Frequently asked questions

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.
2. Set up a panic word. Go to Profile → Panic Word. This lets you send a silent distress alert during any verification 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.

Yes. Both you and the person you're verifying need SimplyAuth installed and an active connection between you. When you share an invite link, they'll be guided to download the app if they don't have it yet.

You're on a phone call and want to confirm the other person is really them. Open SimplyAuth, tap "Verify →" next to their name, and both of you see the same short phrase. Ask them to read it aloud — if it matches, it's really them. The whole process takes about 10 seconds.

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). Free accounts can have 1 active Admin connection; Personal accounts get up to 10.

Free plan: 1 Admin connection (connections you invite), unlimited Receiver connections (connections where someone invited you).

Personal plan: up to 10 Admin connections. Pending invites count toward your limit until 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, the connection slot is freed up so you can invite someone else. You can also cancel a pending invite at any time to free the slot 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 frees up your Admin connection slot 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 Word and choose a word that's easy for you to remember but wouldn't come up in normal conversation. Keep it private — never share it with anyone, including your connections.

There are two ways to send a distress signal:

1. During a verification — tap the Send Distress button on the verify screen.
2. From the home screen — tap the Emergency Alert link at the bottom of the page.

Both require you to enter your panic word to confirm. Once entered, the signal is sent silently to all your active connections.

No. The app gives no visible confirmation and makes no sound. 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 word to confirm. This sends the same distress alert to all your active connections — useful if you're in danger but not currently on a verification 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.

SimplyAuth has three plans:

• Free — always free, 1 admin connection, unlimited receiver connections.
• Personal ($1.99/month or $19.99/year) — up to 10 admin connections, ideal for individuals who need to verify multiple trusted contacts.
• Business — custom plans for small teams who want to pilot SimplyAuth for internal identity verification. We set pricing and connection limits directly with you — contact us to get started.

Tap "Manage Subscription" on your Profile screen (or go to Profile → Subscription). Choose Monthly or Annual and tap Subscribe Now. The purchase is handled securely through the App Store or Google Play.

We're currently running pilots with small teams who want to use SimplyAuth for internal identity verification. Business plans are set up directly with us — they're not available as an in-app purchase.

From the app, tap "Manage Subscription" on your Profile screen and scroll to the Business section, then tap Contact Sales. Or email us at support@simplyauth.app with your team size and what you'd like to use SimplyAuth for.

Your Personal access continues until the end of your current billing period. After that, your account automatically reverts to the Free plan — you keep 1 admin connection and unlimited receiver connections. No data is deleted.

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.

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, and connection and verification records. Verification phrases auto-delete within 24 hours. We never collect your panic word, phone number, location, or contacts. 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.

Adding your number unlocks two features: (1) your connections can call you directly from the app, and (2) SimplyAuth can identify their incoming calls on your device so you know it's a trusted contact before you pick up.

Your phone number is only visible to your active connections — never to strangers or the public. It is stored securely and verified through Firebase before being saved.

Go to Profile → Phone Number. Enter your number, choose your country code, and tap Send Verification Code. Enter the 6-digit SMS code to confirm. You can update your number at any time by going through the same flow.

No. The only SMS you'll ever receive from us is a one-time verification code when you add or update your phone number.

Share your referral code with your connections. When they sign up and create their first connection, you both earn 1 free month of Personal. 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.