FAQ2022-07-12T15:51:45+00:00

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Know NOW! App truly free or do I have to pay after a trial period?2022-11-14T20:12:43+00:00

There are three membership levels to the Know NOW! App with the entry level, namely Know NOW! Primary, being absolutely free! Know NOW! Primary allows Users to follow and create unlimited Groups; Know NOW! Plus allows Users to follow and create unlimited Groups while removing in-App advertising and adding further in-App features, and; Know NOW! Professional allows subscribers to utilize the Know NOW! Web Portal for enhanced control of their Know NOW! universe. Please note that regardless of membership level, all Users will automatically receive emergency Alerts from participating public agencies in their area.

Do I have to set up an account to use the Know NOW! App?2022-03-15T20:43:20+00:00

Yes. All Users of Know NOW! App must set up a free account to gain access to the App. However, we only require you to enter a username and password with no other personal information required.

Does the Know NOW! App send push notifications?2023-04-03T20:37:15+00:00

Yes. Every Alert from your Auto-Followed and Followed Groups will be delivered to your phone as a push notification as soon as it’s sent. However, Know NOW! gives you the option of disabling push notifications for any individual Group by pressing the Disable Notifications button on the Group Details Tab.

What is an Emergency Group?2023-03-21T13:14:48+00:00

In order to provide the most relevant Alerts, all App users are automatically subscribed to important local Groups, such as city, county or state Emergency Management Agencies, 911 Dispatchers or any other government agency. These Emergency Groups will constantly update based on the location of the User, with those Emergency Groups closest to you populating the Auto-Following section of the Home Screen.

Can I receive updates for multiple locations?2022-11-14T20:13:32+00:00

Yes. All Know NOW! Users automatically receive Alerts for their current location and can also follow unlimited Public and Private Groups.

What information is included in Know NOW! Alerts?2022-03-15T20:46:49+00:00

Know NOW! Alerts contain text by default but can also include location data, photos, videos, audio files, documents or web links to give maximum context to every message.

How does Know NOW! include location data in Alerts?2022-03-15T20:45:35+00:00

If a Know NOW! Alert includes location data, the relevant address or coordinates are included on the Group Locations Map of the relevant Group. This Group Locations Map features the location data from every active Alert in all of your Followed and Auto-Followed Groups, offering a crucial overview of all relevant information.

What is a Private Group and how do I join one?2022-11-14T20:14:40+00:00

Private Groups are invitation-only Groups that any Know NOW! User can create in order to send specific Alerts to targeted recipients. If you receive an invitation to a Private Group, click on the envelope icon in the top left-hand corner of the screen or on the associated in-App notification.

How much does it cost to become an Alert Sender?2022-11-14T20:15:25+00:00

Simply put, it’s completely free! Know NOW! has three membership levels that offer various different features but if you just want to create Public or Private Groups and send Alerts to those Groups, all you need is the free Know NOW! Primary membership. However, if you want to remove in-App advertising and acquire more Group Media storage space, you can upgrade to Know NOW! Plus, with Know NOW! Professional offering even more storage space as well as access to the Know NOW! Web Portal.

For more information about pricing, please click here.

How is a Public Group different from a Premium Group or Private Group?2022-11-14T20:18:15+00:00

Public Groups send universal Alerts, with these Alerts received by whomever follows your Public Group. Private Groups, on the other hand, were designed to send specific instructions to targeted recipients that you personally invite. More simply, App Users choose which Public Groups to follow while Alert Senders choose which App Users can join their Private Groups.

Premium Groups are something of a hybrid of the two. Any App User can join a Premium Group but they must pay a fee that is set by the Group Owner. (NOTE: Premium Groups are an upcoming feature and are not presently available).

Every App User has the ability to create Public Groups, Premium Groups and Private Groups. For more information on pricing, please click here.

Do I need phone numbers, email addresses or other contact information to send Alerts?2022-03-15T20:27:51+00:00

One of the best features of Know NOW! is that you don’t need phone numbers, email addresses or any other contact information to send Alerts to your Group. Since the end-user downloads the App directly to their phone, anyone who follows your Group will receive your Alerts with zero database management required.

If I send an Alert, who will receive it?2022-11-14T20:19:19+00:00

If sending an Alert to your Public Group, any App User who has chosen to follow that Group will receive the Alert. However, all of your sent Alerts will be viewable by any App User if they navigate to your Public Group page. If sending an Alert to a Private Group, only those App Users that have accepted your invitation to join the Group will receive the Alert. If sending an Alert to a Premium Group, only those App Users that have paid the Following Rate will receive the Alert (NOTE: Premium Groups are an upcoming feature and are not presently available).

What information can be included in a Know NOW! Alert?2022-11-14T20:25:13+00:00

Know NOW! Alerts can be as simple or as detailed as the Alert Sender wants. Every Alert can include an Alert Subject, Alert Message and Alert Severity (a feature only available to Auto-Follow Groups) and Alert Media (locations, videos, photos, audio, documents and web links), as well as a Send Date and Expiration Date.

Is it possible to add permanent items to the Group Locations Map?2022-11-14T20:26:47+00:00

Yes. Group Leaders can add Pins or Polygons to the Group Locations Map under the Media Tab of their Group. Whether these Pins or Polygon show siren coordinates, building locations or any other relevant site, the Group Leader is in complete control of what the Group Followers see as well as when they see it.

Can I send Alerts from my phone or tablet?2022-11-14T20:22:38+00:00

Yes. Know NOW! Alert Senders can utilize the desktop, tablet or smartphone versions of the App, with most features being available across the board*.

* Know NOW! Professional Users have access to additional Alert features via the Know NOW! Web Portal.

Is there a limit on how many Alerts I can send?2022-03-15T20:20:11+00:00

There are no limits* on how many Alerts that can be sent. Since the pricing is based on primarily on Group Media storage and not on individual Alerts, you never need to worry about exceeding any pre-defined quotas in an emergency or any other situation.

* While there are no limits on the number of Alerts that can be sent, CentrAlert and the Know NOW! App reserve the right to review this policy if we notice patterns of unfair or excessive use.

Is Know NOW! truly free or is it just a trial period?2022-11-14T20:24:05+00:00

We want Know NOW! to be utilized by as many public agencies as possible. While there are various subscription levels available for individual Know NOW! Users, access to Know NOW! will remain completely free to qualifying public agencies for as long as they want to use it.

Do I need phone numbers or email addresses to send Alerts?2022-03-15T20:41:20+00:00

One of the best features of Know NOW! is that you don’t need phone numbers, email addresses or any other contact information to send Alerts. Since the end-user downloads the App directly to their phone and is then automatically subscribed to local government agencies, you only have to worry about your messaging with zero database management required.

If I send an Alert, who will actually receive it?2022-03-15T20:41:02+00:00

Due to your status as a government agency, you can be designated as an Auto-Follow Group. This means that every App user in your area (be they a resident, worker or visitor) is automatically subscribed to your Alerts. On top of this, anybody outside your area who chooses to follow your Group will also receive the Alerts.

What information can be included in an Alert?2022-11-14T20:21:03+00:00

Know NOW! Alerts can be as simple or as detailed as the Alert Sender wants. Every Alert can include an Alert Subject, Alert Message and Alert Severity (a feature only available to Auto-Follow Groups) and Alert Media (locations, videos, photos, audio, documents and web links), as well as a Send Date and Expiration Date.

How many Alert Priority levels are available?2023-03-21T13:05:47+00:00

Alert Priority levels are a feature that is uniquely available to Emergency Groups, such as Public Emergency Management Agencies, 911 Dispatchers and other government agencies. In general, Public and Private Groups each have one level of Alert but Public Groups with the Emergency designation have the ability to send both Non-Critical and Critical Alerts. While Non-Critical Alerts are no different than the standard form of Alert, Critical Alerts can override the App User’s phone settings to ensure that the Alert reaches as many people as possible.

Is it possible to add permanent items to the Group Locations Map?2022-11-14T20:21:50+00:00

Yes. Group Leaders can add Pins or Polygons to the Group Locations Map under the Media Tab of their Group. Whether these Pins or Polygon show siren coordinates, building locations or any other relevant site, the Group Leader is in complete control of what the Group Followers see as well as when they see it.

 

Can I send Alerts from my phone?2022-11-14T20:27:33+00:00

Yes. Know NOW! Alert Senders can utilize the desktop, tablet or smartphone versions of the App, with most features being available across the board*.

* Know NOW! Professional Users have access to additional Alert via the Know NOW! Web Portal.

What is a Private Group and how do I create one?2022-03-15T20:30:48+00:00

While some Alerts need to be universal, you also need the ability to send specific instructions to targeted recipients. To this end, Know NOW! allows Alert Senders to create Private Groups where membership is invitation-only. Whether you have one Group of ten people or ten Groups of one person, this feature offers crucial segmentation to get your messages where they need to go.

After joining the Know NOW! Community Project, how do I get local residents to download the App?2022-03-15T20:30:26+00:00

In order to get the message out to as many local residents as possible, we will provide all participating public agencies with a selection of Public Service Announcement materials in the form of videos, emails, online ads and more. This will allow every public agency to use the money they’ve saved from retiring their existing mass text or email service to advertise the App to their community.

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