How to add the I'm Alive check-in widget to your home screen

Put a one-tap check-in on your iPhone or Android home screen so marking yourself safe takes a second, not a full app launch. Here is exactly how to add each widget and what a tap really does.

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Home-screen check-in widget — one glance, one tap

8 min read

What the I'm Alive widgets do

This guide shows you how to add the check-in widget to your home screen on both iPhone and Android, so marking yourself safe takes a single tap instead of a full app launch. I'm Alive ships home-screen widgets for exactly this: you can check in without opening the app. There are two kinds. The check-in widget shows when your next check-in is due and lets you mark yourself safe with a single tap. The separate 'Someone I watch' contact widget is read-only: it shows whether a person you care about has been checking in normally, so you can glance at their status without calling.

On a recent iPhone, a tap on the check-in widget is a real check-in, not just a shortcut that opens the app. The tile shows 'Checking…' and only flips to 'Checked in' once the server has confirmed it. On Android the widget works the same way through a background task that records the check-in and turns the tile green once it is saved.

You do not need a paid plan to add a widget and check in from it: the everyday check-in tile and the 'Someone I watch' contact widget work on the free Check In plan. This guide covers adding the check-in widget and the contact widget on both iPhone and Android, plus the iPhone lock-screen widget.

Key Points

The check-in widget records a real check-in with one tap
The 'Someone I watch' contact widget is a read-only status view
You don't need a paid plan to add a widget and check in from it

Add the check-in widget on iPhone

Make sure you have installed I'm Alive from the App Store and opened it at least once, so the widget has something to show. Then add the widget the same way you add any iPhone widget.

Touch and hold an empty area of your home screen until the app icons start to jiggle. Tap the plus (+) button in the top-left corner to open the widget gallery. Search for 'I'm Alive' or scroll to find it, then select the 'I'm OK' widget.

Swipe between the available sizes and pick the one you want. The iPhone check-in widget comes in Small, Medium, and Large. Larger sizes show more detail, such as today's check-in windows, your week, and your safety net, while the Small size is a compact one-tap tile. Every size renders on any plan today; in the pricing design the larger Medium and Large tiles belong to the paid Stay Protected and Complete Safety Net plans, but adding a widget and checking in never needs a paid plan. Tap Add Widget, drag it where you want it, then tap Done.

Key Points

Long-press the home screen, then tap the + in the top-left
Search for 'I'm Alive' and choose the 'I'm OK' widget
Small, Medium, and Large sizes are all available

Tips

Open the I'm Alive app once before adding the widget so it can show your status
Place the widget near the top of your first home-screen page so it is easy to reach

Add the lock-screen widget on iPhone

On iPhone you can also add a compact I'm Alive widget to your lock screen, so your check-in is one tap away without unlocking the phone first.

Touch and hold the lock screen, then tap Customize and choose Lock Screen. Tap the widget area just below the clock to open the widget picker. Find I'm Alive and add its rectangular lock-screen widget, then tap Done to save.

The lock-screen widget is a smaller, glanceable version of the check-in tile. It shows your check-in status at a glance and takes you into your check-in. Note that the lock-screen widget is an iPhone feature; Android does not offer a lock-screen widget.

Key Points

Long-press the lock screen, tap Customize, then Lock Screen
Add the I'm Alive rectangular widget below the clock
The lock-screen widget is iPhone-only

Add the 'Someone I watch' contact widget on iPhone

If you keep an eye on a parent, partner, or friend who uses I'm Alive, the contact widget puts their check-in status on your own home screen.

Long-press the home screen, tap the plus (+) button, and search for 'I'm Alive' again. This time select the 'Someone I watch' widget. It comes in Medium and Large sizes. Pick a size, tap Add Widget, and place it on your home screen.

The contact widget is read-only by design. It shows whether the person is checking in normally and lets you call them or open their history, but you can never check in on their behalf from it. It complements, rather than replaces, your own check-in widget.

Key Points

Choose the 'Someone I watch' widget from the widget gallery
Medium and Large sizes are available
It is read-only: view status and call, but never check in for someone else

Add the widgets on Android

On Android, I'm Alive ships two widgets: a check-in widget and a contact widget. Both are resizable, so you can stretch them to fit your launcher rather than choosing from fixed iPhone-style sizes.

Touch and hold an empty spot on your home screen and tap Widgets. Scroll to find I'm Alive, then press and hold the check-in widget and drag it onto your home screen. Drag the handles to resize it if you want a larger or smaller tile. Repeat for the contact widget if you watch someone else's check-ins.

Android does not have a lock-screen widget, and the check-in and contact widgets are the two widgets on offer; the fixed Medium and Large sizes described above are iPhone widgets. Everything else works the same as iPhone: a tap on the Android check-in widget records a real check-in in the background and turns the tile green once it is saved.

Key Points

Long-press the home screen and tap Widgets to find I'm Alive
Both the check-in and contact widgets are resizable
Android has no lock-screen widget

Tips

Drag the resize handles to make the widget as large or compact as you like
Add the contact widget as well if you are watching a loved one's check-ins

What happens when you tap the widget

On an iPhone running iOS 17 or later while signed in, a tap on the check-in widget sends your check-in directly from the home screen. The tile shows 'Checking…' and only flips to 'Checked in' once the server confirms it, so the green state is a genuine confirmation rather than a guess. On an older iPhone (iOS 16), or before you have signed in, the tap simply opens the app so you can finish the check-in there.

Because the tile waits for the server, it is not instant and it needs a connection. If you are offline when you tap, the widget shows a Try again state instead of turning green, and your normal check-in reminder still fires so nothing is missed. Tap again once you are back online.

One important limit: you cannot start or cancel an emergency SOS from any widget or from the lock screen. On the iPhone Large widget, the SOS row and the fall-detection row are status only; tapping them opens the app, where SOS is deliberately behind a hold-and-confirm screen. The widget is for everyday check-ins, and the app handles emergencies.

Key Points

iOS 17+ and signed in: the tap checks you in from the home screen
iOS 16 or not signed in: the tap opens the app to finish
The tile waits for server confirmation, so it is not instant or offline
SOS can never be triggered from a widget or the lock screen

Tips

If the tile shows Try again, check your connection and tap once more
For a full tour of the widgets, see the I'm Alive widgets page

Keep your widget updating reliably

Home-screen widgets refresh on the system's own schedule rather than second by second, so the tile you glance at may lag your latest check-in by a few minutes. That is normal on both iPhone and Android. If you want the freshest status, open the I'm Alive app for a moment; the widget picks up the change the next time the system refreshes it. The one moment the tile updates immediately is when you tap it to check in, because it waits for the server before turning green.

If a tap does not seem to register, the usual cause is connectivity. The check-in widget records nothing until the server confirms it, so on a weak or dropped connection you will see the Try again state instead of 'Checked in'. Move somewhere with signal or Wi-Fi and tap once more. Your scheduled reminder keeps firing in the background either way, so a failed widget tap never means a missed check-in went unnoticed.

If the widget disappears or shows placeholder text after an app update or a phone restart, remove it and add it again using the steps above. On iPhone, confirming you are signed in also matters: before you sign in, the widget can only deep-link into the app rather than check you in headlessly, so a quick sign-in restores the one-tap behaviour.

Key Points

Widgets refresh on the system schedule, so the tile can lag by a few minutes
A Try again state almost always means a connection problem, not a broken widget
Re-add the widget after major updates, and sign in to restore one-tap check-in

Tips

Open the app briefly if you want the widget to show your very latest status
Keep the widget on a home-screen page you actually see each day

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I add the I'm Alive check-in widget to my home screen?

Open I'm Alive at least once, then long-press an empty area of your home screen. On iPhone tap the plus (+) button, search for 'I'm Alive', choose the 'I'm OK' widget, pick a size, and tap Add Widget. On Android tap Widgets, find I'm Alive, and drag the check-in widget onto your home screen, resizing it to taste.

Does tapping the widget really check me in, or just open the app?

On an iPhone running iOS 17 or later while signed in, and on Android, tapping the check-in widget records a real check-in in the background and the tile turns green once the server confirms it. On an older iPhone (iOS 16) or before you sign in, the tap opens the app so you can complete the check-in there.

Which iPhone widget sizes are available?

The check-in widget comes in Small, Medium, and Large, plus a rectangular lock-screen widget. The separate 'Someone I watch' contact widget comes in Medium and Large. Every size renders on any plan today, and you never need a paid plan just to add a widget and check in from it.

Is there a lock-screen widget on Android?

No. The lock-screen widget is an iPhone feature. On Android you get two home-screen widgets, a check-in widget and a contact widget, and both are resizable.

Can I send an SOS from the widget?

No. SOS cannot be triggered or cancelled from any widget or from the lock screen. The widgets handle everyday check-ins and status; an SOS is started inside the app behind a deliberate hold-and-confirm screen.

Does the widget work offline?

The check-in widget waits for the server to confirm your check-in, so it needs a connection. If you tap while offline, the tile shows a Try again state instead of turning green, and your usual check-in reminder still fires. Tap again once you are back online.

Why is my widget not showing my latest status?

Widgets refresh on the system's own schedule, so the tile can lag your latest check-in by a few minutes on both iPhone and Android. Open the I'm Alive app for a moment to prompt a refresh. If the widget shows placeholder text after an update or restart, remove it and add it again, and make sure you are signed in so it can check you in with one tap.

Do I need a paid plan to use the widget?

No. You do not need a paid plan to add a widget and check in from it: the everyday check-in tile and the contact widget work on the free Check In plan.

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