An emergency alert that respects Do Not Disturb is not an emergency alert. This guide is about the permissions that let MassComs override a silenced phone, and about proving they are actually in place.
MassComs supports your organisation’s safety plan. It does not replace authorised instructions, trained judgement or emergency services.
Before you start
Have these ready.
- The app installed and signed in.
- A few minutes with the device in your hand — this cannot be done centrally.
- 01
Understand the two permissions
Ordinary notification permission lets the app post notifications, which a silenced or Focus-mode phone will suppress. Critical alert permission lets specific alerts break through silent mode and Do Not Disturb.
Users routinely grant the first, dismiss the second, and believe they are set up. On the phone, both look like an app that has notifications turned on.
Every device that skipped the critical alert prompt is a person who will not be woken by a real incident.
- 02
Allow notifications when prompted
Accept the notification permission prompt on first launch. If it was dismissed, you will need to grant it from the operating system's settings rather than in the app.
- 03
Allow critical alert behaviour
Accept the critical alert prompt. On iOS this is a distinct system prompt; if it was dismissed you may need to re-enable it in the OS settings for the app.
On a physical device the prompt appears at first launch. It does not appear on an iOS simulator, which is a known limitation of the platform and not a fault of the build.
- 04
Check the system settings directly
Do not rely on what the app says. Open the operating system's settings for the MassComs app and confirm notifications are allowed, sounds are on, and any critical alert toggle is enabled.
- iOS: Settings → Notifications → MassComs. Check Allow Notifications, Sounds, and the critical alerts toggle.
- Android: Settings → Apps → MassComs → Notifications. Check the channel used for incidents is enabled with sound, and is exempt from Do Not Disturb.
- Check any battery optimisation or background restriction that could delay delivery.
- 05
Check Focus, Do Not Disturb and bedtime schedules
Modern phones have several overlapping quiet modes. Critical alerts are designed to pass through them, which is exactly why the permission matters — but a device where the permission was refused will be silenced by every one of them.
- 06
Verify with a planned drill
Lock the phone, silence it, put it in your pocket, and have someone trigger a TEST incident that includes you.
Tell people before you do this. An unannounced critical alert on a personal phone is a poor introduction to the system.
Confirm it workedThe phone makes a sound and shows the alert while locked and silenced. Anything less than that has not been verified.
- 07
Re-check after OS upgrades and device changes
Permissions do not reliably survive a major OS upgrade, a device restore or a phone replacement. Build a re-check into whatever process handles new starters and device swaps.
Troubleshooting
When it does not go to plan.
| Symptom | Usual cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Notification arrives silently. | Critical alert permission was never granted, or sounds are disabled for the app. | Enable both in the OS settings for the app, then re-test with a locked, silenced phone. |
| Notifications arrive late. | Battery optimisation or background restrictions on Android. | Exempt the app from battery optimisation and allow background activity. |
| The critical alert prompt never appeared. | It was dismissed, or the device is an iOS simulator where the prompt does not appear by design. | Grant it from the OS settings. Verify on a physical device, not a simulator. |
| It works for some staff and not others. | Per-device permission state, not a platform problem. | Audit device by device. There is no central override for a permission the user has to grant. |
Good to know
Small details that prevent big confusion.
- This is per device and per person. No administrator can grant it remotely.
- Include a permission check in your onboarding checklist for every new starter.
- The only meaningful test is a locked, silenced phone. Everything else tests the app, not the alert.
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