FAQ

What actually happens when a drill fires?

Your phone receives a notification at a randomized time — no preview, no countdown. The Zero Notice app opens to the drill screen. A timer starts immediately. You see "GO TIME — EXECUTE YOUR PREP ROUTINE." From that moment, the clock is running. You execute your protocol, gather your gear, complete your steps. When you're done, you tap DONE and the clock stops. You then enter the debrief phase, where you review your prep checklist, mark what you completed, and log the result.

What is a prep list and how do I build one?

Your prep list is the protocol you define — every item of gear, every action, every step that constitutes being fully prepared. You build it inside the app under My Prep. Add items in priority order: the first item should be the first thing you grab or do in a real emergency. When a drill fires, your prep list becomes your checklist. Zero Notice doesn't ship with preset scenarios — the protocol is entirely yours.

Can I set quiet hours so drills don't fire at 3am?

Yes. In Settings, you can configure your drill window in two ways. Anytime mode (the default) allows drills to fire any hour of the day or night — full 24-hour coverage. Quiet hours mode lets you set a start and end time; drills are then scheduled to fire only outside that window. You can also control which days of the week are active, and how many drills fire per active day. If you want realistic training, leaving it on anytime mode is the point — emergencies don't keep business hours.

Does it really work when my phone is on Do Not Disturb?

Yes — with one condition. Zero Notice uses iOS Time Sensitive notifications, which are designed to break through Do Not Disturb and Focus filters. When you first enable training mode, the app walks you through adding Zero Notice to your notification allowlist. Once that's done, drills fire regardless of your silence or Focus settings. This is intentional: a drill that only fires when your phone is on full volume isn't training you for anything real.

Can I run a drill manually, on demand?

Yes. Zero Notice includes a manual drill option that starts a drill immediately. Manual drills count toward your history, your baseline, and your drill count. Keep in mind that a drill you initiate yourself doesn't carry the same training value as one that fires without warning — the randomized drills are the core of the system.

How does my baseline time work?

Your baseline is the elapsed time from your very first completed drill. It's set automatically and permanently — it represents where you started. Every subsequent drill is measured against it. If you complete a drill 18 seconds faster than your baseline, the app shows ↑ faster than baseline. If you set a new personal best, you'll see ★ NEW PERSONAL BEST. The baseline never resets unless you perform a full data reset, which is intentional — it's your permanent starting mark.

Where can I see my drill history?

From the home screen, tap View History. You can filter your results by 7 days, 30 days, 90 days, 1 year, or all time, as well as set a custom date range. The history screen shows your total drills, average completion time, and best time for the selected period. Your most recent drills appear first.

What's included in the free tier?

The free tier gives you 3 drills every 30 days — a rolling 30-day window, not a calendar month reset. You get the full drill experience: randomized scheduling, the running timer, debrief checklist, baseline tracking, and performance history. The only limitation is drill frequency. Three drills a month is enough to understand the system and validate your prep list. Serious training requires more reps.

What do I get with Lifetime Access?

A one-time payment of $29.99 — no subscription, no renewal, no recurring charge. Lifetime Access removes the 30-day drill limit entirely. Unlimited drills, full history. You own it. The one-time model was a deliberate choice for individual users: own it once, train indefinitely.

What happens to my data if I delete the app?

It's gone. All of it — drill history, prep list, baseline time, settings. Zero Notice stores everything locally on your device using Apple's on-device storage. There is no cloud backup, no account, no server. When you delete the app, iOS wipes the storage sandbox entirely. This is by design and consistent with our privacy policy. If you want to preserve your history, do not delete the app. Your Lifetime purchase can be restored through Apple at any time — your training data cannot.

Who can see my drill data?

Nobody. Your drill history, prep list, settings, baseline time, and performance data never leave your device. Zero Notice has no servers, no accounts, no analytics, and no tracking. The only external service the app uses is RevenueCat for purchase verification — and that only processes an anonymous device identifier to confirm your Lifetime purchase. Your training data is yours alone. See the Privacy Policy for the complete breakdown.