The iOS 15 beta update adds critical alerts to HomeKit notifications

Cupertino, July 5, 2021

If you're not familiar with HomeKit, it's Apple's own smart home platform that allows users to control certain devices even when they're away from home.

It's a framework that helps smart devices connect using the Home app on the iOS ecosystem. With the introduction of iOS 11, Apple has allowed HomeKit connected devices to send you a notification on your phone.

iOS 12 improvised on the same thing and introduced the ability to send critical alerts. Critical alerts appear even if your device is in DND or silent mode.

These can be life-saving if you want to be informed about events such as a cyclone or a fire in your area.

In recent years, Apple has kept a tight grip and allowed only a handful of apps to send critical alerts. One of the popular weather apps that Apple has permission for is Carrot Weather.

Apple app developers must ask and justify to Cupertino why they want to send a critical alert to users before they are given permission. Even so, Apple rejected most of their requests.

Even the company's own Home app did not have the ability to send a critical alert to users.

But according to some reports, it seems that Apple is now allowing users to receive "critical alerts" using HomeKit notifications on the latest iOS 15 beta.

iOS-15-HomeKit-Critical Alerts

Source

Haha, my wife cooked the ham literally just minutes ago and my smoke detectors connected to the homebridge started warning before the siren went out. HomeKit got me out of bed. It went through focus mode, had a different sound and vibration than usual. There is no video, but here is a screenshot of the notification. (Source)

Here are the critical alerts for Homekit notifications on iOS 15 beta:

Critical-Alert-HomeKit-iOS-15-Notification

Many users are surprised to learn that HomeKit has not been able to send critical alerts so far. Currently, the feature only works for security systems and smoke detectors.

Users can try to issue critical alerts by configuring devices to identify security systems or smoke detectors.

It can be configured to allow the HomeKit application to send "Critical Alerts" through notification settings. If an application supports this feature, you'll see the "Allow critical alerts" option above the "Allow notifications" option.

All you have to do is allow the supported app to send "Critical Alerts" and you're good to go.

NOTE: We have several such stories in the Apple section, so be sure to follow them as well.

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