Critical Alerts are Watch Duty's most urgent type of notification. They're reserved for exceptional life-safety situations and can bypass your device's silent mode and Focus or Do Not Disturb settings to get your attention.
Because of this, Critical Alerts are used very sparingly.
Which devices support Critical Alerts?
Watch Duty Critical Alerts are currently available on iOS devices only.
They are not currently available on Android.
How do I enable Critical Alerts?
Critical Alerts are opt-in, so you'll need to enable them before they can override your device's notification settings.
If you're a new user, you'll be prompted to enable Critical Alerts after enabling standard push notifications during onboarding.
You can also enable them at any time:
- Open the Watch Duty app.
- Go to Notification settings.
- Enable Critical Alerts.
You can also manage this setting under iOS Settings → Watch Duty → Notifications.
You can turn Critical Alerts off at any time from either location.
What happens if I don't enable Critical Alerts?
You'll still receive eligible Watch Duty notifications as standard push notifications.
However, they won't be able to bypass your device's silent mode or Focus or Do Not Disturb settings.
How are Critical Alerts targeted?
Critical Alerts are based on your county notification subscriptions, not your current location.
You will only receive a Critical Alert when one is sent for an incident in a county you've selected for notifications in Watch Duty.
Watch Duty does not use your device's current location to determine whether you receive a Critical Alert.
When does Watch Duty send a Critical Alert?
Critical Alerts are reserved for the most serious, time-sensitive life-safety situations and are not sent for every incident, evacuation, or emergency update.
Watch Duty's Reporting team determines when an incident warrants a Critical Alert, and the threshold is intentionally high.
Because Critical Alerts are reserved for exceptional circumstances, you should not rely on receiving one for every emergency in your area.
What's the difference between a Critical Alert and a standard notification?
Standard Watch Duty notifications follow your device's normal notification settings. If your phone is silenced or you have a Focus or Do Not Disturb mode enabled, a standard Watch Duty notification may not make a sound.
When enabled, a Critical Alert can:
- Bypass Focus and Do Not Disturb
- Play Watch Duty's enhanced notification sound even when your device is on silent
- Deliver at full volume regardless of your volume settings
Can I test Critical Alerts?
Yes. After completing a standard notification test, you can send a test Critical Alert from the Notifications settings page.
This allows you to confirm that Critical Alerts are configured correctly on your device.
For more information about notification settings, see How Watch Duty Notifications Work.