Badges

Add a count to your app icon to drive app launches

A badge is a small, filled oval containing a number. It can appear on an app icon to indicate outstanding content in an app. They are frequently used to drive users to tap the app icon and complete an in-app action.

An app "badge"

You can schedule badge updates using the Critical Moments notification system. Simply set a badgeCount and schedule the update as specified in the notification spec.

See Apple's human interface guide for more details on badges.