FAQ: Questions and Answers

The emergency call solution always consists of a base unit, a button, and a subscription. You can also choose additional accessories, such as a fall sensor or a smoke detector. SmartLife Care also offers additional services through partners, such as installation and on-site assistance. We’d be happy to advise you via our hotline at 0848 65 65 65.

Do you still go out on your own? If not, then the device will only be used at home. In that case, our stationary emergency call devices, Genius and Allegra, are suitable options. The Mini is designed for use on the go. The Flex emergency call device is suitable for both home and on-the-go use. We’d be happy to advise you via our hotline at 0848 65 65 65.

If you have a large support network with many contacts who can be on-site in an emergency, then the Basic subscription plan is right for you. If you have family members but would also like the emergency call center to be a contact in an emergency or to relieve the burden on your family, then the Comfort subscription plan is right for you. The alarm can also be routed directly to the emergency call center (Professional plan). The center will discuss the situation with you and alert your family members or, if necessary, call an ambulance.

A contact person is a family member or neighbor who can come to the aid of the emergency device user in an emergency. This person has a key or knows the code to the key safe for the apartment.

The technical contact person is a contact who receives technical notifications about the device via cell phone or email (e.g., low battery, power outage) and who, ideally, can address the issue within 24 hours of receiving such a notification.

With the new Mini, Flex, and Alma emergency devices, emergency calls can be stopped within the first 10 seconds. The Genius and Allegra models do not yet have this feature. However, with these models, the user can enter their own phone number as the primary contact and answer the call in the event of a false alarm.

For devices purchased on or after October 2018, the warranty is valid for 3 years from the date of purchase (excluding emergency call buttons). Devices purchased before that date are covered by a 2-year warranty. For rental devices, the warranty is valid for the entire subscription period. Mechanical damage, such as a defective casing or water damage, is excluded from the warranty. We provide a 2-year warranty on the handheld transmitters and all other accessories.

Items purchased online come with a 14-day money-back guarantee. They must be returned in their original packaging. Items purchased from a retailer must be returned directly to the retailer.

Press the emergency call button or the button on the base unit. With the Allegra and Voce models, you can trigger the alarm using voice control by saying “Sara, alarm!” Your emergency call device will begin to beep, and the alarm will sound. Once triggered, the alarm cannot be stopped, but it does not incur any additional costs.

You can order the emergency call devices online on our website or by phone via the hotline at 0848 65 65 65—or purchase them at Swisscom Shops and specialty retailers. Rental devices are available exclusively through the website or the hotline. Accessories can only be ordered directly on our website or via the hotline.

With the Mini and Flex models, you can connect up to 5 emergency buttons; with the Genius and Allegra models, up to 99.

Yes, all emergency buttons and pendants are waterproof and can be worn while showering. The exceptions are the Serena and Vito emergency watches and the fall sensor. These are only splash-proof and cannot be worn while showering.

Try wearing the emergency button on your other wrist. This simple step usually helps.

Yes, such sensors are available. For example, the fall sensor for the Mini, Flex, Genius, and Allegra models. Up to 99 additional sensors can be connected to the Genius and Allegra models.

The emergency call device was developed for use in Switzerland and, due to its integrated SIM card, is limited to use in Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein. The service relies on family members or the emergency call center being able to organize on-site assistance and provide help quickly in the event of an alarm. This can only be guaranteed in Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein.

The emergency devices are designed and tested for use in Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein. In these two countries, you can easily take them with you on vacation and connect them on site. Please provide your vacation address to customer service, or enter it in the Customer Center under “Notes” along with the duration of your stay.

This is an additional feature. The alarm must be triggered and acknowledged once per day; otherwise, the alarm will be triggered automatically. You can activate the daily alarm in the Customer Center. You can find the instructions here.

Yes, that’s possible. Once this feature is activated (in the Customer Center), you can answer the call by pressing the emergency button or the alarm button on the device. You can find the emergency device’s number in the Customer Center. This feature is disabled by default to prevent unsolicited calls.

In the Customer Center, you can register devices and update emergency contacts, information, technical contacts, and notes. You can also edit the daily buttons and use other useful features. For the Flex and Mini models, you can view the device’s location and initiate a device search. With the Allegra, you can edit favorite radio stations, the color of the ambient light, and voice control, or manage other useful features yourself, such as allowing or blocking calls to the emergency device.

If you’ve forgotten your password for the Customer Center, you can easily reset it using the “Forgot Password” feature.

A call to our 0848 number costs 8 rappen per minute, regardless of whether you’re calling from a landline or a cell phone. These rates apply nationwide and are not time-dependent.

• The selected contact’s phone rings. If the call is answered, a voice message plays: “Emergency call from ‘Hans Muster’—please press 5.”
• Your contacts press 5 to confirm the call. You can then speak. If the call is not answered or confirmed, the emergency device will try the next contact out of a maximum of 10. This process repeats up to 5 times. Each contact is called for 20 seconds.
• If no one is reached, all registered contacts will receive a text message or email notifying them that an alarm has been triggered.
• At least 3 contacts must be specified for the subscription to provide reliable assistance.

Tip: It’s best if your contacts save your device’s phone number. You can find the number in the Customer Center.

• The selected contact person’s phone rings. If the call is answered, the voice prompt “Emergency call from ‘Hans Muster’ – please press 5” is played.
• Your contacts press 5 to confirm the call. You can then speak. If the call is not answered or confirmed, the emergency device will try the next contact person from a list of up to 10.
• If no one answers, the 24-hour emergency call center is then alerted. The center will discuss with you what kind of help is needed. Depending on your wishes, a family member or neighbor will be notified—or professional help will be summoned if necessary. We’ll stay on the line until help arrives. Our assistance is tailored to your individual needs. However, we always ensure that someone will come to your location in person if necessary, even if you are unable to speak.
• You must provide at least 3 emergency contacts so that the subscription can provide reliable assistance.

Tip: It’s best if your emergency contacts save your device’s phone number and the emergency call center number (044 655 15 00) in their phone contacts.

• You’ll be immediately connected to our 24-hour emergency call center—365 days a year. We can identify who triggered the emergency call based on the incoming signal.
• The center will discuss with you what kind of assistance is needed. Depending on your preference, a family member or neighbor will be notified—or professional help will be dispatched if necessary.
• We’ll stay on the line until help arrives. Our assistance is tailored to your individual needs. However, we always ensure that someone will be there in person if needed, even if you’re unable to speak.
• Ideally, you should provide at least three contact persons so that the emergency call center can reliably arrange for help.

Tip: It’s best if your contact persons save the emergency call center’s number (044 655 15 00) in their phone contacts.

Coordinates are determined using GPS, Galileo, and/or cellular networks and sent via email or text message to the contact person who answers and acknowledges the call. During the call, the contact person receives the GPS coordinates from the last location update, followed by those from the most recent one. To ensure an up-to-date location, the connection to the emergency device must be maintained for about 3 minutes. Please note that coordinates are not sent to landline numbers and can only be determined outdoors. If you are inside a building, your contacts will typically receive the coordinates with a specified margin of error. This location tracking is performed via the cellular network and therefore provides only an approximate result. GPS coordinates can also be requested through the Customer Center or by calling the hotline at 0848 65 65 65.

In the Customer Center, you can change the phone numbers of your contact persons, update your personal information and settings, or activate additional services at any time.

Of course. To do so, please contact our hotline at 0848 65 65 65 or send us an email at support@smartlifecare.ch. You can upgrade at any time with immediate effect; downgrades are possible at the end of each billing period.

Yes, that is possible. Please notify us of the change in writing, either by email to support@smartlifecare.ch or by mail to:

SmartLife Care AG
Zürichstrasse 44
8306 Brüttisellen

You can cancel your subscription at any time with 30 days’ notice, effective at the end of the month—via email, mail, or by calling the hotline at 0848 65 65 65. SmartLife Care does not charge any activation or deactivation fees.

You can cancel your subscription at any time with 30 days’ notice, effective at the end of the month—via email, mail, or by calling the hotline at 0848 65 65 65. SmartLife Care does not charge any activation or deactivation fees.

Rented devices must be returned to the following address:

Fastlog AG
SmartLife Care Returns
Luterbachstrasse 1
4552 Derendingen

You may contact our customer service (hotline 0848 65 65 65), and we will send you a prepaid return label. Please keep the postal receipt for tracking purposes. Rental devices cannot be returned to Swisscom Shops. The customer is required to return the device undamaged to SmartLife Care AG within 10 days of cancellation. If the customer fails to meet this obligation, SmartLife Care AG reserves the right to charge for the unreturned device.

You’ll receive an invoice every 3 months. We’ll waive the subscription fees for the first month and the current month. Billing begins on the first day of the first full month following the start of your subscription. The notice period is 30 days.

There are no charges for calls or triggered alarms. Costs for services provided by professional emergency services—such as paramedics or the fire department—are your responsibility. These third-party costs are often covered by your insurance or health insurance provider.

Depending on the intended use and your insurance coverage, some health insurance providers may cover part of the cost of your emergency call device. For more information, please contact your doctor or health insurance provider. Pro Senectute and the office for supplementary benefits in your canton of residence will also be happy to advise you.

In cases of financial hardship, we recommend submitting an application for assistance to the Hatt-Bucher Foundation. This application can be submitted through Pro Senectute or another social counseling agency.

Yes. If you are a recipient of supplementary benefits (EL), you are eligible for a 25% discount on the monthly subscription fee. The discount does not apply to the purchase price of the device or the one-time setup fee for rental devices. The discount is granted if customers submit a copy of the decision granting supplementary benefits within 10 days of registration. If the copy arrives later, the discount will be applied to the invoice. Refunds are not possible. This copy can be submitted by mail or electronically to support@smartlifecare.ch.

If the budget is still too tight, we recommend submitting an application for financial assistance to the Hatt-Bucher Foundation in cases of financial hardship. This application can be submitted through Pro Senectute or another social counseling agency.

The colored covers for the Ellipse emergency button have predetermined breaking points that give way for safety reasons if they get caught on something. If you’ve used up all 6 covers, you’ll receive a one-time free replacement. Please contact our customer service at 0848 65 65 65 to request your free replacement.

Unfortunately, our 0848 number is not entirely toll-free. Calls from a Swiss landline cost a maximum of 8 Rp./min., and rates for mobile calls may vary slightly depending on your provider. If you’re calling from abroad, your mobile carrier’s rates apply. We want you to know exactly what costs you might incur in advance—and we’re happy to help if you have any questions.

1. Connecting

Mini/Flex: Plug your Mini or Flex into an outlet and charge the device fully for four hours. The green LED indicator will remain lit until the battery is fully charged. When in use, the green LED flashes periodically. Genius/Allegra: Set the emergency battery switch to “On.” First connect the power cable to the power port on your Genius/Allegra, then plug it into the desired outlet.

2. Registration

Register your SmartLife Care emergency call device on our website, by mail using the enclosed registration card, or by phone via our hotline at 0848 65 65 65. If you ordered your device online and have already entered your personal contacts, you can skip this step. A authorized dealer can also handle the setup.

3. Testing

Once registration is complete, your SmartLife Care emergency device is ready for use and will be remotely monitored by us. Test your device with a test alarm at least once a month. There are no additional costs for this.

You benefit from maximum security thanks to the leading quality of the Swisscom network. Data is transmitted via modern 3G/4G/UMTS/HSDPA networks. We store your data in Swisscom’s highly secure data centers in Switzerland. All SmartLife Care systems are geographically redundant.

Genius and Allegra have a built-in emergency battery and can therefore bridge power outages for up to 24 and 18 hours, respectively. Flex and Mini have a battery with a runtime of at least 24 hours.

Our customer service team will be happy to assist you. You can reach us by calling our hotline at 0848 65 65 65 or by email at support@smartlifecare.ch. Our customer service is available daily from 6:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Every customer is entitled to a one-time replacement set of covers free of charge. You can reach us via our hotline at 0848 65 65 65 or by email at support@smartlifecare.ch. Our customer service is available daily from 6:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. We’ll be happy to send them to you.

The battery in the emergency button has a lifespan of about 5 years. After that, the emergency button must be replaced. For quality reasons (such as water resistance), you cannot replace the battery yourself. If the button’s battery needs to be replaced within the warranty period (2 years), this will be done free of charge.

Our servers monitor the following parameters around the clock:

• Functionality of Genius and Allegra (real-time monitoring)
• Connection to a 230-V outlet
• Battery charge level in the Genius
• Battery in the emergency call button
• Batteries in any additional sensors

Our servers periodically monitor the following parameters every two hours:

• Operation of the Mini/Flex
• Battery charge level in the Mini/Flex
• Battery in the emergency call button
• Batteries in any additional sensors

The SmartLife Care base units work like a cell phone using a SIM card. The emergency button is connected to the base unit via radio (secure emergency frequency of 869 MHz). Neither technology should interfere with a pacemaker. We recommend consulting a doctor before using the emergency device.

All our systems have redundant communication and data transmission capabilities. If the Swisscom network goes down, the system switches to another network, and emergency calls are transmitted without any problems.

Our devices use very little electricity in standby mode. The annual standby power consumption for the Genius is approximately 17 kWh, and for the Flex, it is 0.4 kWh. This is equivalent to the electricity used for taking 4 showers or vacuuming for 9 minutes.

• 4G is available nationwide: 99.9% of the Swiss population currently has access to the 4G/VoLTE network. Swisscom has no plans to shut it down but rather to continue supporting it long-term.
• 5G modules are more expensive and not yet technically mature: The 5G modules available today are not only significantly more expensive but may also not be future-proof because they cannot support key voice functions.
• 5G modules are more expensive and not yet technically mature: The 5G modules available today are not only significantly more expensive but may also not be future-proof because they cannot support key voice functions.
• 5G has weaknesses indoors: Swisscom points out that there are currently very few 5G coverage systems in Switzerland for indoor use—which is precisely where emergency call devices are most often used.