Today's Deep-Dive: ntfy

Welcome to another deep dive, everybody.

And today we're going to be talking about ntfy.

This is a tool that lets you send custom notifications

straight to your phone or computer.

And I'm very excited to learn more about it.

Oh, and before we dive in, a quick shout out

to our sponsor, Safe Server.

They're experts in digital transformation.

And they also, believe it or not,

handle the hosting for this amazing tool.

If you're interested in leveling up your tech game,

you can head over to www.safeserver.de.

That's awesome, yeah, and ntfy is a simple, but really

powerful notification service.

So it's perfect for anyone who wants

to stay informed about the things they care about,

like website updates, server alludes, or even fun things

like getting a notification when your laundry's done,

or anything like that.

So it's very versatile.

I love that no more checking the dryer every five minutes.

OK, well, we've got a bunch of documents here about ntfy.

But let's start with the basics.

What exactly is ntfy, and how does it work?

So imagine ntfy as like your own personal messaging system.

It uses something called HTTP, which is basically

like the language of the web.

Like every time you visit a website or send an email,

your device uses HTTP to communicate

with the servers out there.

OK, so it's like using the same technology as browsing the web.

Exactly.

But instead of sending web pages or emails,

ntfy sends small messages.

We call these notifications.

And you create specific channels for different types

of notifications, and we call those topics.

Ooh, OK, I like that.

So let's say I want to get notified whenever

there's a new post on my favorite blog.

I would create a blog updates topic.

Precisely.

Then you could set up the blog to send a notification

to that topic whenever a new post is published.

And how do I actually receive these notifications?

Do I have to be constantly checking

some website or something?

No, not at all.

That's actually where the beauty of ntfy comes in.

You can use their free app for your phone,

a web app on your computer, or even set up your own server

if you want, like full control.

So there's like an option for every level of tech savviness.

Absolutely.

OK, I love that.

Now, I know some of our listeners

might be new to this whole notification thing, right?

Could you give us like a super, super simple example

of how ntfy works in practice?

Yeah, for sure.

So imagine you have a script on your computer

that backs up your important files every night, right?

You could add a simple line of code

to that script that sends an ntfy notification

to your phone once the backup is complete.

Ah, OK, so instead of wondering if that backup worked,

I'd get a little ping on my phone saying backup successful.

Exactly, and that's just like scratching the surface.

ntfy lets you customize these notifications

with different priority levels.

So like a critical server alert would

sound different from a reminder to water your plants.

You can even attach images or files.

Wait, attach files?

Like I could get a notification with a snapshot

from my security camera?

Exactly, or a notification, like when your 3D printer finishes

a job, complete with a photo of the finished product.

This is blowing my mind.

OK, hold on.

And you said I can even set up my own ntfy server.

What are the benefits of doing that?

So self-hosting gives you complete control

over your data and allows you to integrate ntfy

into your own systems, like a little bit deeper.

Plus it can be a fun project for those who like to tinker.

I can already see the wheels turning for some

of our techie listeners out there.

Yeah.

OK, so we've got a good handle on the basics of ntfy.

But what makes it stand out from other notification systems?

Couldn't I just use email for some of this stuff?

That's a good point, yeah.

While email is certainly useful for a lot of things,

ntfy is designed specifically for real-time notifications.

So it's lightweight, efficient, and super flexible.

Plus it offers features that email just can't match.

OK, like what?

Give me some examples.

I'm very curious.

For example, ntfy allows you to create action buttons

right within your notifications.

So let's say you get an alert that your website is down.

Instead of logging into your server to restart it,

you could have a button in the notification that does it

for you with a single tap.

Oh, wow, so that sounds incredibly convenient.

So I could manage my entire server

from my phone using ntfy.

Well, maybe not your entire server,

but you could certainly handle common tasks

and get immediate feedback without interrupting

your workflow.

OK, OK, I'm starting to see the real power here.

But how do these action buttons actually work?

Is it like some complicated coding magic?

No, not at all.

It's surprisingly straightforward, actually.

Essentially, when you create a notification

with an action button, you also specify a command or script

that should be executed when the button is pressed.

OK, so let's say I wanted to create a notification that

lets me approve a code deployment with a single tap.

What would that look like in practice?

OK, let's break it down.

So you would send a notification to your phone

with a message like, new code deployment ready for approval.

And this notification would include

a button labeled approve.

OK, so far so good.

What happens when I tap that approve button?

When you tap approve, the Intify app

would send a signal back to your system,

triggering a predefined script.

And this script could be something

as simple of running a command to deploy the new code.

Oh, so the button press on my phone

essentially kicks off a chain reaction that

automates the deployment process.

Precisely, and this same principle

can be applied to countless scenarios,

from managing your smart home devices

to controlling your media center.

This is truly next level stuff, but I have to admit,

all this talk about scripts and servers

might sound a bit intimidating to some of our listeners who

are new to the tech world.

Is Intify really accessible to beginners,

or do you need to be like a coding wizard to use it?

That's a valid concern, but rest assured,

Intify is actually designed with simplicity in mind.

You don't need to be a coding expert to get started.

In fact, you can experience the magic of Intify

without writing a single line of code.

Really?

How is that possible?

Remember those topics we talked about earlier?

Well, there are tons of preexisting topics

that you can subscribe to for all sorts of useful notifications.

So instead of setting up my own scripts and commands,

I could just tap into these existing notification streams.

Exactly.

For example, there is a popular website monitoring service

called changedetection.io that uses Intify.

You can subscribe to a topic for a specific website,

and you'll get a notification whenever that website changes.

So I could get notified when a new episode, my favorite

podcast, is released, or when tickets go on sale for a concert.

Exactly.

And there are tons of other pre-made integrations

for things like server monitoring, weather alerts,

sports scores, and even stock prices.

Wow, the possibilities are endless.

OK, so we've covered a lot of ground here,

from simple notifications to really powerful automation

with these action buttons, right?

But I'm curious, what are some of the more unique or unexpected

ways people are using Intify out there?

I'm always curious to learn more.

Oh, yeah, one of my favorite things about the Intify

community is how creative they are.

People are constantly coming up with new and innovative ways

to use Intify, really pushing the boundaries

of what's possible.

Oh, wow, do you have any cool examples?

I'm always fascinated by how people hack these tools

to do really cool things.

Absolutely.

I've seen people use Intify for everything,

from tracking the progress of their sourdough starter

to getting reminders about watering their plants.

Just very unique use cases.

Wait, sourdough starter notifications.

That's incredible.

I guess when you think about it, Intify

can be used for any event that triggers a change in a system,

whether it's a website update or a rise in dough.

Precisely, and that's what makes it so versatile.

It's not just limited to technical applications.

It can be used to enhance any aspect of your life

where timely notifications could be beneficial.

Speaking of enhancing our lives, I

think this is a good time to bring up the Intify ecosystem.

We've talked about the apps and the possibility of self-hosting,

but there's more to it, right?

Absolutely.

Intify offers a range of options to suit

different needs and preferences.

There's the free public service at intify.sech,

which is a great starting point.

Then there are the mobile apps for Android and iOS,

which provide a really seamless notification experience

on your phone.

And for those who prefer a desktop experience,

there's the web app, too, right?

Exactly.

The web app lets you receive notifications right

in your browser, so you don't have to be constantly checking

your phone.

And as we mentioned earlier, for ultimate control

and flexibility, you can self-host your own ntfy server.

Now, I know some of our listeners are probably

wondering about the cost.

Is ntfy completely free, or are there paid options available?

That's a great question.

The core functionality of ntfy is entirely free and open

source, however.

They do offer ntfy Pro plans for those

who need additional features or want to support the project's

development.

OK, so what kind of features are we

talking about with these Pro plans?

The Pro plans offer things like reserved topic names,

more storage space for attachments,

and priority support.

They're a great option for businesses or power users

who really heavily rely on ntfy.

But for the average user, the free tier

is more than enough to get started

and explore the wonderful world of notifications, right?

Absolutely.

And it's worth noting that even with the Pro plans,

ntfy remains super affordable.

Plans start at just a few dollars a month.

So no matter your budget or your technical expertise,

there's an ntfy option for you.

I think we've covered pretty much everything about ntfy,

from how it works to those really cool advanced features

like action buttons and self-hosting.

Any final thoughts before we wrap up this deep dive?

I think the key takeaway here is that ntfy

is an incredibly powerful and versatile tool that

can be used to really simplify and enhance your digital life.

Whether you're using it for work, personal projects,

or just having fun, ntfy has the potential

to revolutionize the way you receive and interact

with information.

I couldn't agree more.

It's been such an eye-opening journey for me.

I'm already brainstorming all the ways

I can integrate ntfy into my workflow.

And speaking of making things happen,

a huge thank you to Safe Server for sponsoring this deep dive

and for their incredible dedication

to digital transformation.

You can head over to www.safeserver.de

to learn more about all their innovative solutions.

Yeah, they're truly paving the way

for a more connected and efficient future for all of us.

So as we conclude our deep dive into ntfy,

I want to leave our listeners with a little challenge.

Think about all the information you wish you

had right at your fingertips.

What notifications would make your life easier, more

productive, or just more enjoyable.

The possibilities really are endless with a tool like this.

That's the beauty of ntfy.

It really empowers you to create a world

where you're always in the loop, never missing a beat.

So go forth, fellow learners, and start

exploring the exciting world of custom notifications

with ntfy.

Until next time, happy notifying.