In I’m Okay the “I’m okay” button always works, even without check-in times.

A check-in time with automatic alerts is one step further, and it isn’t for everyone.

Let’s look at when it’s worth it, and how to set it up well.

What it is, briefly

You choose a time, say 10 am, and a grace period, say half an hour.

If you haven’t tapped “I’m okay” by 10:30, your loved ones get an alert with your last location.

A reminder arrives before the time, and shortly before the deadline a firmer last reminder.

If you tap late, the alert closes and your loved ones know you’re okay.

When it’s worth it

If you live alone. This is the most common case: if one morning you can’t get up, someone will know within a few hours, not days.

If your health is fragile, or you’ve just come home from hospital. A check-in time for a few weeks gives peace of mind to you and the people close to you.

If you work or travel alone, perhaps in remote places.

For those cases there’s also “Back by…”, designed for a single outing.

When you might not need it

If you live with other people, or your loved ones hear from you every day anyway, a simple “I’m okay” may be enough.

A check-in time you don’t need can become a nuisance.

And a nuisance, in the long run, gets switched off.

Choosing the right time

Tie it to a habit you already have: after breakfast, after your coffee, after walking the dog.

That way the gesture becomes automatic.

Avoid times that are too early: if you sleep in one morning, you don’t want to worry anyone.

You can have up to three times a day, different for each day of the week.

For example: 10 am on weekdays, 11 am on Sundays.

How much grace to give

The default grace period is 30 minutes, and that works for many people.

If your mornings are unpredictable, make it longer.

Better an alert that arrives an hour later than a false alarm every week.

Who gets the alert

For each contact you can decide whether they get automatic alerts and your location.

You can also choose a “second in line”: a contact who gets the alert 15 minutes after the others, only if nobody has answered.

When someone gets an alert, they can tap “I’ll handle it”, so the others know they’re on it.

If you’re away for a few days

With “I’m away from… to…” you pause check-in times and alerts, for up to 90 days.

Your loved ones see how long you’re away, and afterwards everything restarts by itself.

Location, only when it matters

Location is only read around your check-in times: from one hour before until the end of the grace period.

And it’s only shared if the alert actually goes out.

All the details are in the privacy policy.