App Calls
CleverAlert has shipped with app calling compiled out since build 1.2.9+166 (21 August 2026)
(the kAppCallingEnabled build flag, off on both iOS and Android). A phone
running a current build cannot ring for an App Call, so everything on this page
describes what App Calls do when the flag is on — not what a customer's phone
does today. The flag is a single build-time switch and the calling code is all
still there; nothing server-side was changed.
Your control room's operator can call you directly inside CleverAlert — an audio-only voice call carried over the internet, not a phone call. There's no phone number involved on either side and it costs you nothing.
Requirements
- CleverAlert 1.2.8 or newer
- Notification permission granted, so your phone can ring for the call
- Microphone permission granted, so you can answer
Receiving a call
An App Call arrives as a native, full-screen incoming call — CallKit on iOS, a full-screen call notification on Android — with Answer and Decline, exactly like an ordinary phone call. It works even when CleverAlert is closed or your phone is locked.
The caller name shown is your control room's name (or a custom display name they've configured) — not a phone number.
Answering or declining
- Tap Answer to accept the call — audio connects immediately, no password or verification step.
- Tap Decline to reject it. The operator sees this immediately.
During the call
If you're inside the app when you answer, a green bar appears at the top of the screen showing the caller's name and a running call timer. Tap the bar to expand it and reveal Mute, Speaker and End buttons. Speaker routes the call audio to your phone's loudspeaker; with it off, audio plays through the earpiece — or through your headset or Bluetooth device automatically when one is connected.
If you're outside the app (on your lock screen or in another app), your phone's own native call screen handles the call — mute and end from there, the same as any phone call.
Quick responses on the call screen
When the operator calls you about an alarm, the full call screen also shows a Quick response section, so you can settle the alarm with a tap while you talk. The green bar shows a Respond badge whenever quick responses are waiting — tap the bar to open them.
The options adapt to the type of signal the operator is calling about. For a typical alarm you'll see:
- All is fine — confirms everything is in order. You'll be asked to tap your response colour first, the same colour password used elsewhere in the app. After you tap a colour the screen simply confirms your response was recorded.
- Send help — asks the control room for a visible response. The operator sees it instantly.
- Not sure — respond anyway — if you can't confirm either way, this asks the control room to respond to be safe.
Other signal types show different options — for example, a late-to-close call offers We're closing later instead of "Not sure".
You can only send one quick response per call. If a button fails to send for any reason, just tell the operator — you're already talking to them.
Ending the call
Either you or the operator can end the call at any time. However it ends — you hang up, the operator hangs up, or you decline — the outcome is reflected to the operator immediately.
Only an operator at a control room monitoring one of your sites can App Call you, and only if your account is connected as an app user there. Calls may be recorded — the call screen notes this while you're on the line.