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Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

MustPing doesn't decide what's important. You do.

Every notification rule you create tells MustPing exactly which conversations deserve to break through the noise. A rule can be as simple as "alert me when my manager sends a Slack DM" or as precise as "monitor the production alerts channel for messages containing P1, SEV1, or Outage between 9 AM and 6 PM on weekdays."

This guide covers everything you need to know about creating rules in MustPing. How to find the right channel names. How to configure keywords for precision. How to set up alerts that match the urgency of each conversation. And how to troubleshoot when something doesn't work as expected.

Whether you're setting up your first rule or fine tuning an existing configuration, this is your complete reference.

How do I turn a Slack notification into an alarm on Android?

Install MustPing, create a new rule, and select Slack as the source app. Choose the specific DM, group, or channel you want to monitor—not all of Slack, just the conversation that matters. Add Include Keywords like urgent, critical, or deployment to filter for truly important messages. Then configure your alert style: select a loud custom alarm sound, enable strong vibration, turn on camera flash alerts, and set the stopping condition to "Persist Until Acknowledged." If this conversation could alert you during sleep or meetings, enable DND Bypass so the alarm breaks through Do Not Disturb. Save the rule, and MustPing will transform notifications from that specific Slack conversation into unmissable alarms.

Can MustPing alarms bypass Do Not Disturb mode?

Yes. MustPing's DND Bypass feature (available on supported Android devices) allows you to designate specific rules that override Android's Do Not Disturb mode. When enabled for a rule, that rule's alerts will break through DND with full sound, vibration, and camera flash—even when your phone is completely silenced. This is configurable per rule, so you can enable DND bypass only for truly critical alerts like production incidents or urgent manager DMs, while less important rules continue to respect DND. Configure it during rule creation by toggling the DND Bypass option in the alert settings.

What makes MustPing alarms different from simply changing my notification sound in Android settings?

Changing your notification sound in Android settings only affects the sound—and even then, it applies to all notifications from that app indiscriminately. MustPing alarms are fundamentally different in five critical ways:

  1. Conversation-level targeting: Alarm only specific DMs or channels, not the entire app.
  2. Persistence: MustPing alarms repeat until you acknowledge them—they don't play once and go silent.
  3. DND Bypass: MustPing alarms can punch through Do Not Disturb when configured; Android notification sounds cannot.
  4. Multi-sensory alerting: Combine custom alarm sounds with strong vibration patterns and camera flash alerts simultaneously.
  5. Keyword filtering: Trigger alarms only for messages containing specific words like urgent or production, filtering out routine chatter.

Android's built-in sound settings change what you hear. MustPing changes whether you hear it at all—and guarantees you keep hearing it until you respond.

Will MustPing drain my battery if I use camera flash alerts?

No, the battery impact is negligible. Camera flash alerts consume battery only in the brief moments when an alert is actively firing. Since alarm-worthy notifications should be rare—most professionals configure only 3-7 alarm-level rules, and genuinely critical messages don't arrive every few minutes—the total flash activation time per day is typically measured in seconds. Additionally, MustPing monitors notifications at the system level through Android's notification broadcast mechanism, which is far more battery-efficient than constantly polling apps. In practice, users report no noticeable difference in battery life after installing MustPing.

Can I use different alarm sounds for different types of messages?

Yes, and this is strongly recommended. MustPing allows you to assign a unique custom alarm sound to each rule. For example:

  • Production incidents: A loud, urgent alarm tone that means "wake up now."
  • Manager DMs: A distinct but slightly less jarring sound that means "check this promptly."
  • Client escalations: A third unique sound that means "client needs attention."

Your brain will learn to distinguish these sounds within days. You'll know the urgency level and source of the message before you even pick up your phone—saving precious seconds during incident response and letting you prioritize without checking the screen.

What happens if I'm in a meeting and my phone starts blaring an alarm?

You can quickly acknowledge the MustPing notification to stop the alarm immediately—just tap the notification or use the on-screen dismiss button. You can also enable Burst Protection. It will prevent any frequent notification if any channel/chat become highly active. You can also take leverage of cooldown period. It will set time between two consecutive notification. The key to avoiding meeting disruptions is smart scheduling. MustPing lets you configure per-rule schedules, so you might set:

  • During work hours (9 AM–6 PM): Use camera flash + strong vibration but no loud alarm sound for manager DMs and client messages—visible and tactile, but meeting-safe.
  • After hours (6 PM–9 AM): Enable the full loud alarm sound for the same rules—when you're not typically in meetings.
  • 24/7 critical rules: For production incidents, keep full audio alarms enabled around the clock, since a meeting disruption is preferable to missing a production outage.

This per-rule, per-schedule control ensures your alarms match your context—intrusive when they need to be, discreet when they should be.

How many notification rules should I configure as alarms?

Most professionals need only 3-7 alarm-level rules total. The principle is simple: if everything is an alarm, nothing is. Alarm fatigue—where you start ignoring alerts because they fire too frequently—is the fastest way to defeat the purpose of alarm-style notifications. Be ruthlessly selective. Ask yourself: "Would I want to be woken up at 3 AM for this?" If the answer is no, it doesn't deserve alarm treatment. Typical alarm-worthy rules include: (1) production incident channel alerts, (2) direct messages from your manager, (3) urgent client communications, (4) on-call escalation messages, and (5) critical security alerts. Everything else can remain as standard notifications.

Does MustPing work with Microsoft Teams and Google Chat, or only Slack?

MustPing works with all major communication platforms including Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Chat, Gmail, Outlook, and any other app that generates Android notifications. The setup process is identical regardless of platform—select the app, choose the specific conversation (DM, group, or channel), configure your keywords and alert style, and save the rule. You can even create rules across multiple platforms simultaneously, ensuring that critical messages reach you whether they arrive via Slack, Teams, email, or any other channel your organization uses.

How do persistent reminders work, and how do I stop them?

When you configure a MustPing rule with the stopping condition "Persist Until Acknowledged," the alert doesn't fire just once—it repeats at your configured cooldown interval (e.g., every 2 minutes, 5 minutes, or 10 minutes) until you take action. To stop the persistent reminders, simply tap the MustPing notification or use the acknowledge/dismiss button within the notification. This explicit acknowledgment tells MustPing you've seen the alert, and it stops repeating immediately. You can also configure rules to "Stop After Duration" (e.g., stop after 30 minutes even if unacknowledged) or "Notify Only Once" for messages that don't require guaranteed delivery. This flexibility lets you match persistence to message importance.

Can I test my alarm configuration before relying on it for real critical messages?

Yes, and you absolutely should. MustPing includes a Preview Alert option during rule creation and editing. Tap it to experience exactly how your configured alarm will behave—the sound, vibration pattern, and camera flash will all trigger as if a real notification arrived. Additionally, after saving a rule, you should conduct a live test: ask a colleague to send a test message to the monitored conversation, or trigger a test alert from your monitoring platform. Verify that the alarm fires correctly, DND bypass works (test with DND enabled), persistent reminders repeat at your configured interval, and acknowledgment stops the alerts. Monthly testing is recommended to catch any issues from Android updates or configuration changes before a real incident does.

How to Create a Rule in MustPing

Creating a rule is simple and takes only a few minutes:

  1. Open MustPing.
  2. Go to the Rules section.
  3. Tap New Rule.
  4. Select the app you want to monitor.
  5. Choose what should trigger the alert, such as a specific channel, direct message, group, or keyword.
  6. Configure your conditions.
  7. Select your alert style and escalation settings.
  8. Set your schedule if required.
  9. Configure your stopping conditions.
  10. Review your rule and create it.

Your rule will then monitor matching notifications from the selected app. When a notification matches your configured conditions, MustPing triggers the alert behavior you defined.

What Information Should You Enter When Creating a Rule?

The information you enter depends on the app and the type of notification you want to monitor.

For example, you might create a rule like:

  • App: Slack
  • Channel: #production-alerts
  • Keywords: P1, SEV1, Outage
  • Active Time: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Or:

  • App: Microsoft Teams
  • Person: Your manager
  • Trigger: Direct message

Or:

  • App: Google Chat
  • Space: Engineering
  • Keywords: Production, Critical

The exact fields available may vary depending on the app you select and the notification data that app provides to Android.

How to Find a Slack Channel Name for MustPing

To find a Slack channel name:

  1. Open Slack.
  2. Open the workspace where the channel exists.
  3. Navigate to the channel you want to monitor.
  4. Look at the channel header at the top of the conversation.
  5. The channel name will typically appear with a #, such as:
    • #general
    • #production-alerts
    • #devops
    • #engineering

When creating a MustPing rule, use the channel name shown in the notification or the channel name displayed by Slack.

Tip: If you are unsure which value MustPing expects, send a test message in the channel and check the notification generated by Slack on your Android device. The notification usually contains the channel information that MustPing uses to identify the conversation.

How to Find a Slack Person's Name for a Direct Message Rule

To monitor messages from a specific person:

  1. Open Slack.
  2. Open the direct message conversation with the person.
  3. Check the person's displayed name at the top of the conversation.
  4. Use the same name that appears in the notification generated by Slack.

For example:

Alex Carter

You can then configure MustPing to monitor direct messages from that person, depending on the notification information available on your device.

Tip: The name shown in the Android notification is the most useful reference because MustPing works with the notification data provided by Slack.

How to Find a Microsoft Teams Channel Name

To find a Teams channel:

  1. Open Microsoft Teams.
  2. Go to the relevant Team.
  3. Expand the Team to view its channels.
  4. Select the channel you want to monitor.
  5. Note the channel name.

For example:

  • Team: Engineering
  • Channel: Production Alerts

When setting up a MustPing rule, use the channel or conversation information that appears in the Teams notification.

How to Find a Microsoft Teams Team or Group Name

Open Microsoft Teams and navigate to the relevant Team or group conversation.

For example:

  • Engineering Team
  • Project Alpha
  • DevOps
  • Management

If you're unsure which name MustPing detects, send yourself a test message or ask someone to send a message in that conversation. Then check the Android notification and use the name displayed there when configuring your MustPing rule.

How to Find the Name of a Person in Microsoft Teams

To find a person's name:

  1. Open Microsoft Teams.
  2. Open the direct message conversation.
  3. Look at the person's display name at the top of the chat.
  4. Compare it with the name shown in the Android notification.

For the most reliable rule, use the name exactly as it appears in the notification received on your device.

How to Find a Google Chat Space Name

To find a Space name in Google Chat:

  1. Open Google Chat.
  2. Open the Space you want to monitor.
  3. Look at the name displayed at the top of the Space.
  4. Use that name when configuring your MustPing rule.

For example:

  • Engineering
  • Product Updates
  • Incident Response
  • Project Alpha

If you're unsure about the exact name detected by MustPing, check the Android notification generated when someone sends a message in the Space.

How to Find a Google Chat Person's Name

For direct messages:

  1. Open Google Chat.
  2. Open the conversation with the person.
  3. Check the person's displayed name.
  4. Compare it with the name shown in the Android notification.

Use the name displayed in the notification when setting up your MustPing rule.

How to Find a WhatsApp Group Name

To find a WhatsApp group name:

  1. Open WhatsApp.
  2. Open the group you want to monitor.
  3. Check the group name at the top of the conversation.
  4. Compare it with the name shown in the Android notification.

For example:

  • Team Leads
  • Family
  • Project Alpha
  • On-Call Team

Use the name that appears in the notification when configuring your MustPing rule.

How to Find the Name of a WhatsApp Contact

Open the WhatsApp conversation with the person and check their displayed name.

Then compare it with the name shown in the Android notification.

For example:

  • John Doe
  • Priya Sharma
  • Alex Carter

The notification name is generally the best reference when creating a MustPing rule.

What If You Don't Know the Exact Name to Enter?

The easiest way is to trigger a test notification.

For example:

  1. Open the app you want to monitor.
  2. Send a test message or ask someone to send one.
  3. Wait for the Android notification.
  4. Look at the notification title and content.
  5. Use the information shown there when creating your MustPing rule.

MustPing works by monitoring Android notifications, so the information available in the notification is the most relevant when configuring your rules.

Can I monitor messages containing specific keywords?

Yes. You can use keywords to focus on messages that contain terms you consider important.

For example:

  • Production
  • P1
  • SEV1
  • Outage
  • Critical
  • Urgent
  • Customer
  • Payment Failed

You can use this to create rules for high priority incidents or work related messages that demand immediate attention.

Can I use multiple keywords?

Yes, depending on your configured rule conditions, you can use multiple keywords to identify important notifications.

For example, you might monitor notifications containing:

  • P1
  • SEV1
  • Critical
  • Outage

This can help you catch different terms used to describe urgent incidents across your monitoring tools.

Can I exclude certain keywords?

Yes. MustPing allows you to use keyword exclusions to prevent unwanted notifications from triggering an alert.

For example, if you want to monitor a channel but don't want routine messages to trigger alerts, you can exclude specific terms like resolved, FYI, or newsletter.

What happens when a matching notification arrives?

When MustPing detects a notification that matches an active rule, it can trigger your configured alert behavior.

Depending on your settings, this may include:

  • Alarm sound
  • Strong vibration
  • Camera flash alerts
  • Repeated alerts
  • Persistent reminders
  • Custom repeat intervals

The alert continues according to your configured stopping conditions.

Can I make an alert continue until I acknowledge it?

Yes. You can configure MustPing to continue alerting until you acknowledge the alert, depending on the stopping condition selected for the rule.

This is useful for notifications that require immediate attention and cannot be forgotten. The alert will keep reminding you at your configured cooldown interval until you physically dismiss it.

What is a stopping condition?

A stopping condition determines when MustPing should stop an active alert.

For example, an alert may stop when:

  • You acknowledge it.
  • A configured time period has passed.
  • Another configured condition is reached.

This gives you control over how long an important notification should remain active.

Can I prevent repetitive alerts?

Yes. MustPing includes controls such as Cooldown and Burst Control to help prevent repeated alerts when many notifications arrive within a short period.

This is particularly useful for busy Slack channels or group conversations where multiple messages may arrive at once. Instead of being overwhelmed, you get controlled, meaningful alerts.

Can I configure MustPing to work only during office hours?

Yes. You can configure active times for your rules.

For example:

  • Days: Monday – Friday
  • Time: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Outside the configured schedule, the rule will not actively monitor notifications for escalation. This protects your personal time while keeping you responsive during work hours.

Can I configure different days for a rule?

Yes. You can select the days on which a rule should be active.

This is useful for:

  • Workdays
  • On call schedules
  • Weekends
  • Overnight shifts
  • Rotating support schedules

Can I use MustPing for overnight on call shifts?

Yes. MustPing can be useful for on call engineers and support teams who need to monitor critical notifications outside normal working hours.

You can configure rules around specific channels, conversations, or keywords and schedule them according to your on call hours. Combine this with DND Bypass for alerts that must wake you up.

Why does MustPing need Notification Access?

MustPing uses Android's Notification Access feature to detect notifications from the apps you choose to monitor.

Without notification access, MustPing cannot see the notifications required to evaluate your rules. This permission is essential for the app to function.

Why do I need to keep notifications enabled for the monitored app?

MustPing relies on Android notifications to identify incoming messages.

If notifications are disabled for the monitored app, MustPing may not receive the information needed to evaluate your rules.

Make sure notifications for the selected app are enabled in your Android system settings.

Can MustPing work when my phone is on Silent mode?

MustPing provides configurable alert behavior for important notifications. Depending on your Android device and system settings, you may need to enable the appropriate permissions and settings for MustPing to deliver alerts reliably.

Can MustPing work with Do Not Disturb mode?

MustPing can be configured to work with important alerts even when your phone's normal notification behavior is restricted, depending on your Android device and permissions.

You may need to allow MustPing to bypass Do Not Disturb or enable the relevant system permission for the alerts to break through.

Why didn't MustPing alert me?

If a matching notification did not trigger an alert, check the following:

  • Make sure MustPing has Notification Access.
  • Make sure notifications are enabled for the monitored app.
  • Check that your MustPing rule is active.
  • Verify that the rule's schedule is currently active.
  • Check the app, channel, group, or person selected in the rule.
  • Check your keyword and exclusion conditions.
  • Check cooldown and burst control settings.
  • Make sure Android battery optimization is not restricting MustPing.
  • Check that your alert style and system notification permissions are configured correctly.

Does MustPing read all my notifications?

MustPing requires Android Notification Access to monitor notifications, but it uses that access to evaluate notifications against your configured rules.

The goal is to identify notifications that match the conditions you've defined and escalate only those that matter to you. Notifications that don't match any active rule are ignored.

Does MustPing upload my notification content?

MustPing is designed with privacy in mind. Notification contents used for local notification monitoring are processed on your Android device and are not uploaded to external servers for this purpose.

Does MustPing work offline?

Core notification monitoring and rule processing are designed to work locally on your device, so an internet connection is not required for the core alerting functionality.

Some optional services, such as account related features, purchase restoration, or future cloud synchronization, may require an internet connection.

Where can I see my active rules?

Open MustPing and go to the Rules section.

There you can view your configured rules and manage their active or paused status.

Can I pause a rule without deleting it?

Yes. You can pause a rule when you temporarily don't want it to monitor notifications.

You can reactivate it later without having to create the rule again. This is useful for vacations, project transitions, or when you're off call.

Can I delete a rule?

Yes. Open the Rules section, select the rule you no longer need, and delete it.

For example, you might remove a rule when a project ends, you change teams, or you no longer work with a specific client.

Can I see alerts that I missed?

MustPing provides notification history so you can review relevant alerts and see what happened even if you were unable to respond immediately.

Can I export my MustPing rules?

Yes. MustPing provides backup and export functionality so you can save your rules and settings for future use or keep a copy of your configuration.

Can I restore my MustPing rules?

Yes. You can use the backup and restore functionality to restore your saved configuration when switching phones, reinstalling the app, or recovering from a factory reset.

Conclusion: Your Rules, Your Priorities

MustPing is only as powerful as the rules you create. The beauty of the system is that you decide what matters. Not Android. Not Slack. Not some algorithm guessing what's important based on how often you open an app.

Take the time to set up rules thoughtfully. Use the notification based approach described in this guide to get exact names right. Configure keywords to filter precisely. Set schedules that match your actual availability. And test your rules before relying on them for critical messages.

Once configured, your MustPing rules become your personal alert infrastructure—working silently in the background, watching the conversations that matter, and making sure you never miss what's important.

Create your first rule today. Your future self will thank you.

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