Last week, I launched an iOS app called SuperDose — a simple medication reminder that sends notifications to users when it's time to take their meds.
For the app to function properly, it needs access to the Critical Alerts API. Critical Alerts allow notifications to bypass silent mode and Do Not Disturb, which is essential for users who take life-saving medications like those for hypertension.
Apple’s own Health app uses Critical Alerts for its medication reminders, so I assumed my use case would qualify. I submitted a request for access to the API, but it was rejected.
The rejection email said, "Apps that can't enforce that usage are not likely candidates for this API." That reasoning makes no sense to me — Critical Alerts can only be enabled with explicit user consent. If Apple’s concern is abuse, the opt-in mechanism already covers that. By this logic, even the Health app shouldn't be allowed to use it.
What’s even more confusing is that I’ve seen general-purpose to-do or reminder apps on the App Store that somehow got approved for Critical Alerts, even though their use case seems far less urgent.
Without this permission, my app is incomplete. Users might miss critical medication reminders just because their phone was on silent. That’s potentially dangerous.
Honestly, I’m a bit frustrated.
