Setting up the Acticheck app on Android
The new Acticheck Companion App walks you through everything on screen. This page follows the same steps, so you can see what’s coming, and explains what the app tells you once it’s running. Setting up takes about ten minutes.
What you need
- An Android phone running Android 11 or newer. To check, open your phone’s Settings › About phone and look for Android version. If your phone is older, it can’t install the new app: please call us on 0345 25 75 080 and we’ll talk through the options.
- Your Acticheck wristband, nearby and charged.
- The phone number of this phone, so we can send you a text-message code.
Already using the old Acticheck app?
The new app replaces the old one, and installs as an ordinary update. If your phone updates apps automatically, you may already have it. If not, open Google Play, search for Acticheck Companion App and tap Update. When you open it, it keeps your band and phone number, so there’s no need to pair again. It may ask you to allow a couple of new settings, such as notifications.
You’ll notice the app looks quite different, with clearer messages and a new set of icons. If you installed Boot Apps to restart the old app after switching your phone on, you can remove it: the new app starts by itself.
Install the app
On a computer? Scan the code with your phone’s camera to go straight to the app.
- Open Google Play on your phone.
- Search for Acticheck and choose Acticheck Companion App.
- Tap Install (or Update if you already have the old app), then Open.
Set up the app
The app shows one step at a time, with a bar along the top showing how far you’ve got. Each time it needs a permission, it explains why and shows the exact option to choose.
1. Who is this phone for?
Tap I wear the Acticheck band. (Family members and responders: see For family and responders below.)
2. Your phone number
Choose your country, type your number, and tap Send code. The button only lights up once the number is the right length.
3. The text-message code
A four-digit code arrives by text within a few seconds. Your phone may offer to fill it in for you: tap Allow. Otherwise, type it in.
4. Bluetooth
Your band talks to your phone over Bluetooth. Tap Open Bluetooth permission, and on the box that appears, tap Allow. (Android calls this permission Nearby devices.)
5. Pair your band
Hold the band near the phone, face up, and tap Start. Press and hold one button on the band for about 10 seconds, and let go when the phone says Band found.
6. Allow location
So help can find you. Tap Open location permission and choose Precise and While using the app.
7. Allow location all the time
So the app keeps working when it’s closed. Android shows this on a settings page rather than a box: choose Allow all the time, then press Back to return to the app.
8. Notifications
Tap Open notification permission, then Allow. This lets the app show a small Acticheck icon at the top of the screen and buzz if your phone loses contact with your band. You can switch the buzz off on this screen. Notifications are optional.
9. Battery
Phones close apps to save battery, which would stop Acticheck. Tap Open battery setting and choose Unrestricted. On some Samsung phones the app may ask you to add Acticheck to Never sleeping apps instead: follow the steps it shows.
10. All set
The app checks everything and shows a tick against each item. Tap Finish.
If you tapped “Don’t allow” by mistake
That’s easily fixed. Go back to the Acticheck app and tap the step’s button again. If Android doesn’t show the box any more (it stops asking after you’ve refused), set the permission in your phone’s settings instead:
- Open your phone’s Settings, then Apps, then Acticheck Companion App.
- Tap Permissions.
- Choose the permission (Nearby devices, Location or Notifications) and set it to Allow. For Location, choose Allow all the time.
- Go back to the Acticheck app and carry on.
Reading the app
The icon at the top of your screen shows how your band is connected, at a glance:
| Icon | Meaning |
|---|---|
 Logo in a circle | Your band is connected to this phone |
 Logo in a house | Your band is connected through your base station at home |
 Logo in a white square | Your band hasn’t been heard for a while |
 Logo in a triangle | Something needs your attention, for example Bluetooth is off or the phone has no data connection |
The Home screen says the same in words, with what to do if anything’s wrong. The messages you’re most likely to see:
- Band connected: your band is talking to this phone.
- Connected at home: your base station is looking after you, and this phone is set to take over when you go out.
- Band not seen: the app shows you how to wake the band: press one button three times, leaving two seconds between each press, then tap I’ve pressed the buttons.
- Bluetooth is off or This phone is in airplane mode: if that wasn’t intentional, turn it back on. The app has a button to take you there.
- No data connection or Very slow connection: alerts can’t get through until the phone is back online. Connecting to Wi-Fi usually helps.
- You’ve gone out without your band: your band is still at home on the base station.
Connection history
Settings › Connection history lists anything that interrupted your protection in the last seven days: when, for how long, where, and the reason. Tap a reason to see what it means and how to avoid it next time. If something keeps happening at the same place, connecting to the Wi-Fi there often solves it.
If you’d like us to look into it, tap Send logs to Acticheck at the bottom of the page. You’ll get a reference number to quote if you call.
Keeping the app running
The app runs quietly in the background and starts by itself when you switch your phone on. You can’t close it by accident: swiping it away from your recent apps doesn’t stop it. The only way to stop it is Settings › Stop monitoring, which asks you to confirm. To keep it working well:
- Leave the battery setting on Unrestricted.
- Avoid phone-cleaning or battery-booster apps. They can stop other apps.
- After a big phone update, open Acticheck once to check everything’s still allowed.
If the phone ever closes the app, Acticheck tells you the next time it starts, and the reason appears in Connection history.
Before you go out
A quick check takes a few seconds:
- Your phone is charged enough for your trip.
- Your band is connected. The app shows Band connected or Connected at home.
To connect your band to the phone straight away, press and hold one button on the band for 8–10 seconds. (Short presses while you’re near the base station connect the band to the base station instead.)
What the app can’t do
- It needs a signal. If your phone has no mobile signal and no Wi-Fi, it can’t pass an alert on. The app tells you when this happens.
- It needs its permissions. If Bluetooth, location or the battery setting is switched off for Acticheck, it can’t work properly. The app checks these for you and tells you if one is off.
- It needs your phone with you. Outside the home, the band calls for help through the phone, so keep the phone in a pocket or bag.
Troubleshooting
The code didn’t arrive. Check the number and country, wait a minute, then tap to send it again. If you’re abroad, text messages can be delayed: call us on 0345 25 75 080.
The band won’t pair. Hold it right next to the phone, face up, and press and hold one button for a full 10 seconds after tapping Start. Check the band is charged.
It says the band hasn’t been seen. Press one button on the band three times, two seconds apart. If you’re at home, this is often fine: your base station takes over within a few minutes.
It says the connection is very slow. Connect to Wi-Fi if there is one; if you’re already on Wi-Fi, try mobile data instead. Busy public Wi-Fi and VPN apps can cause this.
Still stuck? In the app, go to Settings › Report a problem. If you can’t get past a setup step, tap Having trouble? Tell us at the bottom of that screen. Or call us on 0345 25 75 080.
For family and responders
You don’t need the app to receive alerts: they come by text and email. If you’d like the app as a shortcut, install it and choose I’m a responder or family member on the first screen. It then opens straight to a large My Acticheck button. No permissions are needed.