If You Just Got an Alert Text

What the text means

The person who added you flagged a hard day, or missed check-ins for a while. That's the entire signal — not a diagnosis, and not confirmation that something has already gone wrong. It means someone thinks you'd want to know.

  1. Reach out directly — a call or a visit is better than a text, but a text is better than nothing.
  2. If you can't reach them, try again, and consider reaching someone else who knows them.
  3. If you believe they're in immediate danger, call 911 or 988 now.
Read 988's guide to helping someone else

CheckIn is a check-in app, not a crisis service. For what to say and how to judge whether it's serious, 988 has trained, vetted guidance — we don't write our own.

Why You Were Added

Someone named you as a person they trust.

CheckIn asks every user to list one to three people before they can start using the app — not HR, not a manager, not a hotline. Someone real, chosen by them.

Being added doesn't mean anything is wrong right now. Most LifeSavers are never contacted. It's a precaution: one person decided you're someone they'd want to hear from if things got hard.

What CheckIn Actually Does

A daily check-in, watched for changes.

Each day, the person who added you answers a few quick questions — mood, energy, sleep, stress. CheckIn looks for a decline over time, a missed streak, or a direct signal that something's wrong.

When that happens, you get a text. That's the only time you'll hear from CheckIn — there's no app for LifeSavers to manage, no account to create, nothing for you to monitor.

Most days

Nothing. You don't need to check on them, log in anywhere, or think about this. The role is passive until it isn't.

If you're alerted

Reach out, the way you would for anyone you care about. You don't need training or the right words — just a real check-in.

If You Want to Be Better Prepared

Where to get real guidance

You don't need to be a mental health professional to support someone. But what to say, what to watch for, and when to escalate isn't something CheckIn is qualified to teach you. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is.

All guidance above comes directly from the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, not from CheckIn. We link out rather than write our own — this isn't our area of expertise, and 988's is vetted and free.

Before You Go

CheckIn is not a crisis service.

It doesn't replace emergency care. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911. If you or someone you know needs to talk to someone now, call or text 988.