I've been using StillSafe for about four months. Every night at 10 PM, I get a text asking me to check in. Every night, I tap the link, confirm I'm okay, and go back to whatever I was doing. It takes about five seconds. I'd started to take it for granted — the way you stop noticing a smoke detector until it goes off. Then, last month, it went off.
Here's exactly what happened, told from both sides — mine and my sister Jen's, who is my emergency contact. I asked her to share her perspective so you could see the full picture.
My Side: The User
9:15 PM — The Setup
I'd had an exhausting week. I'd been fighting a cold, working late to meet a deadline, and sleeping terribly. That Friday evening, I made dinner, took some NyQuil, and sat down on the couch to watch something. I told myself I'd check in when the reminder came at 10.
10:00 PM — The Check-In Window Opens
I didn't hear it. I was already asleep on the couch, phone face-down on the coffee table, volume on silent from a meeting earlier that day. StillSafe sent my check-in reminder — a text message with a one-tap link. I didn't see it.
10:15 PM — The Reminder
StillSafe sent a second reminder. Still nothing from me. I was deep in NyQuil sleep.
10:30 PM — The AI Verification Call
This is where it gets interesting. Because I hadn't responded to either text, StillSafe's system placed an AI-powered phone call to my number. The call is designed to be persistent enough to wake someone up — it rings multiple times. The AI voice identifies itself, explains that a check-in was missed, and asks you to confirm you're okay.
I didn't hear this either. My phone was on silent. The call went to voicemail.
10:45 PM — I'm Still Out
At this point, StillSafe had exhausted its attempts to reach me directly. The system had tried a text reminder, a follow-up text, and a phone call. I hadn't responded to any of them. From the system's perspective, something might be wrong.
11:00 PM — Contacts Are Notified
StillSafe notified my emergency contact — my sister Jen — via email, SMS, and an AI voice call. I'll let her tell you what that was like.
Jen's Side: The Emergency Contact
11:02 PM — The Text
"I was getting ready for bed when my phone buzzed. I saw a text from a number I didn't recognize at first, but the message was clear: it said my sister had missed her StillSafe check-in and hadn't responded to multiple follow-up attempts. It included a link to learn more and a reminder of what I'd agreed to do as her emergency contact.
My first thought was, 'She probably fell asleep.' My second thought was, 'But what if she didn't?' That's the thing — you can't un-think it once it's in your head."
11:03 PM — The Email
"Almost simultaneously, I got an email with more detail. It told me when the check-in was scheduled, when the reminders were sent, and that the verification call had gone unanswered. It also included her address and any notes she'd set up in her profile. It was calm and factual — not alarming, just informative."
11:05 PM — The AI Voice Call
"Then my phone rang. It was an AI voice — clearly automated but very clear and professional. It told me my sister had missed her check-in, summarized the attempts that had been made, and asked me to try reaching her. It suggested I call, text, or visit if I was nearby.
The call lasted maybe 45 seconds. It was direct without being scary. I remember thinking it felt like a concerned neighbor, not a 911 dispatcher."
11:06 PM — Jen Calls Me
"I called her immediately. Straight to voicemail — which made my stomach drop for a second. I texted her: 'Hey, your check-in thing went off. Are you okay? Call me.' Then I called again."
The Resolution
11:08 PM — I Wake Up
Jen's second call woke me up. I saw my screen lighting up — missed calls from Jen, a voicemail from an automated number, two text reminders from StillSafe, and Jen's "are you okay" text. For about three seconds, I was confused. Then I realized what had happened.
I called Jen back immediately.
"I'm fine. I fell asleep on the couch. Phone was on silent. I'm so sorry."
She laughed. I could hear the relief in her voice. "Okay, good. Go check in so the thing stops worrying."
11:10 PM — The All-Clear
I opened the StillSafe link in my text, tapped "I'm okay," and the system marked me as checked in. That was it. The whole incident, from missed check-in to resolution, was about 70 minutes.
What I Learned
I'll be honest — my first reaction was mild embarrassment. I woke my sister up because I took cold medicine and fell asleep. It felt like a false alarm.
But then I thought about it differently. The system did exactly what it was supposed to do. It tried to reach me three times before contacting anyone else. It gave me multiple chances to respond. And when I didn't, it reached out to the one person I'd chosen — calmly, with information, and with specific suggestions for what to do next.
If I hadn't been asleep — if I'd actually fallen, or had an allergic reaction to something, or had a medical emergency — Jen would have known within an hour. Not the next morning. Not when I missed a Monday meeting. Within an hour.
The other thing that struck me was how Jen described the experience. She wasn't panicked. The notifications were informative, not alarming. She had context (when the check-in was, what attempts had been made, my address). She could make a calm decision about what to do next.
What I Changed Afterward
Two small things:
- I stopped putting my phone on silent at night. I set it to "Do Not Disturb" mode with Jen starred as an exception and StillSafe's number as an allowed contact. That way, the verification call can still reach me even if everything else is muted.
- I moved my check-in time to 9 PM instead of 10. I tend to fall asleep early on weeknights, so an earlier check-in gives me a better window.
Is It Worth It?
I know what some people are thinking: "So the big story is you fell asleep and woke up?" Yes. That's the point. The vast majority of missed check-ins will be benign — phone on silent, busy day, simply forgot. The StillSafe system is designed for that reality: the multi-step escalation means your contacts aren't bothered unless there's a genuine reason for concern.
But the system doesn't know the difference between "asleep on the couch" and "unconscious on the floor." And neither does your sister, until someone checks. That hour between "missed check-in" and "Jen called me" would have been there regardless. The only difference is whether your sister finds out at 11 PM or next Thursday.
Four months of five-second check-ins. One night where the system activated. Zero regrets.
Curious how it actually works? Create a free StillSafe account and set up your first check-in. It takes about two minutes, and your emergency contacts will thank you.