What are Mass Notifications?
Mass Notifications let Hub operators send a single urgent message to multiple devices at once. They are built into the Check-in system, so when a field user acknowledges a Mass Notification, the Hub records it the same way it records a Check-in reply.
You can send a notification right away or schedule it ahead of time. You can target individual devices, all devices in an Active Area, or both. Every notification has a severity level so recipients know at a glance how urgent it is.
Severity levels
Every Mass Notification requires a severity level before it can be sent. Choose the level that matches the nature of your message.
Note: Please make sure that Critical Alerts are enabled for the EVERYWHERE App in cell phone settings.
| Severity | When to use it |
|---|---|
| Low | General information with no immediate action needed |
| Medium | Standard operational updates your team should see soon |
| High | Elevated urgency — your team needs to read and respond quickly |
| Critical | Emergency-level — requires immediate attention |
How to send a Mass Notification from the Hub
- Log in to the EVERYWHERE Hub and open the Check-in Dashboard.
- Click the + floating action button in the bottom-right corner and select Mass Notification.
- Enter a Notification Name. This appears as the title in the dashboard.
- Search for and select the devices you want to reach, or skip device selection if you plan to use an Active Area instead.
- Choose a Severity level.
- Type your message in the Message field. You can include hyperlinks. If recipients are on inReach satellite devices, keep in mind the 160-character Iridium SBD limit.
- Optionally, add an Active Area to reach all devices within a geographic zone.
- Choose Send Now to send immediately, or set a date, time, and time zone to Schedule it for later.
How to manage notifications in the dashboard
Mass Notifications appear in the Check-in Dashboard alongside scheduled Check-ins. By default, the dashboard filters to show them automatically.
From the dashboard you can:
- View message content using the View Message link (hyperlinks in the message are clickable)
- Close a notification when no further action is needed
- Delete a notification
- Edit a scheduled notification before it sends
How recipients receive and acknowledge notifications
How a field user sees and responds to a Mass Notification depends on the device they are using.
Mobile app
Important: For functionality to work as expected, make sure all devices are updated to v5.1 or later
Notifications arrive in the Messages tab of the EVERYWHERE Mobile App. Unread notifications are sorted by severity first, then by time received, so Critical messages always appear at the top.
- The app sends a push notification, which opens directly to the Messages tab when tapped
- Tapping a notification opens the details page, where the user can read the full message and tap Check-in Now to acknowledge it
- A single Check-in Now response acknowledges all open Mass Notifications and any unanswered Check-ins at the same time
- Viewing a notification does not mark it as read — only Check-in Now does
- Hyperlinks in the message are tappable and open in the device browser
Devices running app versions older than v5.1 cannot receive or be selected for Mass Notifications.
inReach devices
Notifications are delivered to inReach devices via Iridium SBD messaging. The message arrives from mass-notification@evyw.io in this format:
When the field user replies with "y", a Check-in reply is sent to the Hub and the device status updates for all open Mass Notifications and Check-ins at once.