Ten days ago, we released our apps for Amazon, Windows 10, and Android and this was followed up quickly by a major Windows 10 app upgrade. Today, we’re going to give you some tips on how to use both apps and the unique features found in each version. Amazon and BlackBerry 10 users will find that the Android app documents also apply to them. First, let’s start with a list of all the features.
Features of the Well Prepared apps
Features of the Android and Amazon apps, including those running BlackBerry 10, include:
- Real-time alerts for weather, emergency, and earthquake situations in the U.S.
- Browse the latest survivalist gear
- Chat with a specialist in the app
- Customizable alert tones and sync interval
- Log in and order via your account
- On-screen widgets
Features of the Windows 10 app include:
- Live Tile updates real-time with Emergency Alerts
- Offline browsing of products and pages
- View related products for easy browsing
- One-tap access to products, pages and posts on the site
- Share products to OneNote or other apps for later viewing
- Share blog posts with all your friends on Social Networks
- View details on and share real-time Emergency Alerts with your friends and family to keep them safe
- Built-in search function to help you easily locate products, pages, and posts
Now that we’ve covered the basic features, let’s go over how to use each of the listed features.
Emergency Alerts
The Emergency Alerts for all versions of the app are automatically delivered to your phone. For Windows 10, these alerts are real-time and will update the Live Tile as they arrive. On Android, the sync interval for alerts can be customized. To do this, you’ll need to follow the following steps:
- Open the app and tap on Settings at the very bottom of the sidebar list
- Under Settings, tap on Sync Interval
- Tap on the interval option of your choice and hit the back button on your device when finished.
You can also tap the Sync Now option in Android to manually update your app.
Widgets and Live Tiles
There are some differences between widgets on Android and Live Tiles on Windows 10. Live Tiles are arguably more dependable on most devices and also tend to show more information. They’re also more “lively” as they constantly flip and change while widgets tend to stay idle and only change when new information arrives. Aside from these differences, they are similar.
If you’re using a Windows 10 tablet, phone, or PC, you can pin the Well Prepared app to your Start menu or screen and see real-time alerts as they arrive as described above.Here’s how to pin an app to your Windows 10 PC or tablet to your Start Menu:
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Go to Start and then click or tap All Apps.
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Press and hold (or right-click) the Well Prepared app.
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Select Pin to Start.
Similarly, on Windows 10 phones, you swipe to the left to access your All Apps screen, press and hold on Well Prepared app, and tap Pin to Start.
Putting widgets on your Android home screen greatly depend on the device you have as well as the app launcher you’re using. See your device’s instruction booklet or your launcher’s guide on how to put widgets on your home screen. Once you’ve got the widgets on your device, it will change as new posts are made to this blog and new Emergency Alerts arrive.
Sharing and Saving Posts, Pages, and Alerts
If you find something interesting like a blog post or an important emergency alert that you want to share with a friend or save for later reading, This can be done on both Android and Windows 10 versions of the application. When you find something you like tap the menu button (three vertical dots on Android and three horizontal dots on Windows 10) and tap on Share. Depending on the apps you have installed, you should see a long list of options available, including OneNote on Windows 10 so you can save it for further reading or reference information on a product you’d like to purchase. This is also useful if you notice an emergency alert and want to share it with a friend or family member to alert them of any possible trouble in their area.
Sending Feedback
Feedback is important for developers, and Well Prepared is no exception! If you’d like to provide feedback on the app, or on this how-to page to have more information added or any changes made, you can tap on the Send Feedback option in Android or the Contact Us option in Windows 10 and we’d be happy to hear from you! Alternatively, you can also post in the comments below or reach out to us on our social networks.
For those of you who haven’t downloaded our apps yet, you can do so via the links below.