The best check-in app for an elderly parent is one they never have to operate. AURA Here runs on their Android phone, treats steps, screen unlocks and charging as signs of life, and alerts you only if the phone stays silent for the time you agreed on and your parent does not answer. It is free, and it is not an emergency service.
A check-in app for elderly parents who live alone
The best check-in app for an elderly parent is one they never have to operate. AURA Here runs on their Android phone, treats steps, screen unlocks and charging as signs of life, and alerts you only if the phone stays silent for the time you agreed on and your parent does not answer. It is free, and it is not an emergency service.
The challenge
When a parent lives alone, the worry is the silence: a fall in the evening that nobody notices until the next phone call. Daily calls turn into a chore for both sides, alarm pendants end up in a drawer, and location-sharing apps tell you where the phone is, not whether your parent is all right.
How Aura helps
In the Android app the check runs on its own: walking with the phone, unlocking the screen or putting it on charge all count as a sign of life. On a normal day your parent presses nothing.
If the phone stays quiet past the chosen time, your parent gets an "Are you OK?" question and a reminder 15 minutes later. You are alerted only if there is no answer, and a signal that arrives later closes the alert as a false alarm for everyone.
Your parent can invite up to 3 Guardians for free: you, a sibling, a neighbour with the keys. Guardians are alerted by push and email, the first circle first, and whoever taps "I'm on it" tells the others someone is already going.
No continuous location tracking and nothing to wear. You see the time of the last signal and the battery level; the last known position and the emergency packet open only while an alert is open, and your parent can pause the protection for up to 14 days.
How to set up AURA Here for an elderly parent
- 1
Install it on their phone
Install AURA Here from Google Play on your parent's Android phone and sign in with them. The app shows a short guide for phones that put background apps to sleep. On an iPhone it works from the browser, with a manual check-in instead of automatic signals.
- 2
Agree on the check time together
Pick the "I live alone" preset, 24 hours, or a shorter time, and set the quiet hours so no check ever falls during sleep: a night-time check moves to 30 minutes after waking.
- 3
Join as a Guardian
Your parent sends you the invite link: open it and accept. Add a second Guardian who lives nearby, so someone can knock on the door.
- 4
Write the emergency packet
Fill it in together: where the spare keys are, the medication, the family doctor, a neighbour's number. It is shown to Guardians only during an open alert.
Frequently asked questions
How can I check on an elderly parent who lives alone without calling every day?
Use a check-in app that reads signs of life from the phone they already carry. With AURA Here on Android, steps, unlocks and charging confirm your parent is active; if the phone stays silent past the time you agreed on and they do not answer the "Are you OK?" question, you get a push notification and an email.
Does my parent have to press a button every day?
Not on Android: the app picks up signs of life automatically. On an iPhone or a computer, opening AURA or holding "I'm here" for under a second is the check-in.
Can I see where my parent is?
Not all the time, by design. The position is shared only if your parent turned it on, and Guardians can see the last known position only while an alert is open. Outside an alert nobody can read it.
What happens when an alert reaches me?
You see when the last signal arrived, the battery level and the emergency packet. Tap "I'm on it" so the other Guardians know, then call or go. If your parent's phone gives a sign of life in the meantime, the alert closes as a false alarm.
How much does it cost?
AURA Here is free with up to 3 Guardians. AURA Here Plus, EUR 2.99 a month or EUR 24.99 a year, raises that to 10 Guardians and 15 people you watch over, and one Plus covers the people in your circle too.
Is this a medical alert or an emergency service?
No. AURA Here does not detect falls, does not monitor health and never calls emergency services. It tells the people your parent chose that the phone has gone quiet. In an emergency call 112, 911 or the local number.