Guardian Pin

They know you need them.

The people you love see where you are, and that you need them, straight away. When you are safe again, they know that too.

The map in the alert is drawn by Guardian Pin, so no map company sees where you are. Open in Maps is separate. That tap opens the place on their phone.

Street map of the sample alert near 9 Avenue SW in downtown Calgary. A small credit on the map reads © OpenStreetMap contributors. Alex Rivera is a made-up person.
The map in the sample alert email. © OpenStreetMap contributors. Alex Rivera is a made-up person.

  1. Step 1

    Hold to alert

    Alex Rivera holds the button for 2 seconds. That tells the Family circle. People in the circle do not need the app. The emergency call is a separate button.

    Guardian Pin home screen with a red button that reads Hold 2 seconds to alert your circle, and a separate button to open the emergency dialer.
    Hold for 2 seconds to alert your circle. The emergency dialer is separate.
    Silhouette of a person running along a waterfront path at dawn.
    Morning park runs

  2. Step 2

    They get the email

    The email goes out straight away when the phone has a connection. It names Alex Rivera and shows the map from when the email was sent. In this example the alert went out at 2:14 PM. The location line shows 2:13 PM, because that is when the fix was taken, within about 12 metres. The email also says the private page follows the live location as it updates. The email itself is not updated after it is sent. The private link works until the alert ends, or for up to 26 hours, whichever comes first. Anyone with the link can open it, so it should not be shared.

    Sample red alert email for Alex Rivera, a made-up person. It shows the map from when the email was sent, says the private page follows the live location as it updates, and has a button that says I've got this / I'm on my way. The map includes © OpenStreetMap contributors.
    Sample red alert email. Alex Rivera is a made-up person. © OpenStreetMap contributors.
    Silhouette of a teenager with a backpack at a bus stop at dusk, as a car pulls up.
    Waiting for a ride after dark

  3. Step 3

    They see where you are

    That tap opens a private page. While the alert is active, the circle can follow Alex Rivera's location as it updates. Everyone else in the Family circle sees who is on the way. Live location stops when the alert is ended with the PIN.

    Private alert page for Alex Rivera, a made-up person. It is labelled Live location, says updated 1 minute ago, shows 2:14 PM and 2:13 PM, has Open in Maps and Apple Maps links, and says the page checks for a new location every 15 seconds.
    The private page while the alert is active. It follows the location as it updates. Alex Rivera is a made-up person.
    An adult and a teenager seen from behind, walking away along a tree-lined path. One carries a backpack.
    Heading out together

  4. Step 4

    They know you are safe

    Alex Rivera ends the alert with the PIN. Live location stops. The circle gets an all-clear email, and that email has no link. The private link then shows only that the alert ended, with no name, location, or map. If 26 hours pass first, the page says the link has expired. A practice alert does not ask for the PIN.

    Sample all-clear email. Alex Rivera, a made-up person, ended the red alert with the app PIN. The Family circle is told the alert has ended.
    Sample all-clear email. Alex Rivera is a made-up person.
    Silhouette of an adult carrying a small child and holding another child's hand, walking along a ridge at sunset.
    Back before dark

On your phone

The same screens you use day to day. A run, a shift, a trip, the walk home.

Emergency call

One tap opens your phone's dialer with the local number ready. You tap call. On iPhone, iOS also asks you to confirm. Guardian Pin does not place the call. This is separate from the email to your circle, and it keeps working if there's a short lapse in your subscription.

Emergency call screen. It says the phone will open the dialer with 911 ready and that you tap call. A button reads Open emergency dialer.
The emergency call screen. Your phone opens the dialer. You tap call.

Add the people you trust

Add them with an email. They do not need an account, and they do not need the app. Guardian Pin emails them. There is no invite.

New contact screen with name, phone, and email fields. It says alerts are sent only by email and that the person does not need an account.
An email is how they are told. They do not need an account.

Circles

Set up circles by urgency: Standard, High, or Critical. Alerts go to your primary circle. The people you add do not need an account.

New circle screen with a name field and urgency choices of Standard, High, and Critical. A note says to add a contact with an email and that they do not need an account.
Name a circle and choose how urgent it is.

Only your PIN ends an alert

You end the alert with your PIN. Live location stops, and the circle gets an email that you are safe. A test alert does not ask for the PIN. The emergency call does not either.

End alert screen with a field for the app PIN. The text says ending the alert stops circle sharing, including live location.
The PIN screen that ends an alert.

While the app is locked

You can hold to alert, or open the dialer, even while the app is locked. Unlocking the rest of the app needs your PIN. The PIN stays on the phone.

Lock screen asking for the PIN to continue. Hold to alert and an emergency call button are still available.
Alert, or open the dialer, from the lock screen.

Send a test to your circle

Send a test so they can see the email. It is marked so they know no action is needed. A test does not include your location or Medical ID, and it does not open the dialer.

Confirmation asking whether to send a test alert to a circle. It says the message is marked TEST, no action needed, and that the test does not open the emergency dialer.
A test is marked so your circle knows no action is needed.

Discreet mode

Discreet mode uses quieter navy and gold, so a glance is less likely to look like an emergency app. Hold to alert still works.

Android stealth screen with discreet home turned on. The home screen uses quieter navy and gold, and hold to alert is still shown.
Android. Quieter navy and gold. Hold to alert still works.

Calculator decoy

A calculator decoy hides Guardian Pin. Enter your PIN, then =, to come back. Anyone can use the calculator as a calculator.

Android calculator decoy covering Guardian Pin. A note says to enter the PIN, then equals, to return.
Android. The calculator decoy. Your PIN, then =, brings Guardian Pin back.

Getting set up

Getting set up is a short checklist: permissions, your circle, Medical ID if you want it, and a PIN. When those are in place, you are ready.

Setup checklist. Permissions, the safety circle, Medical ID, and the PIN are each marked ready.
The checklist for getting set up.

Text my circle

Text my circle opens your phone's Messages app with your circle's numbers and your location filled in. You tap Send.

Coming soon to the App Store and Google Play

CA$2.99 per month, from the first day. No free trial.