Frequently asked questions

Use a Verified Session when you know who you're sending to and want to confirm it's really them first. Use Quick Send when the other person doesn't have the app, or you just need to get something to them once, right now.

Quick Send doesn't verify who's on the other end — the link itself is the credential, the same as handing someone a physical key. For confirming identity first, that's what Verified Sessions are for.

Three quick steps to get going:

1. Add a connection. Tap "+ Add" on the home screen and share your invite link with someone you trust — family, a close friend, a coworker. (Skip this if you just want to try Quick Send — it works without any connections.)
2. Set up a panic PIN. Go to Profile → Panic PIN. This lets you send a silent distress alert during any verification, or right from your lock screen, if you're ever in danger.
3. Enable notifications. SimplyAuth uses push notifications to alert you when a connection sends a verification request, a distress signal, or misses a check-in.

Verified Sessions are short, end-to-end encrypted, one-to-one chat rooms you can open with a trusted connection. They're designed for sharing sensitive information — passwords, account numbers, SSNs, card numbers, wire details — that you'd never want to send over a normal messaging app. Sessions are 1:1 only (no groups), capped at 20 minutes and 30 messages, and everything wipes automatically on both phones when the room closes.

Yes. Both you and the person you're verifying need SimplyAuth installed and an active connection between you. If they don't have the app yet, share an invite link and they'll be guided to download it. If you just need to get something to someone without the app, that's what Quick Send is for.

Yes. Sessions use end-to-end encryption — your messages are encrypted on your device before they're sent, and only decrypted on the recipient's device. SimplyAuth's servers store ciphertext only (we're server-blind) and cannot read the contents of your messages.

To be candid: while message content is private to us, we do retain connection metadata — who paired with whom, and when sessions happened — because the app needs it to work.

Both phones wipe simultaneously. Messages exist only for the duration of the session — they're not written to permanent storage on our servers. When either person ends the session, everything clears on both devices at once.

Sessions are designed for a specific job: quickly sharing sensitive information with someone you've already verified. The limits reinforce that purpose — they keep sessions short and focused, and ensure the auto-wipe happens in a reasonable timeframe even if you forget to end it manually.

On Android, the app uses OS-level screenshot blocking. On iOS, screenshots are detected and both people are notified the moment one is taken. No protection covers every device, so the notification is the backstop — if a screenshot happens, you'll know.

No. A phone number is optional and isn't required for Verified Sessions or any other feature. Sessions run between connected accounts — you can use everything without giving a number.

Quick Send is a one-time, end-to-end encrypted link for sharing something sensitive with someone — even if they don't have SimplyAuth. Type the secret in the app, choose how long it stays visible after it's opened, and share the link over any app you already use — Messages, Mail, WhatsApp, whatever. It opens once, on any device, then it's gone for good.

Yes. The secret is encrypted on your device before it ever leaves your phone, and the decryption key lives only in the link itself — it's never sent to our servers. We store ciphertext only and can't read what you sent.

No. They open the link in any browser — no SimplyAuth install, no account, no email collected. We never learn who the recipient is.

That also means Quick Send can't verify who's on the other end — the link itself is the only credential. The channel you send it over (a text you know came from you, a call you're already on) is the identity check. For confirming identity first, that's what Verified Sessions are for.

You choose how long it stays visible after it's opened — 1, 5, or 15 minutes. If no one opens it at all, the link expires automatically after 24 hours. Either way, once it's gone, it's unrecoverable — there's no second view, ever.

Yes, as long as it hasn't been opened yet. Your Sends list in the app lets you revoke any pending Quick Send to kill the link before anyone views it. Once it's been opened, it's already gone — there's nothing left to revoke.

Opening a Quick Send is always free for the recipient — no account or subscription required, ever. Sending one requires Personal, the same plan that unlocks starting your own Verified Sessions and sending connection requests. Every new account gets a 30-day trial to try it.

Yes — Saved Quick Sends let you keep a private library of things you send often, like a Wi-Fi password or a gate code, right on your device. Tapping a saved item pre-fills the compose screen; sending it still creates a brand-new encrypted link every time. Saved items live only on your device — never uploaded, never backed up to the cloud.

When you start a verification, both you and your connection see the same short phrase — two words and two numbers. Your connection reads it back to you out loud. If it matches what you see, it's really them. The phrase is generated on our servers and never travels over your call.

The rotating phrase makes it impossible for a scammer to reuse a phrase overheard from a previous call. A new phrase every 60 seconds means the window for any replay attack is tiny.

Yes — caller ID spoofing is common and easy to do. That's exactly why SimplyAuth exists. Never rely on a name or number alone. Always complete the phrase verification before sharing sensitive information.

Stop the call immediately. Do not share any information. The person on the other end is not who they claim to be. You can block the connection from the Connections screen and report it to support@simplyauth.app.

The Admin is the person who creates and shares the invite link. The Receiver is the person who accepts it. Admins manage the connection (they can cancel or block it). Both sides can verify each other and open Verified Sessions once connected.

You can build out your trusted circle with multiple connections — invite the people you regularly need to verify or share sensitive info with. Pending invites count toward your active connections until they're accepted or cancelled.

Go to the Connections screen and tap the + button. SimplyAuth generates a one-time invite link — share it with the person you want to connect with. The link expires once used, cancelled, or after 7 days if not accepted.

Yes — pending invites automatically expire after 7 days if not accepted. When an invite expires, it's cleared from your pending list. You can also cancel a pending invite at any time to remove it immediately.

Yes. Tap on any connection and choose Block or Cancel. Blocking prevents that person from reconnecting with you in the future. Cancelling a pending invite removes it immediately.

The Distress Signal is a silent SOS you can send to all your active connections if you're ever in danger. It triggers a push notification alerting them that you may need help — without any visible indication on your screen that anything was sent.

Go to Profile → Panic PIN and choose a 4-digit code — different from your unlock passcode. It's entered on the same numeric keypad, so pick something you can recall under pressure. It's stored only on your device and never sent to our servers.

There are three ways to send a distress signal:

1. At your lock screen — enter your panic PIN instead of your passcode. The app shows the normal "wrong passcode" shake and never unlocks, while silently alerting your connections.
2. During a verification — tap the Send Distress button on the verify screen and enter your panic PIN to confirm.
3. From the home screen — tap the Emergency Alert link and enter your panic PIN to confirm.

All three send the same silent alert to all your active connections.

Yes. If you're forced to unlock your phone under duress, enter your panic PIN instead of your passcode. The app shows the normal "wrong passcode" shake and never actually unlocks — while silently sending a distress alert to all your trusted connections. Because it's a separate 4-digit code from your unlock passcode, entering it looks exactly like getting your passcode wrong.

No. The app gives no visible confirmation and makes no sound — even the lock-screen trigger just looks like a mistyped passcode. The distress signal is completely silent on your end. Only your trusted connections receive the alert, via push notification.

All of your active connections receive a push notification, including the other person you're currently verifying with. They are your trusted contacts — not the potential attacker on the call.

Yes. On your home screen, tap the Emergency Alert link at the bottom of the page. You'll still need to enter your panic PIN to confirm. This sends the same distress alert to all your active connections — useful if you're in danger but not currently on a call.

A Scheduled Check-In is a safety timer you set before doing something where you might need help — like meeting a stranger, going on a hike, or traveling alone. If you don't mark yourself as OK before the timer expires, all your selected connections receive an alert.

Go to the Check-In screen from the home page or the hamburger menu. Choose a time (30 min, 1 hour, 2 hours, etc.), optionally add a note describing where you're going, select which connections to notify, and tap Start Check-In.

You'll receive a reminder notification at 15 minutes before expiry and a final warning at 5 minutes. From the app you can tap "I'm OK" to resolve the check-in, or "+30 min" to extend it.

If the timer expires without you marking OK or extending, SimplyAuth automatically sends a push notification to all your selected connections alerting them that you missed your check-in. If you added a note, they'll see it too.

No — you can only have one active check-in at a time. Resolve, cancel, or let it expire before starting a new one.

Your note is only shared with your selected connections if you miss your check-in. It's stored securely on our servers and is never visible to anyone else.

Yes. Notes are validated server-side — they're limited to 200 characters and only allow letters, numbers, spaces, and basic punctuation. No HTML, links, or code can be injected.

There's a free tier and one paid plan:

• Free ($0, no card): receive a Verified Session and reply, open a Quick Send link, accept a connection request, verify someone's identity, and use safety check-ins.
• Personal ($0.99/month or $7.99/year): everything in Free, plus starting your own sessions, sending Quick Sends, and sending connection requests.

Every new account starts with a 30-day Personal trial — no card required. When it ends you drop to Free (nothing is locked or deleted).

Identity verification and the safety features — scheduled check-ins and silent duress alerts — are free for everyone and are never paywalled.

The first 100 people to sign up for SimplyAuth became Founders automatically — lifetime free access, no subscription, ever.

Missed it? You can still become a Founder by entering the code EARLYBIRD in the app (Profile → Subscription → "Have a code?"), while spots last.

Yes — Free is permanent. You can receive sessions and reply, open Quick Send links, accept connections, verify identity, and run safety check-ins forever at no cost. You only need Personal to start your own sessions, send Quick Sends, or send connection requests. New accounts also get a 30-day Personal trial to try initiating.

Tap "Subscription" on your Profile screen and choose Monthly or Annual — or tap "Go Personal" when you're prompted to start a session or send an invite. The purchase is handled securely through the App Store or Google Play.

You simply drop back to the Free tier — the app is never locked and nothing is deleted. Your connections, history, and verifications stay intact, and you can still receive sessions, reply, accept connections, verify, and run check-ins. You just won't be able to start a new session or send a connection request until you go Personal again.

Subscriptions are managed by the App Store or Google Play, not SimplyAuth directly.

• iPhone: Settings → [Your Name] → Subscriptions → SimplyAuth
• Android: Google Play → Profile icon → Payments & subscriptions → Subscriptions → SimplyAuth

Note: deleting the app does not cancel your subscription.

Verified Business is coming soon and is currently a waitlist. It's gated on SOC 2 and HIPAA readiness work we have in progress, so we're not selling it yet.

If you'd like verified, encrypted messaging for a team, email support@simplyauth.app to join the waitlist and tell us what you'd use it for.

Only what's needed to make the app work: your name, email, profile photo (from Google or Apple sign-in), device tokens for push notifications, connection records, and session/verification metadata. Verified Session message content is end-to-end encrypted — we store ciphertext only and can't read it. We never collect your panic PIN, location, or contacts, and a phone number is optional (we only store one if you choose to add it). See our Privacy Policy for full details.

Go to Profile → Biometric Lock and toggle it on. You'll need Face ID, Touch ID, or a device passcode set up on your phone first. Once enabled, the app will require biometric authentication every time you re-open it.

No. Phrases are generated in real time and are never logged or stored. Once a 60-second window passes, that phrase is gone forever.

All your data is permanently deleted — your profile, connections, phone number, and verification history. This cannot be undone. If you have an active subscription, cancel it separately in iOS Settings or Google Play before deleting, as deleting your account does not cancel billing.

No. SimplyAuth is not an emergency service. The distress alert feature is designed to notify your trusted contacts on a best-effort basis. Notification delivery depends on third-party services and is not guaranteed. In any emergency, always call 911 (or your local emergency number) first.

No. A phone number is completely optional — it's not required to verify someone, open a Verified Session, set up check-ins, or use any other feature. You can run the whole app without ever adding one.

If you choose to add one, your phone number is only ever visible to your active connections — never to strangers or the public. It's stored securely and verified before being saved. And you can leave it off entirely.

Go to Profile → Phone Number. To add one, enter your number, choose your country code, and confirm the 6-digit code we text you. You can change or remove it at any time from the same screen.

No. If you add a phone number, the only SMS you'll ever receive from us is a one-time verification code. We don't make calls and we never send marketing texts.

Share your referral code with your connections. When they sign up and create their first connection, you both earn 1 free month of SimplyAuth. Refer as many people as you like — your rewards cap at 6 months.

Everyone. All SimplyAuth users have a unique referral code they can share. You'll find it on the home screen and on the Plans page.

When you earn a referral reward, a card appears on your home screen. Tap "Activate Now" to start your free trial through Google Play or the App Store. You won't be charged until the free period ends.

Yes. If you refer 3 people before claiming, you'll get a 90-day free trial instead of 30. Your rewards cap at 6 months (180 days), but your connections always get their free month.

Your subscription gets extended automatically by 1 month for each successful referral, up to 6 months. No extra steps needed.

The reward is earned when the person you referred creates their first connection, not just when they sign up. This ensures they're actually using the app.

Your referral code is on the home screen in the "Invite connections" card, and also on the Plans page. Tap "Share" to send it with a download link.

Yes. Tap "Continue with Email" on the sign-in screen, enter your email, and we'll send you a 6-digit verification code. Enter the code and you're in — no password needed.

Yes — go to Profile → Linked Accounts to add Google, Apple, or email sign-in. This gives you backup ways to access your account.

Go to Profile → Linked Accounts and tap "Add" next to Email. After verifying your email with a code, you can use either Google or email to sign in.

Check your spam or junk folder. Codes expire after 10 minutes. Tap "Resend Code" on the verification screen to get a new one. If you still don't receive it, try a different email address or contact support@simplyauth.app.

Yes — tap your name on the Profile screen and you can edit it. Your new name will be visible to all your connections.

SimplyAuth is currently available in 24 countries where English is widely used:

Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Philippines, Qatar, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, Trinidad and Tobago, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and United States.

We're working on translations to expand into more markets. If your country isn't on the list, email support@simplyauth.app — we prioritize expansion based on demand.

SimplyAuth is currently English-only. Translations into French, Spanish, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese are planned for a future release. Once translations are available, we'll expand into additional countries.

Yes. If you've already set up SimplyAuth in a supported country, the app works wherever you have internet access. You can verify contacts from anywhere in the world.

Note: downloading the app from the App Store or Google Play requires a store account registered in one of our 24 supported countries. If you're traveling and haven't installed it yet, you'll need to wait until you're back in a supported region to download it.

SimplyAuth requires iOS 15.1+ on iPhone or Android 7.0+ on Android phones and tablets. The app is currently iPhone-only on iOS (iPad support planned); Android tablets are supported.