Situation: My iPhone communicates to an external device through Wi-Fi. The app has also the ability to set up a schedule. This means that on a specific time the device should turn on and do some stuff. Now for this to happen there should be a timer on the external device or the iPhone should send a command to the device on a specific time.
Question: Is it possible to send a command to the external device while the app is in the background? Or does the app have to be in the foreground? Is it possible when the external device is an accesory? Cause I have read that apps are allowed to run in the background when they need to communicate to accessories??
Thanks in advance!
No you can’t do this, you are only able to run an app in the background if its stream audio, a VOIP client or track user location. If you are in the accessories program (which means you can make hardware that works with the dock connector, then your app can also run in the background. but only if the accessories that is respons to is connected.
There is no way the schedule any operation to be triggered at a set time.
You can schedule a local notification, but the user wil have to view (open you app by click in the notification) before you app get informed about it.