SafePulse Privacy Policy

Effective Date: May 5, 2026  |  Last Updated: August 7, 2026

SafePulse ("we", "our", "the app") is a personal safety check-in and emergency alert application developed by Frank Nowicki, and is the app behind this website, checkinonme.app. (The same app is distributed as PulseGuard on the Apple App Store and Amazon Appstore.) This Privacy Policy explains what information SafePulse accesses, how it is used, where it is stored, how long it is retained, and how you can delete it. By using SafePulse you agree to the practices described below.

Which edition do you have?

All editions now work the same way: SafePulse on Google Play, the Samsung Galaxy Store and Huawei AppGallery, PulseGuard on the Amazon Appstore (Fire tablets), and the iOS app. Alerts are delivered through our secure messaging gateway, which is what lets an alert go out even when your device is dead, switched off, or has no signal. (On Amazon Fire tablets and iPhones the gateway is also necessary because those devices cannot send SMS themselves.) Sections 1–9 apply to every edition, with the additional disclosures in Section 10 (see also the iOS-specific policy).

Earlier versions of the Huawei AppGallery edition prepared alerts in your own messaging app and transmitted nothing to us. From version 2.3.2 that edition uses the gateway like every other, so Section 10 now applies to it as well.

1. Information SafePulse Accesses

SafePulse only accesses information that is required to provide its safety check-in and emergency alert features. All of the following is stored locally on your device in the app's private database. Only the limited items described in Section 10 ever leave your device, and solely to deliver your alerts.

• Your name (optional) — Used to personalize emergency alert messages sent to your contacts.
• Emergency contacts — Names and phone numbers you choose to add. You may import these from your phone's contacts (with your permission) or enter them manually.
• Check-in preferences — Your check-in interval and notification settings.
• Location data — Your last known GPS coordinates, captured only when you perform a check-in or trigger an SOS alert. Used solely to include a location link in emergency SMS messages.
• Check-in history — Records of when you completed or missed check-ins.
• Wellness entries (optional) — Mood entries and journal notes you choose to record inside the app.

What SafePulse does NOT collect

• No accounts, usernames, passwords, or email registration.
• No analytics, crash reporting SDKs, or behavioral tracking.
• No advertising identifiers or third-party advertising SDKs.
• No background location tracking.
• No cloud sync — your check-ins, journal, settings and contact list are never uploaded or backed up to us. The only information that reaches our gateway is what is needed to deliver an alert, described in Section 10.

2. How SafePulse Uses Your Information

• Emergency alerts: If you miss a scheduled check-in or activate the SOS button, SafePulse uses your stored emergency contacts and last known location to send alerts. These are delivered through our secure messaging gateway (see Section 10), which is why they still reach your contacts when your device is off.
• SMS, WhatsApp and email messages: Delivered through our secure messaging gateway (see Section 10) to the contacts you saved. United States and Canadian numbers receive a text message; numbers in other countries receive a WhatsApp message where available, and email is sent in parallel so your contacts are reachable anywhere. If the gateway cannot deliver, the app falls back to preparing the alert in your own messaging app for you to send. SafePulse never sends SMS messages on its own and never sends marketing or promotional SMS. See our SMS Program & Opt-In Consent page for message frequency, opt-out instructions, and how contacts consent to receive alerts.
• Phone call on SOS: When you tap the SOS button, SafePulse auto-dials the first emergency contact you saved. No call is made without your explicit SOS action.
• Local notifications: Used to remind you of upcoming check-ins.

3. Permissions SafePulse Requests

4. Third-Party Services

• Google Play Services (FusedLocationProvider) — Used to obtain your device's location locally. SafePulse does not transmit your location to Google.
• Google Maps link — Emergency messages contain a plain Google Maps URL with your coordinates so contacts can view your location. The link is included in the message text; SafePulse itself does not contact Google with this data.

5. Data Storage and Security

• All personal data is stored locally on your device using Android's private app storage and the Room database.
• Your data never leaves your device except to deliver an alert — either one you trigger yourself, or one sent on your behalf when you miss a check-in. Only the limited items listed in Section 10 are transmitted, and only for that purpose.
• SafePulse operates a single messaging gateway, described in Section 10, used exclusively to deliver alerts. There is no account system and no user database: we cannot browse, retrieve, or restore the contents of your app, and we hold nothing beyond what Section 10 describes.

6. Data Retention

SafePulse retains your data only on your device, and only for as long as you keep the app installed and choose to keep the data. Specifically:

• Emergency contacts, preferences, and check-in settings are retained until you delete them inside the app, clear the app's storage, or uninstall SafePulse.
• Check-in history and audit logs are retained on your device until you clear them in app settings, clear the app's storage, or uninstall SafePulse.
• Mood and journal entries are retained until you delete the individual entries, clear the app's storage, or uninstall SafePulse.
• Location data is retained as the most recent stored coordinate only; each new check-in overwrites the previous location. It is removed when you clear the app's storage or uninstall SafePulse.
• On our gateway, two short-lived records exist so that alerts can still be sent while your device is off. A pending-alert record holds your check-in deadline, your contacts' phone numbers and email addresses, and the prepared alert text (which includes your name and a link to your last known location). It is replaced every time you check in, and is deleted automatically about two days after its deadline passes. A consent record holds an invited contact's name and number and expires after 30 days. Nothing else about you is stored, and neither record is used for any purpose other than delivering your alerts.

7. How to Delete Your Data

You are always in full control of your data and can delete it at any time using any of the following methods:

1. Delete individual items inside SafePulse — Open SafePulse, go to Contacts, Journal, or Settings, and delete the specific entries you no longer want.
2. Reset all SafePulse data — Open Android Settings → Apps → SafePulse → Storage → Clear Storage (or Clear Data). This permanently removes the SafePulse database, preferences, contacts, history, and all other locally stored information.
3. Uninstall SafePulse — Uninstalling the app removes all SafePulse data from your device.

Any of the steps above removes everything SafePulse holds on your device. The short-lived gateway records described in Section 6 are not tied to an account and cannot be browsed by us, and they delete themselves automatically — the pending-alert record about two days after its deadline, and consent records after 30 days. Turning off your check-in timer, deleting your contacts, or uninstalling the app cancels the pending-alert record immediately. If you would still like us to remove something sooner, email checkinonme@checkinonme.app and we will do it.

8. Children's Privacy

SafePulse is intended for users aged 18 and over. SafePulse is not directed to children under 13 and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided information through SafePulse, please contact us and we will assist with deletion.

9. Your Rights

Because all SafePulse data is stored locally on your device, you have direct, immediate access to it and full control over it:

• Access: View all of your data inside the app.
• Correct: Edit any contact, setting, or journal entry in the app.
• Delete: Use any of the methods listed in Section 7.
• Withdraw consent: Disable any permission at any time in Android Settings → Apps → SafePulse → Permissions.

10. The Messaging Gateway (all editions)

Every edition delivers alerts through our secure messaging gateway, which allows the missed-check-in safeguard to work even when your device is dead, off, or offline. On Amazon Fire tablets and iPhones the gateway is also necessary because those devices cannot send SMS from the device itself. The following limited information leaves your device, over an encrypted (HTTPS) connection, solely to operate the features below:

• Contact opt-in (consent) records — When you invite an emergency contact, their name and phone number, your display name, and a one-time token are registered with the gateway so the contact can view and answer the consent request. You deliver the invitation link personally; our toll-free number never texts anyone who has not opted in. Opt-in records expire automatically after 30 days, and a contact can reply STOP at any time to opt out.
• Alert delivery — When an alert is triggered, the alert text (your name, your callback number, and a location link), your confirmed contacts' phone numbers, and any email addresses you added for them are sent to the gateway, which delivers the alert by text message (via Twilio, from our toll-free number), by WhatsApp (via Twilio and Meta) for contacts outside the United States and Canada, and by email (via Cloudflare, from alerts@checkinonme.app). Alert content is not retained by us after it is handed off for delivery, though our delivery providers keep their own message logs under their retention policies. Text delivery is available to US and Canadian numbers; WhatsApp and email delivery are available worldwide.
• Missed-check-in safeguard — Your next check-in deadline, confirmed contacts, and the prepared alert message are held by the gateway only until you check in again (each check-in replaces the record) or shortly after the deadline passes, and are then automatically deleted.
• Service providers — Twilio, Inc. (text message and WhatsApp delivery), Cloudflare, Inc. (gateway hosting and email delivery), and Meta Platforms, Inc. (delivery of WhatsApp alerts to contacts outside the United States and Canada) process this information solely to deliver your alerts. We do not sell it, use it for advertising, or share it for any other purpose. Location links are self-contained and are decoded when opened, not looked up in a database. Your location is not kept in any searchable store; it exists on our gateway only inside the short-lived pending-alert record described in Section 6, and only until that record expires.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. Material changes will be communicated through the app where reasonably possible.

12. Contact

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how SafePulse handles your information, please contact:

Email: checkinonme@checkinonme.app
Phone: 586-351-1298
Developer: Frank Paul Nowicki, Sole Proprietor
Address: 25255 Lehner St, Roseville, MI 48066, United States

© 2026 Frank Nowicki. All rights reserved. SafePulse™ is a trademark of Frank Nowicki. · checkinonme.app · Setup Guide · Terms of Service · SMS Program & Consent

Frank Paul Nowicki, Sole Proprietor · 25255 Lehner St, Roseville, MI 48066, USA · 586-351-1298