Glossary

The words Heartbeat uses, and exactly what each one means. They are set in the same accent wherever they appear in the app, so the same word always means the same thing.

For everyone

Check-in. Telling Heartbeat you are alright. Opening the app counts, so does the widget, your watch, and pressing "I am okay" on a reminder. Your phone moving does not count on its own.
Check-in window. How long you can go without checking in before Heartbeat starts asking. You choose it, and you can change it whenever you like.
Nudge. A reminder to check in, sent before your window closes. It is the cheapest thing Heartbeat can do, and it resolves nearly everything.
Emergency contact. Somebody you named who agreed to be asked if you go quiet. They are not Heartbeat users. They agreed by replying to a text or pressing a button in an email, and they can stop at any time.
Active Responder. The one contact being asked right now. Only one person is asked at a time, and only that person is given the care plan — and only after they say they can go.
Care plan. What an Active Responder is shown: your pets, the way into your home, food, medication, and which vet to ring. Nobody sees it until they have agreed to go.

For owners

Nearby, Same day, Next day. How far away a contact is, which sets the order they are asked in. Nearby is about fifteen minutes, same day is thirty to forty-five minutes, next day is up to an hour.
Casual mode. A setting that makes any sign of life count as a check-in, movement included. It means fewer interruptions and a weaker signal, and it is off unless you turn it on.
Strict check-in. The opposite setting. Only the widget, your watch, and answering a reminder count. Opening the app stops counting.
Verified practice. A vet chosen from a listing rather than typed, so the number and address come from the practice itself and cannot be wrong in a way nobody notices.
Membership. The paid option. Checking in, your care plan and your contacts work without it.

If you have been asked to be a contact

You are not signing up for anything. There is no app to install and no account to make. You agreed to be reached, nothing more.
You will hear from us rarely, or never. Most people hear nothing in a year. If it happens you are asked once. If you do not answer, we ask somebody else rather than asking you again.
You can stop at any time. Reply STOP to a text, or use the unsubscribe link in an email. Texts and emails are separate, so ending one leaves the other alone.
Nobody is obliged to go. Saying you cannot is a complete answer, and it is more useful than silence — it lets Heartbeat ask the next person straight away.

Questions about any of this: get in touch or email support@heartbeat.pet.