You parked, hit lock, and walked away. The sky says rain.
Did you remember the back window? The sunroof? You don’t always.
That’s the gap Open Window Alert fills.
What it checks#
Three signals have to line up before BetterKey says anything:
- Where your car actually is. Built on Park Location, so the forecast is for where your car is parked, not where your phone happens to be.
- What the sky is going to do. WeatherKit’s hourly precipitation forecast for that coordinate, looking ahead a few hours. Rain, snow, sleet, freezing rain. If it’s coming, BetterKey lets you know.
- What your car is reporting. The window status from the car itself, through the same connection BetterKey already uses for lock, unlock, and location.
If everything’s closed, no alert. If the forecast is clear, no alert. If a window is open but the weather isn’t a concern, no alert. Open Window Alert only speaks up when the three line up, and it stays out of your way the rest of the time.
You decide when it’s on#
Open Window Alert stays off until you switch it on. The toggle lives in Settings, right next to Park Location.
The first time you flip it on, BetterKey checks whether Park Location is already running. If not, you get a one-tap prompt to turn it on too. Park Location is where the spot for your car comes from. Turn either off and Open Window Alert quietly stops.
No new permissions to grant. Park Location already covers the location story, and the forecast lookup happens on your device.
What the notification tells you#
When a notification appears, it’s specific:
- Which car
- How many windows are open
- When precipitation is expected
- When the car last reported its window state
Vehicle status isn’t always real-time. That’s why Open Window Alert includes when the car last reported its window state, so you can decide whether it’s worth taking a second look.
Helpful, not noisy#
Open Window Alert is designed to be helpful, not noisy. BetterKey only alerts when open windows and incoming precipitation overlap, and once you’ve been notified about a weather event, it won’t keep reminding you about the same forecast.
Why not notify on every open window?#
BetterKey doesn’t ping you every time a window is left open. Sometimes that’s intentional. You wanted air, you’re loading something, you’re parked at home. Open Window Alert only steps in when open windows and incoming precipitation overlap. That’s what keeps the alert worth reading when it does fire.
What it isn’t#
It’s an alert, not an action. BetterKey doesn’t close your window for you, and it doesn’t pretend to. Your car’s manufacturer either lets you control the windows from an app or doesn’t, and that’s a separate decision.
What BetterKey can do, reliably, is give you the information in time to act on it. The window roll-up itself stays in your hands.
You walked away with a window open. BetterKey gives you a chance to do something before the weather does.
That’s the whole point.
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