FAQ
Questions, answered plainly.
Every answer is checked against the app. Missing something? Ask us.
If you are in immediate danger, call 911, or the local emergency number outside the United States. push! alerts the people you chose. It does not contact police or emergency services.
Getting started
What is push!?
A personal security app for iPhone. One press starts a ten-second countdown; then the contacts you chose get your live location, audio and video. It does not contact emergency services.
How do I add contacts?
Contacts, then Add Contact. Send the one-time code, valid 48 hours. They install push!, enter it, and they are on your list.
Do my contacts need the app?
Yes, on an iPhone, with notifications on. Alerts are app notifications, not texts. The alert screen shows each contact's send state.
Is push! on Android?
Not today. push! is on the App Store for iPhone.
Who can use push!?
Adults 18 and older (Terms and Conditions).
Does push! cost money?
There is a free trial, then a subscription through the App Store. Prices are shown in the app.
The button
How does the button work?
Press once. Ten seconds count down: cancel with your PIN, add ten seconds up to twice, or send now. At zero your contacts are notified and sharing starts.
What if I press it by accident?
Enter your PIN during the countdown. Nothing is sent to your contacts.
What if I forget my PIN?
Changing it in Settings asks for the current PIN. If you forget it, reinstalling push! lets you set a new one.
Can I turn video off?
Yes: Settings, then Recording Settings. Audio is always part of an alert.
During an alert
What do my contacts see?
A notification that you need help. In the app: your live location on a map, a LIVE video card and the sound from your phone.
Can I tell if the alert went out?
The alert screen shows Sending, Sent or Not reached for each contact. Sent means push! accepted the alert for delivery to their phone; it does not confirm that their phone displayed it.
How do I end an alert?
I'm Safe, then your PIN. Your contacts are told. Otherwise it ends after an hour (near the end you can add 30 minutes from the alert screen) and they are told push! could not confirm you are safe, or after 10 minutes without a signal from your phone, and they are told your phone stopped responding, with its last known location.
Does it work in the background?
Location and audio continue. Video stops until you reopen push!.
After an alert
Where are my past alerts?
Settings, then Incident History: times, duration, distance, the route on a map, and the recording if one was saved. Older alerts are removed after a limited period.
How long are recordings kept?
See the Privacy Policy. Deleting your account deletes your history and the recordings it still lists.
Privacy and data
Who gets my location?
Your contacts, live, during an alert. Between alerts it is not sent. See Your data.
Does push! track me all the time?
No. Location is sent from the end of the countdown until the alert ends.
How do I delete my account?
Settings, Account Settings, Delete Account. Your profile, your history and the recordings it still lists are deleted. Subscriptions live in your Apple ID settings.
Are there ads?
No ads and no ad software in the app (it does use Firebase Analytics for usage events). This website has no trackers or cookies.
Emergency services
Does push! call 911 or the police?
No. It alerts the contacts you chose. The Call 911 button opens your dialer; the call is yours. In immediate danger, call 911 or the local emergency number.
Technical
Does it work without Wi-Fi?
It needs a data connection, Wi-Fi or cellular.
Which permissions, and why?
Location, microphone and camera, only during an alert. Notifications, so alerts arrive. Photos, only to save a recording.
How do I get help?
Email support@pulla.org with your phone model, iOS version and what happened.
Study abroad and schools
Does our office get a view of students' alerts?
No. There are no organization accounts and no admin view. See push! for study abroad offices.
