title: Is firebase not always sending notifications through APNs?
body: <p>I noticed that the <a href="https://firebase.google.com/docs/cloud-messaging/http-server-ref" rel="noreferrer">firebase documentation</a> says the following:</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>If a notification <strong>payload</strong> is provided, or the <strong>content_available</strong>
    option is set to <strong>true</strong> for a message to an iOS device, the message is
    sent through APNs, otherwise it is <strong>sent through the FCM connection
    server</strong>.</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>Can someone please explain what that means?</p>
  
  <p>I thought ALL push notifications sent to iOS devices, are first sent to <strong>Apple</strong>, and then forwarded by Apple to the corresponding device/s, but here it is implied that they're sending messages directly to the device?</p>
  
  <p>Is that even possible when the app is shut on iOS?</p>
  
  <p>I'm confused,
  thank you.</p>