We've had several questions on whether the audio tones sounded by SW+ Alerts (commonly called "wake-me-up alerts") when a Tornado Warning or Severe Thunderstorm Warning can be heard if one's device is silenced or on Do Not Disturb. iOS devices and Android devices work differently. Let's take them one at a time.

iPhones/iPads
As of StormWatch+ version 4.1.0, released April 20, 2020, Apple has granted "Critical Alerts" status to SW+ Alerts. This means that warnings that require immediate action to protect life and property (Tornado Warnings and Severe Thunderstorm Warnings) will override devices that are silenced, muted, or on Do Not Disturb, sending a loud "wake-me-up" audio tone.
 
You must have granted the app permission to sound Critical Alerts when you installed/updated to this version of the app. To check whether Critical Alerts are enabled, open your device's Settings app, scroll down and tap StormWatch+, then Notifications, then turn ON "Allow Critical Alerts."
 
Android devices
On modern versions on Android (9+), it is possible for you to configure your device's settings to allow SW+ Alerts audio notifications to override Do Not Disturb  when it's activated. (This does not apply to silenced devices.)

From within the StormWatch+ app with an active subscription to SW+ Alerts, tap the Settings button on the Active Alerts card.

Tap "Send Test Notification," which should test your device to make sure your settings are correct and send you a test push notification. On the bottom of that test screen, tap "Go To Settings App," which takes you to your phone's settings for the StormWatch+ app.

You should see your device's app notifications options for StormWatch+. Tap "SW+ Alerts: Wake Me Up Alerts" and scroll to the bottom. You will see "Ignore Do Not Disturb." Turn this ON.

Wake-me-up alerts sent by SW+ Alerts will now sound even if Do Not Disturb is activated on your device.

Since the initial release of the StormWatch+ mobile app in 2012, we have charged a one-time flat fee for the ability to receive life-saving severe weather alerts pushed to the app. The service has generally been very reliable and is one of the fastest ways to receive mobile app-based weather alerts on the market today. Over the intervening years, we have continued to upgrade back-end processes and hardware, as well as communication channels with the app, to bolster the reliability of the service even further. We are proud that we have achieved 99.95% uptime and delivery of weather alerts to our users, providing a stable and lightning fast delivery service.

This level of service and the infrastructure to support it, however, does not come without a price. In fact, we incur ongoing monthly and annual expenses to maintain the servers, processing, and app updates necessary to maintain high reliability and support new development, even if the weather is quiet! 

In addition, Cirrus Weather Solutions, LLC is a micro-business and does not have large corporate backing that allows us to subsidize one product on the back of another. We also do NOT place ads in our apps (or to charge you to remove them) because we believe that you are looking for great content in a straight-forward and easy-to-use interface uncluttered by advertisements. Finally, because we value your privacy over a little profit, we have made the intentional decision NOT to sell your data to any third party in exchange for some gain (monetary or otherwise) on our part. Period. (See our straight-forward Privacy Policy here.) You will not find a mobile weather alert app on the market that provides an alert service like ours for free that does not either fill it with ads or sell your data. It simply does not exist.

Therefore, effective with the release of StormWatch+ 4.0, while the base app will remain free to download, the SW+ Alerts service will become subscription-based rather than a one-time charge. This transition will allow us to continue to provide the highest level of service that both you, and us, require, while also allowing us to continue to keep the app ad-free, protect your data, and develop new features for the app going forward. And the roadmap is full of exciting new ideas that we know you will use and appreciate, including an Android app early in 2020! Many of these updates will come on the heels of a strong investment we have made in version 4.0 of StormWatch+.

As far as pricing, SW+ Alerts will be offered both as a monthly subscription for a minimal charge, or as an annual subscription, which will be discounted over paying monthly for an entire year. In addition, we are offering a discounted rate on annual subscriptions for a limited time to encourage new users to sign up.

As for those who already have the app and have previously purchased SW+ Alerts for a one-time fee, you will not be required to transition to the subscription based plan. Your one-time purchase will entitle you to lifetime alerts at no additional cost, unless you change the account you use with the App Store and thus are required to re-purchase SW+ Alerts at a later time. This includes restoring of a previous one-time purchase on a new device, as long as the same App Store account is used. 

Unfortunately, Apple requires separate purchases to be made on new App Store accounts for any and all apps and in-app purchases. We greatly appreciate all of you who have supported Cirrus Weather Solutions over the past 7 years by downloading the StormWatch+ app and purchasing the in-app upgrade to receive weather alerts. 

For new users, we hope that you understand the reasoning for our new pricing plans and trust that you will find the service well worth the minimal cost to ensure peace of mind when severe weather threatens.
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As always, thank you for your support and understanding!

Erik Proseus
Owner and Meteorologist
Cirrus Weather Solutions, LLC

The wireless industry, Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) now disseminate Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) to cell phone users across the nation.  The National Weather Service (NWS) utilizes WEA to push select extreme weather bulletins using this platform.  WEA, also known as Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS) or Personal Localized Alerting Network (PLAN), is a national emergency alert system to send concise, text-like messages to users’ WEA-capable mobile devices.  Along with severe weather alerts, other messages that will be sent as Imminent Threat Alerts include natural disaster notices, such as in the event of an earthquake.  In addition to Imminent Threat Alerts, AMBER Alerts will be sent via WEA, as well as Presidential Alerts.

WEA Basics

• Users are automatically enrolled in the program, but can opt out of all alerts except Presidential Alerts
• Alerts will only be sent to WEA-capable devices (most phones released in the past few years)
• Carriers representing more than 97% of cell phone users are represented
• Mobile users are NOT charged to receive these messages
• Messages will appear similar to text messages, though they utilize more robust delivery technology than traditional text messages that is not susceptible to network congestion
• Alerts will arrive on your device with a distinct tone and vibration which is different from a standard text message
• Alert messages will be sent to those within a targeted area (individual cell towers can be programmed to send a specific alert), unlike text messages which are not location aware
• Though the messages are targeted, your location is not "tracked." An alert to a particular area will be delivered to all capable devices within that area, regardless of where the device originates or it's "home" area (i.e., someone from Boston traveling in Dallas will receive any severe weather alerts for Dallas while he is in the affected area)
• Messages will be limited to 90 characters (though an expansion is planned in early 2020)

Weather alerts sent via WEA (may vary by area)

• Tsunami Warning
• Tornado Warning
• Extreme Wind Warning
• Flash Flood Warning
• Hurricane Warning
• Typhoon Warning
• Blizzard Warning
• Ice Storm Warning
• Lake Effect Snow Warning
• Dust Storm Warning

While this sounds like a direct (and free) competitor to our SW+ Alerts service, SW+ Alerts actually has several distinct and important advantages over the WEA system.

Benefits of StormWatch+ over WEA

• Delivery method
  • WEA - SMS-like text message
  • SW+ Alerts - Push notification with link to full-featured content in app
• Weather alert types
  • WEA - Limited set of high-end warnings, no watches
  • SW+ Alerts - Expanded list of warnings, advisories, and watches
• User selection of alerts
  • WEA - All on/off (except Presidential alerts)
  • SW+ Alerts - User controls individual alert types, quiet time, and vacation stop
• Location(s) monitored
  • WEA - current location only
  • SW+ Alerts - 5 user-defined locations anywhere in the U.S., as well as GPS-based location alerts for use while traveling
• Area warned
  • WEA - entire county + "bleed over" if cell tower near county line
  • SW+ Alerts - Only within NWS warning polygon
• Reliability
  • WEA - fairly reliable but statistics not available
  • SW+ Alerts - proven based on extensive use in all weather types (well above 99% reliability)
• Availability
  • WEA - all recent iOS/Android smartphones
  • SW+ Alerts - all iOS/Android smartphones and tablets
• Additional content
  • WEA - none
  • SW+ Alerts - local radar, forecast, current conditions, graphical depiction of warning + full text of the alert
    
    

For more information on SW+ Alerts, please visit www.StormWatchPlus.com

For more information on Wireless Emergency Alerts, refer to these sources:
CTIA - The Wireless Association (includes links to WEA info for specific carriers)
NWS Central Region WEA page (with more information on how the NWS plans to use WEA)
FCC website on CMAS
FEMA website on CMAS