Yes. You don't need to keep the app open or in the background for alerts to reach you — they're delivered as normal phone notifications.
What arrives, and how
Alerts are sent at high priority with the default notification sound on both iPhone and Android, so a safe-zone alert or a vet's reply reaches you the same way a message from a person would.
[CONFIRM: the typical delivery time for an alert, end to end — e.g. how quickly a safe-zone exit reaches the phone.]
What has to be true for them to arrive
- You're logged in on that phone. Alerts are only sent to phones with an active session.
- Notification permission is granted. Ask A Vet asks for it after you log in, and never warns you in the app if it's been refused.
- The phone has been online at least once since you logged in, so it could register for alerts.
Nothing is lost when a notification can't be delivered
Even when the push can't reach your phone, the alert is still recorded. Open the app, go to the Home tab and tap the bell icon to see it.
What stops notifications reaching a phone
- Logging out. That phone stops receiving alerts entirely until you log back in.
- Uninstalling the app or clearing its data. The registration is removed permanently; signing in again restores it.
[CONFIRM: whether notifications continue to arrive on iPhone after the app has been force-quit from the app switcher.]
When you tap one
Tapping a notification while the app is fully closed can take a few seconds to land on the right screen, because the app has to start up first. If it drops you on Home instead, open the Notifications list and tap the alert there.
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