Common Q&A's

UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Spain France, Germany, France and India

To find out more about our pricing, please visit our Pricing Page! If you're purchasing the service through one of our partners or resellers, they may provide additional services and support and will provide you pricing direct through them, please contact them directly,.

There is no limit within reason (unlimited SOS alerts). Please remember that if you send too many alerts, your "Alert Recipients" / "Emergency SOS Contacts" can simply opt-out of being your emergency contact, we will notify you if this happens and they will need to Opt-in from their phone.

We send them SMS’s, we CALL them and we also send emails to them. The Latest App also allows video conferences, the links are sent in SMS and email Alerts. If you decide not to upgrade , Alerts by SMS and PHONE CALL will stop and only email Alerts will be sent, if you ask your "Alert Recipients" / SOS Contacts to also download the MY SOS FAMILY APP they do not have to upgrade, but will receive in-app notifications (like an SMS) free , but please remember in-app notifications aren't as reliable as SMS or Phone Call Alerts.

No, the App is completely free during the trial period. Once the trial is over, you then decide to upgrade and only then do you pay either via in-app purchases through Apple or via our secure online payment portal. If you decide not to upgrade, the app will simply stop sending alerts.

Currently the free trial is 14 days, if you want to extend it please email info@mysosfamily.com

You have 5 alerts to use for 14 days, if you want more time or more alerts email info@mysosfamily.com

As many as you feel is reasonable to support you, it’s up to you how large your network is.

Yes as long as their phone number is of these ; UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Spain France, Germany or India.

Anyone can be an SOS contact, you don’t need a smartphone.= as long as they can receive a phone call, an SMS or an email they can be one of your emergency SOS contacts.

Care & Life line systems users alert a centre operator usually hundreds of miles far from the user, the operator tries to call the user back, if they can’t get through they will call one emergency contact after another from a list provided. Care & Life line systems receive an average of 30 alerts per year and the majority of these are false alerts and dealt with by a simple call, which family and friends can easily do. My SOS Family users trust their Family Friends & Neighbours, who know them, know their habits and therefore care more than an anonymous person in a call centre miles away. My SOS Family SOS contacts can physically help the person in distress faster than any stranger in a call centre hundreds of miles away can. Most people who have a smartphone can do everything a person in a call centre can for example merge a call to the emergency services. Whilst we are bias towards recommending our service and believe it to be fast, reliable, affordable and easy-to-use, we also strongly believe that competition is good for all users. It stops any provider taking a powerful position (monopoly) and charging whatever high price they can get away with. We are happy to provide any user with a comparison of our service with other providers (remember we will be bias) so we strongly recommend any user should do as much research as possible, try all service providers if they offer a free trial, then pick the service that meets their specific needs (which may not be ours).

Alerts are sent to SOS contacts by SMS, Phone calls and email.

Group SMS are only one way, SMS’s are sent out to everyone and therefore everyone will all do exactly the same, they will duplicate tasks, all will be stressed possibly all calling the person who sent the alert at the same time, this only increases the stress for everyone. Furthermore, once this is done and the user experiences this, users are less likely to ask for help because they do not want to be a burden and stress everyone (again), or they reduce their group SMS emergency list to one or two, which reduces the likelihood of their SMS being noticed. My SOS Family Service alert system is a smart two way alerting system that’s easy for the user and SOS contact, read this detailed and important page link sent to all SOS contacts on how it works as only one person is assigned as the responder in a really easy and quick way, we then tell others who are alerted so they can stand down. this is better for everyone.

You cannot add emergency services numbers (like E911,112,000,999) as SOS contacts. My SOS Family is not a replacement for your phone service. In life threatening situations, emergency services should always be called first. Within Smartphone App “settings”, turn on “autodial emergency services” check the number that’s in the autodial shown is the correct one for the country you’re in when using it; when you start the SOS, your phone will call 911/999/000/112 or your new amended number.

Please first check you have a paid subscription as the trail is completely free and no money is taken during or at the end. If you have made a payment through Apple’s in-app purchase, follow Apples policy and cancel your subscription with Apple which will update your account with us. If you have made a payment via our Worldpay secure payment system, then either email us info@mysosfamily.com from the email account you set-up your account with or delete your account by logging into your account.

Alexa built in messaging Using Alexa messaging features your emergency contacts require a smartphone and need to download and register with Amazon. Your contacts must have a data connection (3G or 4G) with a data plan to receive calls, or must be connected to a Wi-Fi signal to receive messages, which isn’t as reliable as SMS’s. Your contacts smartphones settings must have notifications turned, including turning them on at the lock-screen else they can miss messages due to not being notified. Alexa messaging cannot text or make phone calls to landlines or mobile phones, which could result in delayed messages. Alexa messaging won’t work if the Alexa WIFI signal drops or there is a power outage at home. My SOS Family sends SMS and makes phone calls so an SOS contact doesn’t need a smartphone or App and can be contacted on their landline. With My SOS Family users get either the Smartphone App or Speed-dial for their home phone landline and can be used as a back-up system so should Wi-Fi go down or power, there is still a way to get help quickly and easily. Please note that the above process may have changed as Alexa do amend and change their processes.

SOS timer is amazing and helps those worried about answering doors to strangers, having a bath, a shower, gardening, going upstairs, changing a lightbulb and lots of other tasks that someone is worried may lead to an injury. Check-in is an easy way to tell people your OK, easier than using the phone or going through the long and complicated Alexa messaging process, simply say Alexa “Open My SOS Family and check-in”

If you are using different Amazon accounts on different devices then you will need to add another phone number to your My SOS Family account and link it with the new account.

“Alexa open My SOS Family and Send for Help” “Alexa open My SOS Family and set timer for 1 hour” “Alexa open My SOS Family and check-in” “Alexa open My SOS Family.”

“Alexa Help me” is reserved for users of Alexa that need help with Alexa set-up by Amazon. Print this Card which has the phrase, place it around the home or near your device to remember “My SOS Family” or simply write it on a Post-it note The SOS Timer is a very useful feature and can be used regularly (every day), remembering “My SOS Family” will become second nature. Over time your Alexa will adapt and learn your most commonly used phrases, and may start My SOS Family Skill with a simple phrase like “Help” or “Send for Help”, but this may take some time and depends on how often you evoke the My SOS Family Skill.

With My SOS Family you get the two-way alerting which really helps SOS contacts and the user minimise stress and provide extra peace of mind read here to understand more. Users of Alert systems will stress and keep resending alerts as they don’t know if someone has received the Alert and are responding, with My SOS Family we tell the user which SOS contact is dealing with the Alert providing them reassurance and peace of mind. With My SOS Family you get at no extra cost the Speed-dial system for Landlines and basic mobile phones and the My SOS Family App for Smartphones, providing users with protection whilst in their home (through Alexa) or outdoors and also a back-up system should their Alexa speaker not work due to internet or Wi-Fi issues. My SOS Family provide a number of unique extra Alexa features like SOS timer and check-in helping improve protection and safety of users in a simple way.

Yes, you will need to press the Alexa button then talk into the remote, remember that you need the TV on to hear replies as the control unit will be plugged into the TV.

Asking for help is stressful its usual to keep sending SOS alerts unless you’re told someone is helping, Only when an emergency contact takes responsibility, we update the My SOS Family App so if you try to send alerts again, you’re updated providing you reassurance and peace of mind. After 30 minutes we reset this so alerts can be sent.

Open the Skill by saying Alexa Open “My SOS Family” and you will be asked “do you want to cancel your alerts?”

Everyone is alerts saying “Re: SOS resolved, No further action required”

Yes, My SOS Family works on all Alexa enabled smart speakers like the Echo, the Dot, the Spot even the TV Fire stick, simply link the My SOS Family skill. If you have different devices on your single Amazon account in your home, My SOS Family will work on all of these.

My SOS Family or Alexa is not a replacement for your phone service. In life threatening situations, emergency services should always be called from a phone (Landline or mobile phone) first and direct. You cannot add emergency services numbers (like E911,112,000,999) as SOS contacts.

No you don’t have to pay, you can use the Skill free with the App just use the login details, enable the skills using you App login details emailed to you. If you used your home number or another cell phone contact us info@mysosfamily.com and we will help you.

From your Alexa app, tap ‘Skills’ in the menu and search for “My SOS Family”. Desktop users search for ‘My SOS Family Skill’ in Amazon. Enter your My SOS Family username & password and follow the onscreen instructions, if you don’t have an account with My SOS Family you can create one there. Once you have enabled and linked the Skill, you are ready, Ask Alexa “Open My SOS Family”.

Your Smartphone operating system on your Android Phone and Google Home operating system are completely different. To use My SOS Family on a Google Home Speaker is easy, use your My SOS Family username and password (emailed to you) to link to the Google Home app link

To use Google Home is easy if you are us your My SOS Family username and password (emailed to you) when you download the App or created an account with My SOS Family on a desktop here then link the Google home app link

Please look at the FAQ’s above for Amazon Alexa for your question and the answer should be there or review all FAQs, if you still have a question, email us info@mysosfamily.com

My SOS Family Here is a smartphone link copy and send this link to a smartphone user and it will automatically take them to the right store for their phone http://onelink.to/whsnea.

The App works in every country your phone works in, however your phone number must belong to one of these countries for you to register an account through the App; UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Spain France, Belgium, Ireland, Germany and France

Yes it does, you will need to have an adequate phone signal or Wi-Fi connection. If there is no Data/Wi-Fi the App will send a single “Help” SMS containing all the relevant information to our control centre, this means you can turn off Roaming to save costs and still know your protected.

You don’t have to pay you download the App at no extra cost. If your phone number in Alexa is the same as your smartphone number, just download the app and follow the instructions. If you used your home number or another cell then contact us info@mysosfamily.com

There is no free App that can match our features and utility value. Your Data is secure and private and held in a country with strong privacy laws (UK). Our technology does not reply on your phones messaging App. we use our own private secure contact centre. Our state-of-the-art technology is maintained and upgraded constantly to continue to work with upgrades in Google, Apple and Amazon operating systems. Ease of use. We believe that our App is easier to use and more effective than any free App.

You can add up-to 20 Emergency SOS contacts. If you require more, please email info@mysosfamily.com with your use case and we will increase the limit.

Yes; the App registration needs a PIN sent by SMS, therefore it’s better to create an account here, if you do use your cell-phone number, you’ll need to have it with you to obtain the PIN in the SMS sent to your number.

Use your home phone number or cell-phone as your number and create an account first before you download the App.

The Pod connects to an iPhone or iPad, download the App then use your voice and Siri. At the lock screen say “Hey Siri, send a message using My SOS Family” then follow intuitive voice commands; what would you like to say? “Help me”, are you ready to send? “Yes”

SOS Timer Easy Access Widget Hey Siri from Lock Screen Get smart Speaker Skill (Alexa or Google Home) at no extra cost

Yes, but you cannot create an account via the App, because it needs to send an SMS to the phone number you enter with a 4 digit PIN, instead create an account here first, use your home phone number or cell-phone as your number.

Use your home phone number or cell-phone as your number and create an account first before you download the App.

The Google Home Smart Speaker App is different from the Android Smartphone or Tablet App and is written in a different Language, My SOS Family have a Google Home Speaker action app here is the Link to enable it.

SOS Timer Easy Access Widget Hey Siri from Lock Screen Get smart Speaker Skill (Alexa or Google Home) at no extra cost

Speed-dial functions on phones simply allow users to call a contact by keeping pressed one of the phones keypad numbers, the contact assigned to that keypad number is called without having to find them in the phones contact list. This function is speedier than finding a number from your contacts to call (hence its called Speed-dial or fast-dial)

Yes, any phone that can call out can be used with My SOS Family. Check your phone’s user manual or check online to see how to set-up speed dial, if you find it hard email us info@mysosfamily.com we will find out for you and can arrange a call to walk you through the process step-by-step. If your phone does not have speed-dial then simply call the special SOS number that is displayed on the My SOS Family dashboard in your account to initiate the My SOS Family alert system.

Either log into your account and go to the dashboard https://app.mysosfamily.com/ and you will find it there, or; email us info@mysosfamily.com , tell us which country you are in and we send you the number.

No, in most cases we have provided Freephone (toll free) numbers to call, and therefore there is no cost to you the caller, when it’s not a Freephone (toll free) number then the cost will be the same as calling a local friend.

First check your phone’s user manual or online user manual that your phone has a speed-dial feature and follow the instructions by adding the Special number we give you when you login to your account (Login here https://app.mysosfamily.com/ ) If you don’t know where the special number is email us info@mysosfamily.com and we will send you the number.

Yes, Speed-dial simply allows you to call a contact by keeping one of the phones keypad numbers pressed which calls a contact added to the phone. If you don’t have a Speed-dial function, add the special SOS number we give you into your phones contact list, Pick an easy name to remember like “My SOS Family” or “SOS Alert”, then just call that contact.

SOS Button Having a button is great, it works the same as a speed-dial, only it rings a number of contacts one after the next. The SOS button will call one contact, then the next contact then the next, whilst calling the phone cannot be used to receive calls or call emergency services; and this process can take a long time especially if calls to contacts go to voicemail. Some SOS buttons also group SMS a number of contacts, although this is quicker than calling one-by-one, the process can increase stress for all as all of the SOS contacts will duplicate tasks and will call back the sender. SOS button phones can be super-charged with My SOS Family, add the special SOS number to be the first to be called, emergency services as the second one, so whilst you are talking to emergency services, My SOS Family is alerting your SOS contacts keeping your phone free to be used.