Close By

Support

Need a hand? Email [CONTACT EMAIL] and we'll get back to you, usually within two working days.

If someone may be in danger, call 999 now. Close By is a wellbeing check-in, not an emergency service. We can't send help, and this email address isn't watched around the clock.

Getting started

How do I set up the watch?
  1. Install Close By on the Apple Watch of the person who will wear it.
  2. Open it on the watch and sign in with Apple.
  3. Allow access to Health and Motion when asked. These are read on the watch only and never uploaded.
  4. Allow notifications, so the watch can ask "Are you OK?".
  5. On the watch's home screen, show an invite code for the family member who will link next. Codes last 48 hours and work once.
How does a family member link to the watch?

Install Close By on your iPhone, sign in with Apple, choose to link a watch, and type the invite code shown on the watch. Allow notifications so you get alerts. The first person to link is alerted first; anyone who links later is alerted if the first person doesn't respond.

Can more than one family member get alerts?

Yes. Show a new invite code on the watch for each person. Everyone linked can see check-ins and the watch's battery.

Using Close By

When does the watch ask "Are you OK?"

When it notices a possible fall, an unusually low heart rate, heart-rate readings stopping while the watch is worn, or a long period with no steps and almost no movement during waking hours. It stays quiet while the watch is charging, during quiet hours and while the wearer is asleep. A family member can also ask from their iPhone at any time.

What happens if nobody answers?

After the time to answer (10 minutes by default, 3 minutes after a possible fall or unusual heart rate), the first family members are alerted on their iPhone, and by text if they've turned that on. If nobody taps "I'm on it" within 15 minutes, the next family members are alerted. If the wearer later taps "I'm OK", everyone gets an all-clear.

What if the watch is off, flat or out of signal?

The watch reports in about every 30 minutes. If nothing arrives for 2 hours (4 hours if it was charging), family are told. Overnight silence is ignored, and in the morning the wearer has time to put the watch back on.

Can I change the times and waking hours?

Yes. In the iPhone app, open Settings for the person you look after to change waking hours, how long they have to answer, and other options. Each family member can also choose whether they get text messages and low-battery alerts.

I'm not getting alerts
  • Check notifications are allowed for Close By in your iPhone's Settings, and that a Focus mode isn't silencing them.
  • Give your mobile number when you link to the watch and leave text alerts on in Settings, so a silenced phone doesn't mean a missed alert.
  • Open the app once to make sure you're still signed in.

Deleting your account

[Once in-app deletion is added: In the app, go to Settings, then Delete account.] You can also email [CONTACT EMAIL] from any address, telling us your name and whether you're the wearer or a family member, and we'll delete your account within one month. Deleting a wearer's account also removes their check-in history and unlinks their family. More detail is in our privacy policy.

Contact

Email [CONTACT EMAIL].
[LEGAL NAME], [POSTAL ADDRESS]