Critical notifications

#1

I’m using the new v2 app (thank you @robbiet480). I believe I have critical notifications correctly configured, however am noticing the following:

  • If my iPhone is on and unlocked, I hear the sound
  • If my iPhone is locked, only my Apple Watch “dings” (does not play the sound)
  • If my iPhone is in DND, only my Apple Watch “dings” (does not play the sound)

Is anyone else seeing similar behaviour? It appears the watch is somehow over-riding the “criticalness”. Is this an iOS bug?

For completeness, here is my relevant config:

###
# notify.yaml
###
- name: flood_detected
  platform: group
  services:
    - service: mobile_app_MYDEVICE
      data:
        title: 'Leak detected!!!'
        data:
          push:
            sound: 
              name: "US-EN-Morgan-Freeman-Water-Detected-In-Basement.wav"
              critical: 1
              volume: 1.0

###
# alert.yaml
###
flood_detected:
  name: Water leak detected
  done_message: Leak fixed
  entity_id: input_boolean.flood_detected
  state: 'on'
  repeat: 
    - 5
    - 15
    - 30
    - 60
  can_acknowledge: true
  notifiers:
    - flood_detected
#2

Can your try running to following from services in developer tools (to the appropriate notify.mobile_app_<device_name> service of course).

title: "Wake up!"
message: "The house is on fire and the cat's stuck in the dryer!"
data:
  push:
    sound:
      name: default
      critical: 1
      volume: 1.0

I get the following (in all cases phone and watch are on silent):

  • Using phone/phone unlocked: alert banner and sound
  • Phone locked: watch makes sound
  • Phone locked and DND: watch makes sound

I’m sure they used to be loader but it is working as I expect and I think this is the same as you describe. I don’t think the custom sounds are supported by the watch right now probably for storage reasons

#3

I tested as per your suggestion and found the following. The only change I made from your test is that I used name: "US-EN-Morgan-Freeman-Water-Detected-In-Basement.wav" to try to better distinguish the sounds on iOS.

Watch on & connected:
Phone unlocked — Morgan Freeman played on phone
Phone locked — Default played on watch
Phone locked and Silent on — Default played on watch
Phone locked, Silent on and DND on — Default played on watch

Watch off
Phone unlocked — Morgan Freeman played on phone
Phone locked – Morgan Freeman played on phone
Phone locked and Silent on — Morgan Freeman played on phone
Phone locked, Silent on and DND on — Morgan Freeman played on phone

I think this is an iOS bug. Unless there is some API hook that allows a notification to be directed at the phone only?

#4

This is the expected behaviour. Custom sounds do not currently forward to the watch. This should probably be documented better