Frequently asked questions

Download Gart from ZapStore, a Nostr-native app store at zapstore.dev. Search for "Gart" and tap Install. ZapStore handles all future updates automatically.

Not yet. We plan to release an iOS version. Join the beta waiting list or follow us on X, LinkedIn, or Nostr to be notified the moment it launches.

Yes, but it only takes a moment and there is no email, phone number, or password to set up. When you first open Gart, you simply choose a username and the app generates your identity for you. Once you are in, save the key it gives you somewhere safe, it works like a password and is the only way to log back into that same profile later. This identity is what connects you to your circle and keeps your group memberships and history with you across devices.

Gart works without an email address or phone number, so there is no account-recovery email to fall back on if you lose your device. Your access depends entirely on your identity, which is why it is important to back it up from within the app before you ever need it. Once it is backed up, you can install Gart on a new device, log in, and your group memberships and history come back with you. The backup steps are explained in our user manual.

A group can include up to 10 Watchers. The Group Owner is not counted among them.

The Group Owner creates the group and is the only person who can trigger alerts. A Watcher receives alerts and can respond to them. One person can be a Group Owner in their own group and a Watcher in other groups at the same time. Roles are per group, not per account.

Search by username or npub directly in the app, or scan their profile QR code to pull up their profile and send an invite in one step. For contacts who don't have Gart yet, you can share an invitation link from settings or user search page. The link walks them through installation before they can join.

Share an invitation link from within the app and send it via Signal, email, or any channel you use. The link guides them through installation first.

Yes. The Group Owner can invite new and remove existing Watchers.

A Test Alert lets you run through the full alert process without triggering a real emergency response. The message and the location are both locked in place: the message reads as a non-emergency notice, and the location always points to a fixed coordinate on Mount Everest. Your real coordinates stay private.

A Live Alert broadcasts your current GPS coordinates to the group alongside the message you wrote. Use it only in a genuine emergency.

Test Alerts are available from within the group screen. Select the Test Alert option, confirm, and hit and hold the button for about 2 seconds. Use Test Alerts to verify that every Watcher in your group receives alerts reliably before you rely on the real one.

You cannot cancel an alert, but you can stop it. Stopping sends a visible stop notification to all Watchers and displays it inside the group.

Watchers see your alert message, your current GPS coordinates as text, and an Open in Maps button that launches the coordinates in their device's default maps application.

Watchers can tap I'm handling this in response to an active alert. This posts a visible acknowledgment inside the group. The Group Owner and other Watchers can see who is actively involved, which prevents confusion when multiple people are coordinating a response.

Yes. Write it before you are in a situation where you need to send it. Open the Live Alert message template in the Group information screen and fill in the placeholders with the information your Watchers will need most: who to call and what to do. Once a Live Alert is sent, the message cannot be edited.

Gart shares your location only when you trigger a Live Alert. It does not track your location continuously or in the background.

Yes. Every message is end-to-end encrypted before it ever leaves your device. Only the members of your group hold the keys to read it, Gart itself cannot.

There are no Gart servers storing your data. All communication travels directly between devices over a public, decentralized network, encrypted before it ever leaves your phone. Gart cannot read your messages or access your location.

When the app crashes, it sends a technical report to the team. The report contains crash data only: no message content, no location. A separate analytics service records anonymous usage patterns to help us improve the app. We collect no personally identifiable information. We are reviewing both services before public release.

No. Gart requires an active internet connection to send and receive alerts. You can use Wi-Fi or mobile data. Sending a Live Alert requires an active GPS signal, not a SIM card.

Shake your phone from anywhere in the app the moment you spot an issue. A screenshot is captured automatically. If you'd prefer not to include it, remove it from the Report Issue screen before sending. Add a brief description and tap Send. The report and its technical logs go directly to the team.

You can also reach this form via Settings > Report an Issue.

Send your questions to [email protected]. For bugs and technical errors, use Shake to Report in the app or Settings > Report an Issue. These capture the technical context the team needs to investigate.

Beta testers enrolled through gart.io/app also have access to a Signal group for questions and discussion with other testers.