How to create a Level 1 alert using BlackBerry 10 OS version 10.2.1

Level 1 alert notifications, a popular feature from BlackBerry OS, is now available for those using BlackBerry 10 OS version 10.2.1!

This feature allows you to create rules that override your existing notifications so you are notified regardless of your current notification settings. In addition to notifications you can customize for messages, BlackBerry Hub displays messages marked as a Level 1 alert in red so they are easy to identify. I use this feature to ensure I am notified whenever I receive a message marked with High Importance or whenever I am on-call.

With that being said, to create a Level 1 alert notification, you need to create a rule so that messages sent from specific accounts, with a specific subject, or specific criteria are sent to your BlackBerry Priority Hub.

But first, make sure you enable the BlackBerry Priority Hub feature. To do this, complete the following steps.

1. In the BlackBerry Hub, tap  >  > Priority Hub
2. Set the Priority Hub switch to On

Step 1 – Create a priority rule and set it as a Level 1 alert

After you enable the BlackBerry Priority Hub, you can create rules that mark specific messages as a Level 1 alert notification.

1. Tap  >  > Priority Hub
2. Tap  Add Rule and do any of the following:
   • To add a name to your rule, enter a name in the Filter Name field
   • To flag messages from a specific email address as priority, enter an email address in the From field
   • To flag messages with a specific subject as priority, enter a subject in the Subject field
   • To flag messages that are sent directly to you or that you are cc’d on as priority, select the Sent Directly to Me or the Cc: to Me checkbox
   • To set a Level 1 alert for your rule, select the Enable Level 1 Alert checkbox
3. Tap Save

In the following example, any messages sent to my email address that are marked as High Importance will trigger a Level 1 alert notification.

Step 2 – Change the notification settings for Level 1 alerts

After you create rules to mark specific messages as a Level 1 alert, complete the following steps to customize the notification settings for these types of messages.

An important thing to remember when you customize these notifications is that Level 1 alerts override your existing notifications settings.

1. On the home screen, swipe down from the top of the screen
2. Tap Settings > Notifications > Level 1 Alert
3. Change the Sound, Tone, Vibrate, LED or Instant Previews settings
4. After you are finished, tap Back to save your changes

After completing these steps you will have successfully enabled the Level 1 alert notification feature, created rules to identify specific messages as a Level 1 alert, and customized notifications that occur when one of these messages is received!

To learn more about the BlackBerry Hub and other features designed to help increase your productivity make sure you check out the Help app on a BlackBerry 10 device, or review the user guide available at http://docs.blackberry.com.