This chapter lists common Kautio problems in the order you might meet them: signing in, inviting a contact, scheduling (including being asked for your name), a check-in coming due, and afterwards. Each section names the symptom, lists the likely causes with the most common first, and gives the steps to fix it.
I can't sign in or didn't get my code
If you can't sign in to Kautio or the 6-digit code doesn't arrive, check these causes:
Your number isn't from the US or Canada. Kautio sends codes only to US and Canadian numbers. The app shows "Kautio is available in the US and Canada right now. A verification code can't be sent to this number."
The text is delayed. Wait a moment. Resend code becomes available 30 seconds after a code is sent.
The code was mistyped. The app shows "That code doesn't match. Check the message and try again."
The code is too old. The app shows "This code has expired. Request a new one." Tap Resend code.
Too many attempts. The app shows "Too many tries. Please wait a few minutes and try again." Wait, then try again.
If none of these apply, use Contact support or email support@kautio.app.
My invitation isn't working
A Kautio invitation can fail when you send it, or when your contact tries to accept it.
The invitation won't send
If a Kautio invitation won't send, the app shows one of these messages:
Message | What it means and what to do |
"You cannot invite yourself" | You entered your own number. Enter the other person's number. |
"Kautio can only text safety contacts with a US or Canadian number right now. This number won't receive check-in messages." | Kautio can text only US and Canadian numbers. Use a US or Canadian number. |
"You already sent an invite to this person." | An invitation to this number is still waiting. Wait for them to accept, or revoke it in Pending invites › Sent. |
"You are already contacts with this person." | Nothing to do; they're already in Your contacts. |
"This person previously declined your invite, so you can't send another." | A decline is final. Kautio can't send that person another invitation from you. |
"This phone number has opted out of Kautio messages and can't receive invites." | The person replied STOP to a Kautio text. They can reply START to the same number to receive texts again. |
"We couldn't deliver the invite text. Check the number and try again." | The text couldn't be delivered. Check the number and try again. |
"This invite cannot be sent right now." | Kautio can't send an invitation to this number, and the message gives no reason. If you think this is a mistake, contact support@kautio.app. |
My contact can't accept the invitation
If your contact can't accept a Kautio invitation, check these causes:
They signed in with a different number. The invitation can't be opened, and the app shows "Couldn't load this invite." They must sign in with the number you invited, or you can invite the number they use.
The invitation expired. The app shows "This invite has expired." Invitations expire after 30 days. Send a new one.
The invitation was revoked or already answered. The app may show "This invite has already been responded to." or "This invite is no longer available." Send a new one if you revoked it by mistake.
They replied to the text. Replying to a Kautio invitation text never accepts it. They must tap the link and choose Accept in the app.
For every message on the Contact invite screen, see Got a text from Kautio? › Why won't the invitation open?
I can't schedule a check-in
If Kautio won't schedule a check-in, the app shows one of these messages:
Message | What it means and what to do |
"You're out of credits. Subscribe to keep scheduling check-ins." (the line above Schedule check-in, and again at the bottom of the screen if you tap it) | You have no credits and no subscription. See Plans, credits, and prices. |
A message asking you to choose a start time at least 5 minutes from now | Choose a later start. |
"Start time must be within 30 days" | Choose an earlier start. |
"Please select a location." | Choose a location for the plan. |
"Please select a wait between tiers" | Choose a Wait between tiers. It has no default. |
"No one here — add someone or remove this tier before scheduling." or "No one here — add someone before scheduling." (on the tier), "Some tiers need correction. Tiers must have at least one recipient." (on a copied check-in, a check-in started from a preset, or a preset you open), or "Tiers must have at least one recipient." | Every tier needs at least one contact who has accepted your invitation. Add a contact, or remove the tier if the check-in has more than one. A copied check-in or a preset keeps a tier whose contacts are no longer in your contact list, empty, so you can choose. |
"No contacts available. Invite contacts first." | You have no accepted contacts yet. See Your first check-in › Step 1: Invite a contact. |
"You can have up to 10 upcoming check-ins. Complete or cancel an existing one first." | You have 10 check-ins that are Scheduled or Active. Repeating check-ins don't count. Kautio Pro allows 25. See More than one check-in. |
"You've created several check-ins today. You can create more tomorrow." | You've scheduled 5 check-ins today. Check-ins you cancelled still count; repeating check-ins don't. Kautio Pro allows 15 a day. The count resets at midnight UTC. |
Update required | Your version of Kautio is too old. Update it from your app store. |
These limits also apply:
A tier is full. Each tier holds up to 10 contacts. Remove someone from the tier, or add them to another tier.
A contact on the check-in is no longer your contact. If someone removed you as a contact, or deleted their account, Kautio refuses a check-in that includes them. Remove them from the tier.
If a different message appears, use Contact support and include the message text.
Kautio asks for my name when I schedule
When you tap Schedule check-in and your account has no name, Kautio opens a Your name sheet before scheduling, because your contacts' texts name you. Enter a name (up to 40 characters) and tap Save and continue; the check-in is then scheduled. Cancel returns to the form and schedules nothing. Once your account has a name, Kautio doesn't ask again. See Setting up Kautio › Why does Kautio ask for my name when I schedule?
I didn't get a notification when my check-in came due
If you didn't get the "Check-in time" notification when a Kautio check-in came due, check these causes, most common first:
Notifications are off for Kautio. Turn them on in your phone's settings: Settings › Notifications › Kautio.
A Focus or channel setting held it back. On iPhone, a Focus was on and Time Sensitive notifications aren't allowed for Kautio. On Android, the "Check-in activation" channel is turned off.
Your phone was off or had no signal.
Someone else signed in to Kautio on this phone since you did. Kautio notifications go to the account that most recently signed in on a phone.
You signed out of Kautio on this phone. When the phone is online, signing out also stops Kautio's notifications for your account on this phone. Sign in again to get them.
Notifications to you are best-effort. Even when one doesn't arrive, the check-in runs on schedule, and your contacts are notified if you don't respond. That notification means a timer you set wasn't stopped, nothing more.
To get a second way to hear about a check-in, turn on Call me during check-ins in Settings › Preferences, or Also call me on a single check-in. See Scheduling a check-in › Phone call option ("Also call me").
I called the number back and heard it isn't in service
If you call the number a Kautio call or text came from, your carrier plays its usual message for a number that can't be reached, such as "not in service". The wording depends on your carrier. That number only places Kautio's calls and sends Kautio's texts. It doesn't take incoming calls.
If it's your check-in: to snooze or dismiss, open the Kautio app, or press 1 or 2 while Kautio's call is on the line. Calling the number doesn't change your check-in. It keeps running on schedule.
If you got a Kautio text about someone's check-in: contact that person directly.
For anything else, use Contact support or email support@kautio.app.
My contact didn't get a text
If a Kautio contact didn't get a text during a check-in, check these causes:
Their tier was never reached. Kautio notifies one tier at a time. If you dismissed first, later tiers weren't notified. A snooze delays later tiers by your Wait between tiers.
They replied STOP to a Kautio text. Texts to their number are blocked until they reply START. If they have the Kautio app with notifications on, they still get the app notification.
They're no longer your contact, or they deleted their Kautio account. Kautio doesn't text people who aren't your contacts.
Their number changed. Kautio texts the number currently verified on their Kautio account.
The carrier didn't deliver the text.
Kautio is not an emergency service. During a check-in it contacts no one but the contacts you chose.
If no one in a tier could be reached by text or app notification, or every contact in that tier was removed or has blocked you, Kautio sends you a notification titled "Contacts not reached", which names the tier and ends "Check your contacts in Kautio."
When Kautio counts a contact as notified, it means a text or app notification to them was accepted for delivery. It doesn't mean the message was read.
My contacts were notified but I thought I responded
If your Kautio contacts were notified although you thought you had responded, check these causes:
Every tier has its own grace window. Responding in one window doesn't cover the next. Snooze only delays the check-in; Dismiss is what ends it.
The grace window was short. With a 1- or 2-minute Grace window, a notification you see a few minutes late can arrive after Kautio has notified the tier. For plans where you may not see your phone at once, choose a longer grace window when you schedule (see Scheduling a check-in › Grace window).
Opening the notification or the app isn't a response. Only tapping Snooze or Dismiss counts.
Kautio's servers keep the time. A tap that reached Kautio after it had started notifying that tier was refused. On a phone call, you'd hear "This check-in has already moved forward…".
Your phone had no connection. The tap never reached Kautio.
You answered a different check-in. With Kautio Pro, two check-ins can run at once; a response to one doesn't affect the other.
It was the follow-up text. A follow-up goes 24 or 48 hours after the activity start, even after a dismiss, unless you tapped Clear follow-up or cancelled the check-in before it started.
A notification to your contacts means a timer you set wasn't stopped, nothing more.
What you can do now:
Send "all good". It goes only to contacts who were already notified. See When a check-in comes due › Sending "all good" to your contacts.
Or contact them yourself.
For how each window and the follow-up work, see When a check-in comes due and Tiers and follow-up.
I moved to a new phone
When you move Kautio to a new phone with the same number, install Kautio and sign in with that number and the code Kautio texts you. Your contacts, check-ins, and credits are kept on Kautio's servers, and a check-in that is running keeps running during the move.
On the new phone:
Allow notifications. See Setting up Kautio › Notifications (essential).
Allow location again the first time a check-in that shares your location is Active.
Restore your subscription: open Plans and tap Already subscribed? Restore purchases, using the same App Store or Google Play account. See Managing your subscription › How do I restore my purchases?
The intro screens and the setup checklist may appear again.
On the old phone, uninstall Kautio so it stops receiving your notifications.
If you're also changing your number, use Settings › Profile › Phone number while you still have the old number. You can't change it while a check-in is Active. See Your account › How do I change my phone number?
I blocked someone by mistake
In Kautio, you block someone from an invitation they sent you: Block, then Block again in the "Block contact" dialog, which says "This will remove the invite and prevent this person from sending you invites in the future." Blocking also cancels any other invitations that person sent you. The other person is never told they were blocked.
The Kautio app has no unblock control. To have a block removed, use Contact support or email support@kautio.app and ask for the block to be removed.