618b50dbc918a42fd24e5b8d09b373pimgpsh_fullsize_distr Need help using iBKS Config Tool? Check the User Manual for Android or iOS.

 

numbers-3-filled-icon Configure Google Beacon Dashboard to associate a Nearby Notification to the registered static ID

  1. Access to Google Beacon Dashboard by logging in with your Google Account.
  2. Choose the project created in the step 1 where the static ID has been registered in the step 2 and click on “SHOW ALL BEACONS”.
  3. A list of all beacons registered in the project appears. Search the registered static ID that you would like to associate a Nearby Notification (description field). Once you find it, click on it to set the configuration.
  4. Click on “View Details” and then, on “Nearby Notifications”.imatge-1
  5. Choose “Web URL” and set the required fields:
    1. Title: it will appear in the device notification.
    2. Language: target audience. For example, if “en” (English) is set, an user with its device set to Spanish language won’t be notified. In case your target audience is for more than one language, duplicate the nearby notification as many languages as you need to set.
    3. URL: URL to be notified (remember that it must be HTTPS).
  6. Click on “CREATE”.

imatge-1

 

numbers-4-filled-icon Enable Nearby Notifications on your Android device

70912d2ac4b5441beae8618b50dbc918a42fd24e5b8d09b373pimgpsh_fullsize_distr Nearby Notifications are only available for devices running Android 4.4 or above. For iOS, it is not available yet.

  1. Go to Android Settings > Google > Nearby to turn on Nearby Notifications.
  2. Remember that bluetooth, location and internet must be enabled!

 

numbers-5-filled-icon That’s All! You should start now receiving nearby notifications broadcasting around you.

  1. Swipe down on the notification shade when you first encounter a beacon. You will receive a notification alerting you about nearby web page.
  2. Tap on the notification to get the list of nearby URLs and click on them if you are interested on visiting the websites pointed.

Issues

966b19f0a613358673527e328482120bc6b10e279c58c4b4b3pimgpsh_fullsize_distr Any problem configuring the iBKS beacon?

Please visit our iBKS Support Center.

 

966b19f0a613358673527e328482120bc6b10e279c58c4b4b3pimgpsh_fullsize_distr Any problem using the Google Developers Console or Google Beacon Dashboard?

Please visit g.co/beacons.

 

966b19f0a613358673527e328482120bc6b10e279c58c4b4b3pimgpsh_fullsize_distr Don’t you see any URL?

Please check again the steps described in this document and be aware that Physical Web and Nearby Notifications are Google services and these services can be temporally off due to Google maintenance or whatever out of Accent Systems control and responsibility.