How RU-Alive? Works

RU-Alive? is a mobile app for Androids & iPhones. It is a situational awareness utility designed to run silently in the background on your smartphone. Unlike any other app, it uses your device's native hardware to periodically measure and detect movement or stillness without draining your battery or requiring user interaction.

Setting Up the App Is Easy

When you first download the app, you'll enter your name, enable permissions and subscribe. Then you will select one or two of your friends or family members, set a timeframe in which your phone normally moves (for example, 24 hours), activate the app, select "Send location w/message (optional), tap "Send Test Message", then swipe up and out of the app to complete setup.

When Setting Your Timeframe

Consider your normal routine in which you generally pick up or move your phone to use it or go somewhere. Then choose a timeframe that is beyond your normal routine (24 hours, for example). RU-Alive? utilizes your device’s internal hardware (the accelerometer) to conduct periodic motion audits (for stillness, as well). When you pick up, walk with, or significantly move your phone, the app detects that physical movement and quietly resets your timer back to zero.

Live Your Life, No Need To Check-in Or Tap Any Buttons

Once activated, you simply close the app and live your life. Since RU-Alive? utilizes your device’s internal hardware and runs continuously in the background, you are free to go about your day; no check-ins and no buttons to push, but knowing you are quietly connected to a friend and/or family member.

Battery Optimized: Because we rely on hardware triggers rather than continuous software polling or GPS tracking, RU-Alive? consumes virtually zero battery power while monitoring your phone's movement, or more importantly, stillness. The app does NOT track your movement or where you are (GPS), but can acquire the last known location of your phone IF a message to your selected contacts is triggered and the location option is turned ON.

The SMS/text Messaging Trigger = Inactivity.

If your phone remains stationary for the entire duration of your set timeframe, RU-Alive? recognizes this as a critical event. The app will immediately and automatically dispatch an SMS text message to your designated contacts, notifying them via text that your device has not moved and suggesting they check in with you.

The Low Battery SMS/text Notification

Phones run out of power, and going silent due to a dead battery can cause unnecessary stress for your loved ones, plus the app obviously won't work if the phone won't. So, "just in case", if your device's battery drops below 5%, RU-Alive? triggers a preemptive text message to your designated contacts. This informs them that your phone is about to die, ensuring they know your low battery is likely a technical issue. This is one of the reasons we call it "situational awareness".

Still have questions about the technology or setup?

Visit the FAQ