General FAQs

Password and safeword – where is the difference?

With each new BackCheck, you can optionally protect yourself further, if you fear that someone might force you to stop the alarm against your will.
You then enter your password regularly to extend or end your alarm when you are safely back or arrived. So just as an authorization.
You give your safe word when you are in a predicament, e.g. if you are asked against your will to terminate your ongoing BackCheck – and thus your alarm. If you enter the safeword instead of the password, your emergency contacts will be alerted immediately, but in the app itself, it looks like it would have ended the BackCheck properly.

Does BackChecker also work abroad?

BackChecker works everywhere your mobile has mobile internet. If you enable mobile data roaming on your mobile phone, BackChecker can communicate with our server. Please check your contract beforehand, which costs you can incur. Thanks to EU legislation, in many cases you can also use the data volume within the EU. More information on EU data roaming can be found, for example at a Consumer Center of your country.

What if there is no reception where I am moving, e.g. in the woods or the mountains?

That’s one of the great things about BackChecker. The app alerts even if you are lying around unconscious or at your accident site is no network coverage! Because if you do not end the BackCheck regularly until your specified time, your alarm automatically goes out to the emergency contacts. You need the mobile network only to start the BackCheck and when you are well back to end it. During the BackCheck, the GPS collects your data even in dead spots and routes them to the server as soon as there is just some reception. So the map with your positions is always as up to date as possible.

Why am I not getting a countdown expiration warning?

You probably have your cellphone

• muted or
• previously refused to receive communications or
• still running the app directly in the foreground for testing purposes, e.g. to look at the countdown (because then a notification is not necessary, because you are already busy with your current BackCheck anyway and have your alarm in view).

How do I get out of the running BackCheck screen?

Only by the button “exit”! Closing the app does not stop the running BackCheck. This means that an alarm will go out to your emergency contacts when the time is up!
If you have additionally secured yourself with a password, terminate with your password (or under duress with your safeword for the secret instant alert). This ensures that neither you can forget, nor anyone can shutdown BackChecker by closing the app.

Why can not I add an emergency joker via address book/contacts?

Presumably, when you were asked if you would allow BackChecker to access your contacts, you rejected the permission. Please allow access to your contacts (or enter your emergency joker by hand if you do not want to do so) in your general ‘Settings’ under ‘Privacy’, ‘Contacts’ of the app.

Why do the emergency contacts I entered, first have to agree before I can choose them for my BackCheck?

The active confirmation of your emergency contacts that they would be your helpers in case of emergency, ensures that in an emergency there is no irritation or inadequate readiness. So your emergency contacts know after receiving an SMS from “BackChecker” with your SOS message that you are in need help and act accordingly.

Otherwise, they might just wonder about the unknown sender or “the tasteless joke”, may also be concerned about opening the attached link to your personal information, and possibly ignoring your distress call.

Why do not I see a tick on the emergency contact, even though it confirmed?

The view in the app must first refresh, just leave this view and enter it again.

Why is the GPS sign in BackCheck red instead of green?

In the beginning, the GPS module in your phone needs a bit of time to determine your position. Only then does the GPS symbol jump to “green” in the current BackCheck. If the GPS sign stays red, it may be due to the following:

the location / GPS on the phone is turned off. In the settings of your mobile phone turn on the tracking again or allow BackChecker to use this data

• you have not moved yet
• bad / no GPS reception (for example between tall buildings, in large buildings or some trains)
• the GPS module is defective

How do I set the duration of my BackCheck to zero hours on my Android phone?

By holding the hour button and pulling it on the inner circle on the 00 and let go. The number of hours is now set and the clock automatically jumps to the minute input.

How can I cancel my subscription?

IOS (iphone): Go to your phone: Settings / at the top of your name (Apple ID, iCloud, …) / iTunes & App Store / Apple ID: …. / Show Apple ID / Subscriptions / Subscription is shown to you -> Cancel subscription

Android: Open the Google Playstore app on your phone (check if your Google Account is signed in) / click on Subscriptions / Select Subscription -> Cancel Subscription (follow instructions)

Support

If you have any questions or problems that have occurred (which we do not hope!), send us an email to support at backchecker.de.