App Terms of Use

ListenApp is a private, restricted-access, safeguarding support application made available through approved partner organisations (like domestic abuse charities) who support people who may be at risk of abuse or harm.

The application enables users to discreetly send pre-configured alert messages to trusted contacts using voice triggers or manual activation features.

ListenApp is designed to support users in contacting trusted contacts and emergency services where needed.

What ListenApp is NOT: ListenApp is not an emergency response provider and does not replace police, medical, safeguarding, or professional crisis support services. It does not monitor you – ListenApp does not listen to, watch, or manage emergency situations.

The Emergency 999 button: The application includes a user-activated button enabling the user to initiate a direct call to emergency services (999). ListenApp does not monitor, route, manage, or respond to emergency calls.

Calls made using the Emergency 999 button are placed using your device’s normal telephone functionality. As a result, the call will appear in your device’s call history, recent calls list, and records maintained by your mobile network provider.

Access to ListenApp may require an access code provided by an approved partner organisation.

CRITICAL WARNING: If your phone is off, disconnected, out of battery, has no signal, or has no internet connection, neither the alert messages to your contacts nor the 999 button will work. ListenApp relies on your physical phone and your mobile or internet connectivity to function properly. The application may not function correctly if your device or network is not working.

ListenApp is intended only for users who are at least 16+ years old, unless access has been expressly authorised through an approved parent, legal guardian or approved safeguarding organisation where permitted by applicable law.

By using ListenApp, you confirm that:

• You meet the applicable age requirements for use of the application; and
• Any information you provide in connection with your access is accurate.

ListenApp works hard to keep the app safe, secure and available at all times. However, we cannot guarantee that the application will always be available, uninterrupted, error-free, or secure.

By using ListenApp, you acknowledge and accept that:

• Voice triggers might fail: the application might not hear you if your speech is unclear, blocked or drowned out by background noise.
• Alert messages might fail or be delayed: Mobile network availability, internet connectivity, operating system restrictions, low battery, microphone settings, phone device settings, or phone software updates can block your alerts from sending.
• Emergency or third-party providers involved in message transmission may experience outages or delays.
• We do not promise perfection: ListenApp is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis. We cannot guarantee that the application will always work, that messages will always arrive, or that it will prevent harm.
• Maintenance downtime: We have the right to take the application offline at any time without warning to perform essential security, legal and operational updates, fixes and emergency repairs.
• ListenApp relies on third-party communications providers, including Twilio as its primary SMS delivery provider and Infobip as a contingency delivery provider where operationally required. Where Infobip is used, Infobip’s target service availability is 95%. ListenApp cannot guarantee message delivery where outages, delays or service interruptions occur within third-party communications infrastructure.

Do not rely on ListenApp as your only way to get help in an emergency.

ListenApp does not guarantee:

• Successful trigger detection
• Successful message delivery
• Uninterrupted operation
• Continuous availability
• Prevention of harm
• Successful intervention by emergency contacts or services

You should not rely on ListenApp as your sole method of seeking help in an emergency situation.

You are responsible for:

• Configuring your triggers, permissions, contacts, and settings correctly
• Testing the application and understanding how it functions
• Ensuring your device remains operational and accessible
• Informing emergency contacts that alerts may be sent from ListenApp systems and may not originate directly from your personal mobile number
• Ensuring you have authority or permission to provide recipient contact details
• Assessing whether use of the application is appropriate and safe for your circumstances

You are solely responsible for ensuring that all mobile numbers entered into ListenApp are accurate and belong to trusted individuals who have permitted you to contact them. ListenApp acts strictly as a technical transmission tool on your instruction. To the fullest extent permitted by law, ListenApp excludes all liability for any data breaches, privacy violations, or distress caused by your input of mistaken recipient contact details.

You acknowledge that misuse, accidental activation, device interference, or discovery of the application by another person may increase risk in some situations.

ListenApp does not provide direct safeguarding case management, active monitoring, emergency response services, or real-time supervision of users.

ListenApp does not monitor users in real time.

Safeguarding support is intended to be delivered through the user’s own trusted contacts and, where applicable, approved partner organisations.

Users experiencing immediate danger should contact emergency services where it is safe and possible to do so.

Voice trigger detection and audio processing operate locally on the user’s device.

ListenApp does not remotely monitor conversations, process live audio streams, or conduct continuous surveillance.

Where users enable audio recording functionality:

• Recordings are stored within the application environment on the user’s device
• Recordings are protected through the user’s device and application access controls, including the user’s PIN protection
• Recordings are not transmitted to, accessed by, or stored on ListenApp servers

Users remain responsible for securing access to their own device and PIN credentials.

When audio recording or background listening functionality is enabled, your device operating system may display visual indicators, including microphone access indicators, recording icons, persistent notifications, or similar system-generated notices. These indicators are controlled by your device operating system and cannot be disabled by ListenApp. Such indicators help ensure the application can continue operating in the background in accordance with operating system requirements.

ListenApp uses third-party communications providers, including Twilio as its primary SMS delivery provider and Infobip as a contingency delivery provider where required, to facilitate SMS alert functionality and related communications services.

When an alert is activated, ListenApp may process:

• Recipient phone number(s)
• User-generated alert message content
• Transmission timestamps
• Delivery status information
• Optional location information attached by the user

This processing is limited solely to enabling alert delivery, system reliability, safeguarding functionality, and security monitoring.

Messaging data is retained for a limited period and automatically deleted or made unavailable in accordance with our Privacy Policy and the applicable provider retention controls.

ListenApp relies on third-party communications providers, including Twilio as its primary SMS delivery provider and Infobip as a contingency delivery provider where operationally required. Where Infobip is used, Infobip’s target service availability is 95%. ListenApp cannot guarantee message delivery where outages, delays or service interruptions occur within third-party communications infrastructure.

Messaging providers used by ListenApp may apply transmission controls, anti-spam measures, or rate limits as part of their communications infrastructure. When Infobip is used as the contingency delivery provider, Infobip may restrict the transmission of substantially identical messages sent to the same recipient to six (6) messages per hour and messages containing different content sent to the same recipient to twenty (20) messages per hour. These limits are determined by the communications provider and may change without notice. As a result, some messages may be delayed, restricted, or not delivered where provider-imposed limits are reached.

ListenApp may collect limited anonymised and aggregated information relating to:

• Age range
• Gender
• General location
• Application usage trends
• Feature interaction statistics

This information:

• Is not used to identify individual users
• Is not linked to audio recordings or alert content
• May be shared with approved partner organisations for safeguarding evaluation, service improvement, reporting, research, and funding assessment purposes

You agree not to:

• Use ListenApp for false, malicious, abusive, unlawful, or misleading alerts
• Harass, intimidate, or misuse emergency contacts
• Attempt to interfere with, disable, disrupt, reverse engineer, or compromise the application or related systems
• Use the application in any manner likely to damage, impair, or overload the service

All intellectual property rights relating to ListenApp, including software, branding, content, design, and associated materials, remain the property of ListenApp CIC or its licensors.

Users are granted a limited, non-transferable, revocable licence to use the application solely for its intended safeguarding purposes.

Your use of ListenApp is governed by our Privacy Policy.

ListenApp is designed using a data minimisation approach wherever reasonably possible.

ListenApp does not sell personal data, use advertising trackers within the application, or commercially exploit user alert content or recordings.

The application is currently provided free of charge to users through our approved partner organisations.

We may introduce paid features or services in the future. If we do, we will clearly explain any applicable fees or subscription terms before you are charged.

Unless stated otherwise, you are responsible for any internet or mobile network charges you incur when using the application.

Access to the application may be limited to users referred or approved by participating partner organisations.

ListenApp is designed to support users in contacting trusted contacts and emergency services where needed. While we work hard to maintain reliable functionality, certain features depend on factors outside ListenApp CIC’s reasonable control, including device functionality, operating system restrictions, internet connectivity, mobile network availability, third-party communications providers, location services, and emergency service response systems.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, ListenApp CIC will not be liable for:

• Failure, delay, or interruption of alert transmission or message delivery
• Failure of voice trigger detection or activation features
• Interruption, suspension, unavailability, or technical malfunction of the application
• Device, operating system, battery, microphone, permissions, connectivity, or network-related failures
• Failures or delays caused by third-party providers, communications services, or emergency service systems
• Loss of recordings, data, content, or information stored locally on a user’s device
• Actions, omissions, response times, or failures of emergency contacts, emergency services, safeguarding organisations, telecommunications providers, or other third parties
• Harm arising where operation or availability of the application is affected by circumstances outside ListenApp CIC’s reasonable control
• Any indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or punitive loss or damage, including loss of data, loss of opportunity, or loss of reputation

To the fullest extent permitted by law, ListenApp CIC’s total aggregate liability arising out of or in connection with the application or these Terms shall not exceed £100.

Nothing in these Terms limits or excludes liability where such limitation or exclusion is unlawful, including liability for:

• Death or personal injury caused by negligence
• Fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation
• Any other liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited under applicable law.

You can stop using the application at any time and may delete your account through the application settings or by contacting us.

We may suspend or end your access to the app if we reasonably believe that:

• You are using the application in a harmful, abusive, unlawful or fraudulent way;
• You have seriously or repeatedly breached these Terms; or
• We need to do so to protect the safety, security or wellbeing of our users, the application or our team.

Where possible, we will try to let you know before taking these steps.

We may also change, pause or discontinue the application (or certain features) if needed for operational, legal, safety or business reasons. Where appropriate we will provide reasonable notice.

If your access ends, your right to use the application will also end immediately. Some parts of these Terms that are intended to continue after your access ends will remain in effect.

We may:

• Update, modify, suspend, restrict, or discontinue all or part of the application
• Change features, functionality, or technical requirements
• Update these Terms from time to time

We will notify you of any material changes to these Terms via an in-app notification or through our approved partner organisations. If you do not agree to the updated Terms, you must stop using the application and delete it from your device.

The "Report an Issue" feature opens the default email application installed on your device. Any email sent using this feature is transmitted from your own email account and may appear in your email provider’s sent items folder and associated records. ListenApp does not control the retention or processing of emails by your email provider.

These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales.

Any disputes arising in connection with these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

ListenApp CIC | Registered Community Interest Company (CIC): 13740982

Email: info@listenapp.org

Website: www.listenapp.org

Registered office address: Suite 217 Queens Dock Business Centre, Norfolk Street, Liverpool, England, L1 0BG