Everything you need to get up and running — from first sign-in to your first check-in.
1 · Sign In
- Open the iPhone app, Android app, or the Web app in any browser.
- Enter your email address. The app will send you a one-time sign-in code (or link).
- Enter the code or tap the link — you're in. No password needed.
- Allow notifications when asked — that's how your reminders reach you.
You stay signed in as long as you keep using the app. On Android, if you're using the Web app, add it to your home screen too.
2 · Set Your Schedule
- Go to Settings → Schedule.
- Confirm your time zone — onboarding sets it for you, but check that it's right.
- Choose your check-in time — pick something you'll do every day.
- Leave the grace period at the default (1 hour) for now. You can adjust it later.
3 · Add a Contact
- Talk to your contact first. Make sure they know what the app does and are happy to help.
- Go to Contacts → Add Contact and enter their details. Save. They're added as Pending.
- Tap their card to open it. Set their role: Daily Monitoring (notified if you miss a check-in), Alert (notified only when you tap Alert My Contacts), or both. While Pending, you can also send them an introductory email.
- Once they've agreed, mark them as Confirmed. Only confirmed contacts receive any messages.
You need at least one confirmed Daily Monitoring contact before the app will let you check in.
4 · Your Daily Check-in
- At your check-in time, you'll get a reminder notification.
- Tap it and open the app.
- On the Home tab, tap the window to check in. Done for the day.
You can check in any time — you don't have to wait for the reminder. If you'll be busy later, check in early. The Alert My Contacts button is below the check-in window if you ever want to ask your contacts to reach out.
Have an Echo? Use Alexa too.
If you have an Amazon Echo, you can check in by voice. Enable the Raise the Shade skill in the Alexa app, sign in using the same email you use here, then return to Raise the Shade Settings and pull down to refresh. An Alexa section will appear confirming your Echo reminder is active.
To check in: "Alexa, tell my daily check-in I'm fine." Alexa replies: "Your shade is raised. Have a great day." To silence the spoken reminder: "Alexa, cancel my reminders."
See the
full User Guide for setup details and the explanation of the invocation phrase.
Going out solo? Use Check On Me.
Check On Me is a one-time timer for situations outside your regular check-in routine — a solo evening out, a late drive home, anything where you'd like a safety net. Set it before you leave, disarm it when you're back. If you forget, your contacts are notified.
- Go to the Check tab (the stopwatch icon).
- Pick your return time, choose which contacts to include (all confirmed contacts are selected by default), add an optional note about where you're going, and tap Set Check On Me.
- When you're safely back, tap Disarm. Done.
A green dot appears on the Check tab while a timer is active. Need more time? Tap Extend. Need help now? Tap Alert Now. Not an emergency service — call 911 for life-threatening emergencies.
How Reminders & Notifications Work
Check-in time → Reminder 1 sent to your device
You check in → Day complete. Nothing more happens.
You don't check in → Grace period begins (default: 1 hour)
Before grace ends → Reminder 2 sent to your device (configure in Settings → Reminders)
You check in during grace period → Day complete. No notification sent.
Grace period ends — no check-in → Notification email sent to your confirmed Daily Monitoring contacts
There's also an Alert My Contacts button on the Home tab — just below the check-in window — that you can tap any time, day or night, to ask your contacts to reach out to you. This is separate from the automatic notification flow above. It is not an emergency service; for life-threatening emergencies, call 911.
Good to Know
- Mix and match. Check in from your phone one day, your computer the next, your Echo on weekends — the app doesn't care which path you use. One check-in per day is all it needs.
- Going away for a few days? Turn off your daily check-in in Settings → Daily Check-in Active so no notifications fire while you're out of touch.
- Heading out solo? Use the Check tab to set a Check On Me. Disarm it when you're back — your contacts will only hear if you don't.
- Is a contact going to be unavailable? Tap their card on the Contacts page and toggle their Daily Monitoring role off temporarily.
- Text too small? Adjust Settings → Display → Text Size in the app, and check your phone's accessibility settings for system-wide text size and display zoom.
- Something not working? Email us at support@raisetheshade.app — we want to hear from you.