Time Synchronization
The SDK internally uses time synchronized with the PowerAuth Server for its cryptographic functions, such as End-To-End Encryption or Token-Based Authentication. The synchronized time can also be beneficial for your application. For example, if you want to display a time-sensitive message or countdown to your users, you can take advantage of this service.
Use the following code to get the service responsible for the time synchronization:
final timeService = powerAuthSDK.timeSynchronizationService;
Automatic Time Synchronization
The time is synchronized automatically in the following situations:
- After an activation is created
- After getting an activation status
- After receiving any response encrypted with our End-To-End Encryption scheme
The time synchronization is reset automatically once your application transitions from the background to the foreground.
Manually Synchronize Time
Use the following code to synchronize the time manually:
await timeService.synchronizeTime();
Get Synchronized Time
To get the synchronized time, use the following code:
if (await timeService.isTimeSynchronized()) {
// Get synchronized timestamp (in milliseconds)
final timestamp = await timeService.currentTime();
// If a date object is required, then use the following snippet
final date = DateTime.fromMillisecondsSinceEpoch(timestamp);
} else {
// Time is not synchronized yet. If you call currentTime() then
// the returned timestamp is similar to Date().timeIntervalSince1970 * 1000 on iOS
// or System.currentTimeMillis() on Android
final timestamp = await timeService.currentTime();
}
The time service provides additional information about time, such as how precisely the time is synchronized with the server:
if (await timeService.isTimeSynchronized()) {
final precision = await timeService.localTimeAdjustmentPrecision();
print("Time is synchronized with $precision ms precision");
}
The precision value represents a maximum absolute deviation of synchronized time against the actual time on the server. For example, a value 500 means that the time provided by the currentTime() method maybe 0.5 seconds ahead or behind the actual time on the server. If the precision is not sufficient for your purpose, for example, if you need to display a real-time countdown in your application, then try to synchronize the time manually. The precision basically depends on how quickly is the synchronization response received and processed from the server. A faster response results in higher precision.