Alerts now sound like an alarm even when the phone is on silent, while notices arrive with a soft sound that respects each person’s silent mode.
Mission Track Ping, the app organizations use to send notices and instructions to their staff, contractors and visitors, now offers two message levels in its latest version. From now on, whoever sends a message to a Ping channel from Mission Track Neo chooses whether it is a Notice or an Alert.
Notice is the default level: a regular notification with a soft sound that respects the phone’s silent mode. It is suitable for information and instructions that do not require immediate action, such as a closed access, a scheduled drill or a change of timetable.
Alert is designed for situations where every second counts: an evacuation, a lockdown or any urgent instruction. The notification sounds like an alarm even when the phone is on silent and, on Android phones, it repeats and appears over the lock screen until the person responds. Alerts are also highlighted in the message list.
Not all messages are the same: notices inform without disturbing, and alerts are always heard
To avoid mistakes, in Mission Track Neo the level selector only appears in Ping channels, always starts on Notice and, when Alert is chosen, the message field turns red. Each message is labelled with its level in the conversation, so the team always knows what has been communicated and how urgently.
The new feature has been available since 22 September in the latest versions of Mission Track Ping and Mission Track Neo, on Google Play and the App Store. Existing Ping users just need to update the app. More about Mission Track Ping.