# Alerts that break through silent mode and DND.

> Give every push a priority: silent, low, default, high, or critical. Critical alerts bypass Do Not Disturb on Android and break through iPhone Focus modes. One level field in the API.

<!-- source: https://pocketalert.app/use-cases/critical-alerts -->

Pocket Alert gives every push notification a priority level from silent to critical. On Android, a critical alert bypasses Do Not Disturb and silent mode; on iPhone it breaks through Focus as a time-sensitive notification. You set it with a single field in the API call.

## Three steps to alerts that wake you

1. **Pick a level** — silent for digests, high for warnings, critical for incidents that cannot wait until morning.
2. **Send the message** — Add "level":"critical" to the API call, the webhook payload, or set a default on the application.
3. **It breaks through** — Android bypasses DND and shows full screen. iPhone cuts through Focus. Silent stays silent.

## Priority levels that match the incident

A monitoring alert at 3 AM and a daily backup report should not sound the same. Pocket Alert gives every message a priority level, from silent to critical.

- **Five levels, one field** — silent, low, default, high, critical — one level field on any message, in the API, a webhook payload, or MCP.
- **Breaks through DND on Android** — Critical alerts on Android post to a dedicated channel that bypasses Do Not Disturb and can show full screen.
- **Cuts through Focus on iPhone** — High and critical messages arrive as time-sensitive notifications on iPhone, so they break through Focus modes.
- **Silent when it should be** — Level -2 delivers without sound or vibration. Success pings and digests stay on record without waking anyone.
- **Defaults per app & webhook** — Set default_level once per application or webhook. Every message inherits it; any message can override it.
- **Priority-first feed** — The mobile app filters and sorts the feed by priority, so critical incidents never drown in routine noise.

## Send your first critical alert

### 1. Pick the level

Every message accepts a `level` (or `priority`) field:

```
level: silent (-2) · low (-1) · default (0) · high (1) · critical (2)
```

Aliases work too: `min`, `normal`, `urgent`, `max`. Invalid values get a clean `400` from the API, so a typo never fails silently.

### 2. Send it

```
curl -X POST 'https://api.pocketalert.app/v1/messages' \
  -H 'Token: YOUR_API_KEY' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"title":"Primary DB down","message":"Postgres is not responding on db-1","level":"critical"}'
```

The same field works in a webhook payload — add `"level": "critical"` to the JSON any service posts to your Pocket Alert webhook URL — and in the `create_message` MCP tool.

### 3. Let the quiet things stay quiet

```
pg_dump mydb | gzip > backup.sql.gz && \
curl -X POST 'https://api.pocketalert.app/v1/messages' \
  -H 'Token: YOUR_API_KEY' \
  -d 'title=Backup finished' -d 'message=Nightly dump completed' -d 'level=silent'
```

Silent messages land in your history without a sound. Your phone only makes noise when the level says it should.

### How levels resolve

Explicit message level → webhook `default_level` → application `default_level` → default. Set the default once on a webhook that receives monitoring alerts, and everything it forwards arrives as `high` without touching the sender.

### One-time setup on the phone

On Android, allow Do Not Disturb access when the app asks (Settings → Critical only) so critical alerts can break through. On iPhone, allow notifications and Pocket Alert delivers high and critical messages as time-sensitive, which cut through Focus modes. Full iOS critical-alert sound — the kind that overrides the mute switch — is rolling out as Apple grants the entitlement.

## FAQ

### Can a push notification bypass silent mode and Do Not Disturb?

On Android, yes. Send a message with level: critical and it posts to a dedicated notification channel that bypasses Do Not Disturb and shows full screen — grant the app Do Not Disturb access once in Settings. On iPhone, critical messages come through as time-sensitive notifications, which break through Focus modes; full critical-alert sound that overrides the mute switch is rolling out as Apple grants the entitlement.

### What priority levels does Pocket Alert support?

Five: silent (-2), low (-1), default (0), high (1), and critical (2). The API accepts either the name or the number, and common aliases work too — min, normal, urgent, and max. Send it as level or priority; both are accepted.

### Can I set a default level per application or webhook?

Set default_level on an application or a webhook and every message routed through it inherits that level. An explicit level on the message itself always wins. If nothing is set anywhere, the message goes out as default.

### Do critical alerts work on the Free plan?

Critical delivery is a paid feature. On the Free plan a critical message is delivered at high priority — it still arrives instantly and stays at the top of your feed, it just does not override Do Not Disturb.

### Does a silent message get lost?

No. A silent message (level -2) skips the sound and vibration entirely and lands quietly in the notification tray and your message history. Use it for success pings, digests, and anything you want on record without a buzz.