Contact local emergency services first
NWatch alerts people in your trusted group. It does not contact police, fire or ambulance services and does not guarantee notification delivery. If anyone is in immediate danger, contact local emergency services first.
Getting ready
Set up the app safely
Join your trusted group
Sign in with Google, Microsoft when enabled, Apple on iPhone, or passwordless email. Email sign-in sends a one-time secure link, not a numeric OTP or NWatch password. Then enter the current invite code supplied by your group manager and confirm the group name before joining. Invite codes can expire or reach their use limit; ask your manager for a fresh code if the app says it is unavailable.
Allow alerts on this phone
Allow notifications when prompted, then open Settings in NWatch and review every readiness item. Your phone's Focus, Do Not Disturb, notification channel, alarm volume, battery and network settings can affect what you hear or see. NWatch reports the state it can verify; it never treats a stored alert as proof that another phone displayed it.
Run a harmless group test
Arrange a test with your manager and another member. Use harmless text, confirm the recipient can open and decrypt it, acknowledge or stop it, and repeat with the recipient phone locked and the app in the background. Do not use a real emergency to discover that a phone setting needs attention.
Troubleshooting
Common app questions
An alert did not arrive or make a sound
Open NWatch Settings and note the readiness warnings. Confirm notifications are allowed, the NWatch alert channel is enabled, alarm volume is audible, Focus or Do Not Disturb permits the alert behavior available on your phone, battery restrictions are not suspending the app, and the phone has a network connection. Send the phone model, operating-system version, approximate time and the exact readiness message to support.
An alert says it cannot be decrypted
Do not repeatedly delete or reinstall the app. First update NWatch, keep the affected alert on the device, and ask your manager to confirm your membership is active. In NWatch Settings, use the security-key repair or rotation action only when directed by the on-screen guidance. If the alert still cannot open, email support with the incident reference—never send the private alert text by ordinary email.
The app cannot confirm whether my alert was sent
Follow the saved-alert message exactly. NWatch keeps the same protected incident request so a deliberate retry does not silently create a second alert. Do not assume anyone received it. If there is immediate danger, contact local emergency services first.
I changed phones, reinstalled, or rejoined
Sign in with the same identity provider, rejoin only if the app asks, allow the new device to register its security key, and complete a two-device group test. A new installation does not contain private keys that belonged only to an old installation.
Delete my account
Open NWatch Settings and choose Delete account. A sole group manager may first need to hand responsibility to another manager. The independent deletion resource explains the process and retained safety records.
Still stuck?
Talk to a person
Include the phone model, OS version, NWatch version, approximate incident time and the exact error or reference. Do not email private alert content or passwords.
Email [email protected]