Safety Timer
How Trailkeep's Safety Timer works — return-by monitoring (primary) and the optional Check-in Timer (deadman).
Trailkeep's Safety Timer is the umbrella name for the whole monitoring system: return-by monitoring (primary) plus the optional Check-in Timer (secondary). Both can send overdue alert emails to emergency contacts and Trail Companions — no action required from you once a deadline passes.
This is also when the Safety QR privacy gate opens. Your family may be in another country, but people who scanned your QR at the trailhead, or who you shared it with digitally on trail, are physically closer and can act sooner.
Return-by monitoring (primary)
Return-by monitoring watches your promised return date and time. If that moment passes and the trip is still active, Trailkeep sends an overdue alert.
- Always on when a trip is armed and has an end date set
- On the Start tab: Expect me back by and the Return in duration chips
- Optional return time on the end date (not just midnight) — see Starting your trip
- Always active on every account tier when a trip is armed with an end date
- The optional Check-in Timer (below) adds daily check-ins before your return date — available on Free, Pioneer, and Pro alike
You arm return-by monitoring by tapping Go on the Start tab — not by opening the Check-in Timer popover.
Check-in Timer (optional)
The Check-in Timer is an optional deadman's switch. While your trip is active, it counts down in the background. If you do not check in within your configured window (24 or 36 hours), Trailkeep sends an overdue alert — even if your return date has not passed yet.
How the Check-in Timer works
The timer resets every time Trailkeep confirms a check-in on the Start tab:
- Set your check-in window in the Check-in Timer popover (timer icon on the Start tab) — options: 24h or 36h
- When your trip goes Active, the timer starts: deadline = now + your window
- Each time you tap Check in now with signal, the timer resets: new deadline = server confirmation time + window. Offline, the button shows Not confirmed yet until sync.
- If you do not check in within the window, the alert fires
This layer tracks progress through multi-day trips, not just whether you returned by a fixed date.
Checking in resets the Check-in Timer once Trailkeep confirms on the server. Open the Start tab and tap Check in now when you have signal — or use No data? Check in by text (cell or satellite) off-grid.
Setting up the Check-in Timer
Before your trip:
- Add emergency contacts in Account settings → Emergency tab
- Open the Check-in Timer popover from the Start tab (timer icon on the idle or active card) to enable the timer and choose your check-in window (24 or 36 hours)
- Create your trip with an accurate end date
- Tap Go on the Start tab when you set out
What happens when an alert fires
Within approximately 6 minutes of a deadline passing (return-by or Check-in Timer):
- Your Safety QR status changes to Overdue
- Emergency contacts receive an alert email with a link to your full trip page
- Trail Companions receive a single alert email
- You receive an email notifying you that your contacts were alerted
- The shared trip page becomes public with your full itinerary, emergency contacts, and personal details
Timer controls
The Check-in Timer popover on the Start tab gives you four actions:
| Action | When available | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Extend (+2 hours) | Timer active, no alert fired, online | Pushes the deadline forward by 2 hours from now (or from the current deadline if not yet expired) |
| Cancel alert | Alert has fired | Pauses the timer and sends a cancellation email to contacts |
| Reset timer | After cancelling an alert | Restarts monitoring with a fresh deadline from now |
| Disable timer | Any time | Turns off the Check-in Timer globally; return-by monitoring still applies when an end date is set |
If you extend the trip or encounter delays, use the Extend button rather than updating the end date. Extend is available even with limited connectivity — it requires only a brief network connection to sync.
GPS location capture
GPS coordinates are captured automatically when you check in — they are not a separate manual action. Each check-in writes your coordinates to two places: the "last known location" field (the primary SAR reference) and a per-day breadcrumb trail.
GPS capture does not reset the Check-in Timer by itself — tapping Check in now does. See Completing a day for the full GPS flow, including what happens when GPS is unavailable.
What the Safety Timer cannot do
- It cannot tell the difference between "running late" and a genuine emergency — it only knows whether you returned or checked in on time
- It does not track your location continuously — only captures on check-in
- Return-by monitoring cannot activate without an end date set on the trip
- It cannot send SMS — notifications are email only
- For routes with extended zero-connectivity stretches, use Check in by text (cell or satellite SMS) from dead zones via your phone's Messages app (iPhone 14+, supported Android). For true emergencies where you are incapacitated and cannot send anything at all, carry a dedicated PLB or satellite communicator (Garmin inReach, SPOT) — those handle SOS dispatch, which Trailkeep does not
The Safety Timer is a last resort, not a tracking system. Study your route before you go — you need at least intermittent coverage to check in and keep the Check-in Timer running.