SenyAlert — User Manual

Table of Contents

1. What is SenyAlert?
2. Quick Overview
3. Getting Started
4. 3.1 First-Time Onboarding
5. 3.2 Family / Caregiver Setup — Magic Link
6. 3.3 Managing Recipients
7. 3.4 Android Widgets
8. Using the App
9. 4.1 SOS Alert
10. 4.2 I'm OK & Daily Check-In
11. 4.3 Custom Alerts
12. 4.4 Activity Timer (Premium)
13. Alert History
14. App Settings
15. 6.1 Smart Message Delivery
16. 6.2 Configuring Twilio
17. 6.3 Configuring Email
18. 6.4 Alert Behaviour
19. 6.5 Sound & Accessibility
20. 6.6 Appearance & Language
21. Status Screen
22. The Real Cost of SMS
23. Support & Premium
24. Privacy & Security

1. What is SenyAlert?

Today's seniors are active, independent people — they go for walks, travel abroad, manage their own lives, and take pride in that autonomy. But past a certain age, sensory and cognitive abilities can quietly decline, and in a stressful moment — a fall, feeling lost, a health scare — navigating a smartphone to call for help can become a real barrier.

Many seniors don't want to carry an impersonal emergency gadget or be monitored by a call center. They want to stay connected on their own terms, with the people they trust.

SenyAlert fills that gap. It gives seniors a single tap — or even a phone gesture — to instantly send an SOS or "I'm OK" message with their precise GPS location to the family members and friends they've chosen. No typing, no menus, no choosing recipients. Pre-configured messages go out automatically when the countdown ends, using SMS so it works even without internet.

For families and caregivers, setup couldn't be easier: you configure the app on your own phone and send your senior a single Magic Link — they tap it, and they're ready to go. And if you want extra reassurance, the Daily Check-In timer lets your loved one confirm they're okay once a day — sending an alert automatically if they don't. Your senior can also use the app to notify about an activity start and end time, and a missed check-in alert will be sent to contacts if the activity is not completed on time.

No subscriptions. No accounts. No tracking. Just the right people getting the right message at the right moment.

Designed with Seniors in Mind

• ✅ Large, high-contrast buttons — single SOS and I'm OK
• ✅ Minimal navigation and cognitive load
• ✅ Voice-to-text — so users don't need to type
• ✅ Configurable countdown or hold-to-send — prevents accidental alerts
• ✅ Zero friction setup via Magic Link — share via WhatsApp, SMS, email; one tap configures everything
• ✅ Screen flash — 3 bright flashes confirm every alert sent, so users with hearing loss never miss it (can be enabled/disabled)
• ✅ Lower-frequency tones — default alert sounds at 500–600 Hz, easier to hear for age-related hearing loss, and adjustable to each user's needs
• ✅ Voice feedback — the app speaks the status and actions performed (can be enabled/disabled)
• ✅ Haptic countdown — phone pulses once per second during the pre-send countdown
• ✅ Screen reader support — fully compatible with TalkBack (Android) and VoiceOver (iOS); buttons are labelled and outcomes announced aloud

2. Quick Overview

SenyAlert is organised into four home screen pages that you can swipe between horizontally, or reach by tapping the icons at the bottom of the screen.

The app always opens on the SOS page, regardless of which page you were on when you last closed it.

The rest of the app's features — recipients, history, settings, and status — are accessed through the menu icon (⋮) in the top-right corner.

3. Getting Started

3.1 First-Time Onboarding

The first time you open SenyAlert, you will be guided through two onboarding flows.

Step 1 — Permissions

The app requests several permissions it needs to function properly:

You can tap Grant on each permission, or skip and grant them later from your phone's settings. The app will remind you if a missing permission prevents a feature from working.

Note: None of this information is sent to any server. Permissions are used exclusively by the app on your device.

Step 2 — Configuration Wizard

After permissions, a setup wizard walks you through the most important configuration options:

• Your name (used in alert messages: "[Name] needs help…")
• Adding recipients (people who will receive your alerts)
• Configuring Twilio (optional, for Wi-Fi SMS and automated iOS alerts)
• Configuring email notifications (optional)
• Customising your alert messages
• Testing delivery before you finish

You can tap Skip Setup at any time and configure everything later from Settings. However, you must have at least one recipient configured before the SOS button is active.

3.2 Family / Caregiver Setup — Magic Link

For caregivers and family members. This lets you configure the entire app remotely for someone else — without touching their phone.

What is the Magic Link?

A Magic Link is a special web link that contains your entire SenyAlert configuration encoded within it. When the senior taps the link on their phone, SenyAlert opens and immediately applies all your pre-configured settings — no onboarding wizard, no technical knowledge required.

How to Create a Magic Link

You can start Admin Setup in two ways:

1. During first launch: On the welcome screen of the Permissions Onboarding, tap "Set up for someone else".
2. Anytime from Settings: Tap the menu (⋮) → Settings → scroll to the bottom → Generate Magic Link.

The Admin Setup screen walks you through the following configuration steps:

1. Senior's name — used to personalise the alert messages
2. Twilio SMS — account credentials for Wi-Fi SMS delivery (optional but recommended for iOS)
3. Email notifications — SMTP credentials (optional)
4. Recipients — the people who will receive alerts (name, phone, optional email)
5. Alert messages — up to 2 pre-configured message texts
6. Alert UX — countdown duration, trigger method (tap or hold), widget behaviour
7. Sound — notification sound, alert patterns, pitch, and volume
8. Voice feedback — TTS on/off, rate, pitch, nickname
9. Location — whether to include location, address, and timestamp
10. Appearance — language and theme
11. Daily Check-In — check-in time and warning offset

Once complete, tap Generate & Share Link. The app creates the Magic Link and opens your phone's share sheet — you can send it via WhatsApp, SMS, email, or any messaging app.

What the Magic Link Configures

The Magic Link can pre-configure virtually everything:

What Happens on the Senior's Phone

When the senior taps the Magic Link on their phone:

1. SenyAlert opens automatically.
2. A confirmation dialog explains what will be configured and who it's from.
3. The senior taps Accept — all settings are applied instantly.
4. If the app had never been opened, the senior is taken directly to the home screen (skipping onboarding), needing only to grant permissions.
5. The senior can review and adjust any setting at any time from the Settings screen.

The Magic Link uses HTTPS (https://senyalert.com/senyalert?payload=…) and a custom scheme (senyalert://config?payload=…). The payload is base64-encoded JSON and contains no tracking identifiers.

3.3 Managing Recipients

Recipients are the people who receive your SOS alerts, I'm OK messages, and check-in alerts.

To manage recipients: Tap the menu (⋮) → Recipients.

Adding a Recipient

Tap the + button. Fill in:

• Name (optional but recommended) — displayed in the app and used to personalise messages
• Phone number — tap the flag to select the country code; enter digits only
• Email (optional) — receives email notifications in addition to SMS

Tap Save.

Editing or Deleting

• Edit: Tap a recipient to open the edit dialog.
• Delete one: Long-press to enter selection mode, select, then tap the delete icon.
• Delete all: Tap the trash icon (top-right) and confirm.

Reordering

Use the up/down arrows next to each recipient to change the order. The order determines how recipients appear in delivery reports.

Free vs Premium

If you need more than one recipient, upgrade to Premium from the menu (⋮) → Upgrade.

3.4 Android Widgets

📱 Android only. Widgets are not available on iOS.

SenyAlert offers two home-screen widget sizes — both let you send an SOS alert with a single tap directly from your home screen, without opening the app.

Adding a Widget

1. Long-press an empty area of your home screen.
2. Tap Widgets.
3. Find SenyAlert in the list.
4. Drag a widget to your home screen.

Two widget sizes are available: - Standard widget — fits a 2×2 home screen cell - Large widget — fits a 4×2 home screen cell

Widget Behaviour

When you tap a widget, it opens SenyAlert and — depending on your Widget Mode setting:

• Countdown mode (default): Displays the normal countdown dialog before sending. You can cancel.
• Immediate mode: Sends the alert immediately without a countdown.

You can change the Widget Mode in Settings → Widget.

Widgets use the same alert message and recipients as the SOS button in the app.

4. Using the App

4.1 SOS Alert

The SOS page is the first page you see when the app opens. It contains one large SOS button.

Sending an SOS Alert

Tap the SOS button (or hold it, if Hold-to-Send is enabled — see Alert Behaviour).

What happens:

1. A countdown dialog appears (default: 10 seconds). A progress ring counts down, the phone pulses once per second (haptic feedback), and a voice says "Sending in [N] seconds…" if voice feedback is on.
2. Cancel the alert by tapping the Cancel button before the timer expires.
3. When the countdown reaches zero:
4. Your GPS location is fetched (up to 5 seconds for a precise fix).
5. The alert message is assembled with your name, message text, and a Google Maps link.
6. The alert is sent via the best available channel (see Smart Message Delivery).
7. A sound plays (3 alert tones by default).
8. The screen flashes 3 times if Flash on Alert is enabled.
9. A Status Report dialog shows delivery results per recipient.

Voice Recording

Instead of the default SOS message, you can record a custom voice message before sending:

1. Tap the microphone icon near the SOS button.
2. Speak your message — the app transcribes it in real time.
3. The transcribed text replaces the default message for this send only.
4. Tap the SOS button to send with your recorded message.

If voice feedback is enabled, the app will say "Ready to record" before the microphone opens.

The voice recording uses your device's built-in speech recognition — no audio is sent to any server.

Auto-Start on Launch

📱 Android only.

If you have configured a physical button shortcut (via Tasker, MacroDroid, or similar) to launch SenyAlert, you can enable Auto-Start on Launch in Settings → Automation. When the app is launched this way, it immediately starts the SOS countdown without any interaction.

This is useful for: - Bluetooth emergency buttons clipped to clothing or bags - Smart watch shortcuts - Phone gesture shortcuts

The app closes automatically after the alert is sent.

4.2 I'm OK & Daily Check-In

Swipe right from the SOS page (or tap the 💚 icon) to reach the I'm OK / Check-In page.

This page has two modes you can switch between:

Mode 1 — I'm OK Button

A large I'm OK button sends a reassurance message to all your recipients — "[Name] is OK" with GPS location.

Use this when: - There's an emergency nearby (flood, power cut, earthquake) and your family is worried - You've arrived safely somewhere and want to notify contacts - You want to check in after a medical appointment or trip

The same countdown, sound, flash, and delivery flow applies as the SOS alert.

Mode 2 — Daily Check-In

The Daily Check-In sets a daily deadline time by which you must tap the I'm Alive button. If you don't tap it before the deadline, an automatic alert is sent to your recipients.

Setting up Daily Check-In:

1. Tap the toggle to enable Daily Check-In mode.
2. Set your check-in deadline time (e.g., 10:00 AM every day).
3. Set a warning time (e.g., 30 minutes before the deadline) — the app sends you a notification as a reminder.

How it works: - Every day before your deadline, the I'm Alive button is available to tap. - If you tap it before the deadline, a check-in OK message is sent to your contacts and the timer resets for tomorrow. - If the deadline passes without a tap, an automatic alert is sent to your contacts: "[Name] has not checked in today."

🍎 iOS note: On iOS, Daily Check-In notifications require the app to be running in the background or the device to receive scheduled local notifications. If the app is force-closed, the auto-alert may not fire reliably. Keep the app active in the background for reliable daily check-ins.

4.3 Custom Alerts

Swipe right from I'm OK (or tap the 💬 icon) to reach the Custom Alerts page (Standard Mode).

This page shows a scrollable list of pre-configured message buttons. Each button sends a specific alert message with your location — useful for situations that don't require an emergency response but still need a quick notification.

Examples: - "I'm leaving home now" - "Picking up the kids, back in an hour" - "I've arrived safely"

Message Slots

You have up to 7 message slots: - Slots 1–6: text messages (you can configure how many to show: 3 to 7, in Settings) - Slot 7: always a voice recording button — tap to record and send a custom spoken message

The number of visible text slots can be adjusted in Settings → Alert Behaviour → Message Slots.

Editing a Message

1. Tap the pencil icon on any message button.
2. Edit the text directly.
3. Changes are saved automatically.

You can also assign a custom emoji icon to each slot to make buttons easier to distinguish at a glance.

Adding and Removing Slots

• Tap the + button at the bottom of the list to add a new slot.
• Tap the trash icon on any slot to remove it (with confirmation).
• Use the up/down arrows to reorder slots.

4.4 Activity Timer (Premium)

✨ Premium feature. Requires the one-time Premium upgrade.

Swipe right from Custom Alerts (or tap the ⏱ icon) to reach the Activity Timer page.

The Activity Timer is a dead-man switch designed for solo activities: a walk in the countryside, a bike ride, swimming, a drive through a remote area. You set how long the activity should take. If you don't end the activity by the deadline, an alert is automatically sent to your contacts with your location.

Two Timer Modes

Period Mode — set a duration: - Slide the duration picker to select between 15 and 480 minutes. - Example: "I'm going for a 2-hour hike."

Time-of-Day Mode — set a target completion time: - Use the time picker to select the hour and minute. - Example: "I should be back by 6:30 PM."

Switch between modes using the toggle at the top of the page.

Starting an Activity

1. Optionally type or record a custom message (e.g., "Going for a hike in the mountains").
2. Tap Start Activity.
3. If Send Start Alert is enabled (Settings → Activity), an alert is immediately sent to your contacts: "[Name] has started an activity. Expected return: [time]."

While the Activity Is Running

The page shows: - The activity name / message - Time remaining (or target time) - A warning countdown — N minutes before expiry, the app shows a notification and plays a warning sound. This is your reminder to tap End Activity.

Ending an Activity

Tap End Activity before the timer expires. A confirmation dialog offers: - End and send alert (default) — sends an end alert to contacts: "[Name] has completed the activity." - End without alert — marks the activity complete without notifying anyone.

A celebration screen confirms success.

If the Timer Expires

If you don't end the activity in time, an automatic alert is sent to your recipients: "[Name] has not completed the activity. Last known location: [coordinates]."

The app navigates to the Activity Timer page when the deadline passes.

Background Reliability

📱 Android: The timer runs as a native foreground service — it keeps working even if the app is in the background, the screen is off, or the device sleeps. A persistent notification is shown while the timer is active (required by Android for background services).

🍎 iOS: The timer runs in-app only. If the app is force-closed by the user, the timer will not fire. For reliable operation on iOS, do not force-close the app while an activity is running. Putting the app in the background (home button) is fine.

5. Alert History

Tap the menu (⋮) → History to see a log of all alerts you have sent.

Reading the History

Alerts are grouped by date: - Today - Yesterday - Last 7 days - Older (by month)

Each entry shows: - The alert message sent - The date and time - A summary: "2/2 delivered" or "1/2 failed" - The send method used (Direct SMS, Twilio, Twilio fallback, etc.)

Tap any entry to expand it and see: - Per-recipient status — ✅ success or ❌ failure with error detail for each person - GPS coordinates captured at send time - Address (if address resolution was enabled) - Email delivery status (if email was configured)

Viewing Location on a Map

Tap the location coordinates in an expanded entry to open that location in Google Maps.

Exporting History

Tap the share icon (top-right) to export your full alert history. You can share it as a text summary or CSV file — useful for sharing with a doctor, caregiver, or insurance provider.

Deleting Entries

• Delete one: Long-press an entry and confirm.
• Clear all: Tap the trash icon (top-right) and confirm.

Free tier: History is limited to the 20 most recent entries. Premium expands this to 200.

6. App Settings

Tap the menu (⋮) → Settings to access all configuration options.

6.1 Smart Message Delivery

SenyAlert uses a smart delivery chain to give your alerts the best chance of reaching your contacts, even in difficult conditions.

How the Decision Works

Is cellular or satellite available?
  ├─ YES (Android) → Send via Direct SMS (no internet needed)
  └─ NO  (Android) → Try Twilio over Wi-Fi
       └─ No Wi-Fi either → Alert shown: no delivery possible

iOS always uses:
  ├─ ios_messages (default) → Opens native Messages app; you tap Send
  └─ twilio (if configured) → Automated SMS over data

Email is sent in parallel with SMS (if configured), regardless of cellular status — as long as you have a data connection.

Direct SMS (Android only)

When your phone has a cellular or satellite signal, SenyAlert sends SMS directly from your SIM card — just like sending a regular text message. This is the most reliable method because:

• It doesn't require an internet connection.
• It uses the carrier's SMS infrastructure, which has battery backup.
• There is no external service dependency.

No special configuration is needed. Direct SMS is automatic.

Satellite Connectivity (Android 14+ only)

📱 Android only. Requires a device and carrier that support direct-to-cell satellite (e.g., certain Android 14+ phones with compatible SIMs).

On supported devices, SenyAlert automatically detects satellite connectivity. When your phone connects via satellite, Direct SMS is still available — meaning alerts can be sent from remote areas with no cellular coverage, such as mountains, deserts, or oceans.

No user action is required. Satellite detection happens automatically every 30 seconds in the background.

Twilio (over Wi-Fi or mobile data)

Twilio is a cloud SMS service. SenyAlert uses it as: - Primary on iOS (for fully automated, unattended sends) - Fallback on Android when there is no cellular signal but Wi-Fi is available

Twilio requires a free or paid Twilio account and brief configuration. See Section 6.2.

iOS Messages (iOS only)

🍎 iOS only. This is the default method on iOS.

When iOS Messages is selected as the SMS method, tapping SOS opens the native Messages app pre-filled with your alert message and recipients. You tap Send in Messages to deliver it.

• Advantage: Works with any iPhone, no account needed.
• Limitation: You must tap Send manually — it is not fully automated.

To automate iOS alerts, configure Twilio and switch the SMS method to Twilio in Settings → Smart Delivery.

Email (SMTP)

If you have configured SMTP email credentials, every alert also sends an email to each recipient who has an email address. Email is delivered alongside SMS — not instead of it. See Section 6.3.

6.2 Configuring Twilio

Settings → Smart Delivery → Twilio

Twilio provides cloud SMS delivery. It is optional but recommended, especially: - On iOS for fully automated alerts - On Android as a Wi-Fi fallback when there is no cellular signal

Creating a Twilio Account

1. Go to twilio.com and sign up for a free account.
2. Verify your phone number during signup.
3. In the Twilio Console, find your Account SID.
4. (Recommended) Generate an API Key (in the Twilio Console under Account → API keys & tokens). You will get an API Key SID (starts with SK…) and an API Key Secret. Using an API Key is highly recommended over your master Auth Token because it is more secure: if your phone is ever lost or compromised, you can easily revoke the individual API Key without needing to reset your master account credentials or affecting other services.
5. The recommended method is to use an Alphanumeric Sender ID if your country supports it. If not possible you can purchase a Twilio phone number (typically $1/month). The use of the Alphanumeric Sender ID is free, you only need to pay the SMS's sent.

Trial accounts can only send to verified phone numbers. Upgrade to a paid account to send to any number.

Entering Credentials in SenyAlert

In Settings → Smart Delivery → Twilio:

Testing

Tap Test Twilio to send a real test SMS to a number you enter. The test result (pass/fail) is shown immediately and stored for your reference.

6.3 Configuring Email

Settings → Smart Delivery → Email

Email notifications are sent in addition to SMS — not as a replacement. They are useful for recipients who prefer email, or as a backup record.

SMTP Settings

Using Gmail

Gmail requires an App Password (not your regular Gmail password):

1. Go to your Google Account → Security → 2-Step Verification (must be enabled).
2. Under App passwords, create a new password for "Mail".
3. Enter that 16-character password in the SenyAlert SMTP Password field.

Testing

Tap Test Email to send a real test email to an address you enter. The test result is stored for your reference.

6.4 Alert Behaviour

Settings → Alert Behaviour

Activity & Check-In Warnings

6.5 Sound & Accessibility

Settings → Sound and Settings → Accessibility

Alert Sound

Sounds are generated programmatically by the app and bypass the iOS silent switch — they will play even if the phone is silenced.

Flash on Alert

Settings → Flash

Voice Feedback (Text-to-Speech)

Settings → Voice Feedback

Voice feedback speaks messages such as: - "Ready to send" - "Sending in 5, 4, 3…" - "Alert sent successfully" - "Activity timer started. You have 2 hours."

Haptic Countdown

The phone vibrates once per second during the pre-send countdown. This is always active when a countdown is in progress — no setting controls it separately.

Screen Reader Support

SenyAlert is fully compatible with: - TalkBack (Android) — all buttons are labelled; outcomes are announced - VoiceOver (iOS) — same accessibility labels and announcements

No special configuration is needed — enable your platform's screen reader from the phone's accessibility settings.

6.6 Appearance & Language

Settings → Appearance

The app auto-detects your device language on first launch. You can change it at any time without reinstalling.

Interface Mode: - Simple mode shows only the SOS page and the I'm OK/Check-In page — ideal for seniors who only need the two main buttons and shouldn't be distracted by other pages. - Standard mode exposes all four pages, including Custom Alerts and the Activity Timer.

7. Status Screen

Tap the menu (⋮) → Status to see a real-time snapshot of your connectivity and location.

Connectivity Status

Location

Tap Get Location to fetch your current GPS coordinates on demand. Tap Get Address to resolve those coordinates to a street address.

The status screen shows the last known coordinates and address, along with the time they were last updated.

Battery

The current battery percentage and charging status are displayed.

Android Cellular Diagnostics

📱 Android only. An expanded diagnostics section shows network type, signal strength, operator name, SIM state, and other low-level cellular details — useful for troubleshooting delivery issues.

8. The Real Cost of SMS

Understanding the costs helps you choose the right delivery method.

Direct SMS (Android)

Direct SMS uses your phone's SIM card and is billed like any regular text message:

• With unlimited SMS in your plan: free.
• Without unlimited SMS: charged per message at your carrier's rate (typically $0.01–$0.10 per SMS in most countries).

Each alert sends one SMS per recipient. A message over 160 characters is split into multiple segments (each billed separately). Enable Compact SMS Format in Settings to keep messages short.

Twilio SMS

Twilio charges per SMS segment sent:

An average alert message (with location link) is 1–2 SMS segments. With 3 recipients, a single SOS costs roughly $0.02–$0.06 in the US via Twilio — negligible in practice.

Email

Email delivery via your own SMTP server is free (beyond your existing email provider subscription). Gmail, Outlook, and most providers offer free SMTP for personal use.

Satellite

Satellite-assisted direct SMS on Android uses your carrier's satellite service. Billing depends on your carrier and plan — check with your provider. In most cases it is included in existing plans with satellite access.

Tips for Minimising Cost

• Use Direct SMS on Android whenever you have a cellular signal (free with most plans).
• Configure Twilio only for the Wi-Fi fallback or iOS automation scenarios.
• Enable Compact SMS Format to reduce message length and avoid multi-segment billing.
• Use email as a free supplementary channel for recipients who have email addresses.

9. Support & Premium

In-App Guides

SenyAlert includes detailed in-app guides accessible from menu (⋮) → Help:

• User Guide — full usage instructions
• One-Tap Alert Guide — quick start for the SOS button
• Twilio Guide — step-by-step Twilio setup
• Physical Button Guide (Android) — setting up hardware button shortcuts

All guides are available in all 9 supported languages.

Getting Help

• Discord Community: Join the SenyAlert community for questions, tips, and feature requests.
• Email: Contact support at support@senyalert.com.
• Bug Reports: Use menu (⋮) → Support → Report a Bug to send a diagnostic report (includes device info, app logs, and your configuration summary — no personal data).

Premium Features

The one-time Premium upgrade unlocks:

There are no subscriptions, no recurring fees, and no ads. Purchase once, use forever.

To upgrade: menu (⋮) → Upgrade — or tap the lock icon on any premium feature.

To restore a previous purchase (e.g., after reinstalling): menu (⋮) → Upgrade → Restore Purchases.

10. Privacy & Security

SenyAlert was built with privacy as a core principle, not an afterthought.

No Accounts, No Tracking

• You never create an account or log in.
• There is no analytics, telemetry, or usage tracking of any kind.
• There are no ads and no ad SDKs.
• No user behaviour data is collected or transmitted to any server.

Your Data Stays on Your Device

• All configuration (recipients, messages, settings) is stored locally on your device.
• Alert history is stored locally and never uploaded.
• Location is fetched only when you send an alert — never in the background, never passively.

Secure Credential Storage

• Your Twilio Auth Token and SMTP password are stored using your device's encrypted secure storage (flutter_secure_storage), not in plain text.
• The Magic Link encodes your configuration in Base64 — it is not encrypted, so treat it like a configuration file: share only with trusted people.

What SenyAlert Sends to External Services

Nothing else leaves your device.

SenyAlert — peace of mind in a single tap.