SMS vs Call alerts: which should I use?
PowerNotify supports both SMS alerts and automated phone call alerts. Each has different strengths depending on how urgently you need to be notified.
SMS alerts
- Delivered quietly and reliably
- Easy to review later
- Less intrusive
- Lower chance of being missed if signal is weak
Call alerts
- Much harder to ignore
- Ideal if you need to be woken up at night due to a power failure
- Ideal for critical systems or business use
- Useful when immediate action is required
Note: Some phones may send automated calls to voicemail depending on call filtering or Do Not Disturb settings. For iPhone, ensure call screening is switched off.
Our recommendation
- Use SMS for general awareness and low-urgency monitoring.
- Use Call alerts for critical devices where downtime matters.
- Both can be enabled for maximum reliability.