Beacon support

Contact us

Write to [email protected]. We usually reply within two working days. Tell us your phone model, its iOS or Android version and what you expected to happen. Never send us a sign-in code. You can also reach us from the app: Settings, About Beacon, Contact support.

Getting reminders on time

Open Settings, Reliability. It checks this phone and lists anything that could delay or block an alert: notifications, location, background location, precise location, battery optimisation and, on Android, Alarms & reminders. Each item has a button that fixes it or opens the right setting.

• Android battery settings. Many phones stop apps in the background to save battery. Set Beacon's battery use to Unrestricted. Reliability shows the steps for your phone's brand, since each maker hides this in a different place.
• Alarms & reminders (Android). Allow it so timed reminders fire on the minute. Without it they can be a few minutes late.
• Time-sensitive alerts (iPhone). Leave them on so Focus modes don't hold back important reminders.

Use Send a test in 1 minute on the Reliability screen to check alerts reach you. The signal log there lists every alert that fired and how late it was, and Late alerts shows any that arrived late or were missed.

Place reminders and location

Place reminders fire when you arrive at or leave a place you saved. Add places under Settings, Places, then add an Arrive or Leave signal to a task or list.

For them to work while Beacon is closed, Beacon needs location all the time. On Android choose Allow all the time; on iPhone choose Always, and keep Precise Location on. On iPhone, While Using still works, but a place reminder then fires on every visit and can't check days, hours or how long you stay.

Your location readings stay on the phone, and arrive and leave are detected by the phone itself. Leaving a Wi-Fi network never counts as leaving a place on its own. If a place reminder didn't fire, check Reliability, and make sure location is on for the whole phone.

How briefs work

A brief is one notification that gathers several tasks. The morning and evening briefs list what's due today, what's overdue and what expires soon; set them under Settings, Briefs. A list brief is sent by a signal you put on a list, for example one alert with your whole errands list and its total cost when you leave Home. If a brief falls inside your quiet hours, Beacon tells you so you can move it.

Signing in

You don't need an account to use Beacon. To keep your lists on every phone and backed up, go to Settings, Sign in to sync, enter your email and type in the 6-digit code we email you. Codes work for 10 minutes; if one doesn't arrive, check your spam folder and use Send a new code. If you'd rather use a password, set one in Settings, Password, then choose Use a password instead when you sign in. Forgot it? Sign in with a code and set a new one.

Devices. Settings, Devices shows every phone signed in to your account. You can sign out one device, sign out of other devices, or sign out everywhere. Signing out keeps your tasks on that phone.

Deleting your account and data

In the app: Settings, Your data, Delete account. This deletes your account and everything synced to it from our servers and emails you when it's done. You can also choose to erase everything on the phone. If you aren't signed in, the same row is called Erase data and clears the phone.

On the web: if you no longer have the phone, go to beacon-api.novacraft.africa/account/delete, enter your email and the code we send you.

Deleting your account does not cancel Beacon Pro. Cancel the subscription in the App Store or Google Play first. Encrypted backups expire within 30 days.

Exporting your data

Settings, Your data, Export your data saves your tasks, lists and the rest as JSON or CSV, which you can keep or open in a spreadsheet. You can choose to include Recently deleted.

Beacon Pro, restoring purchases and subscriptions

New installs get 14 days of Pro free, with nothing charged. After that Beacon stays free and the Pro extras pause until you buy Pro.

Restore purchases. On a new phone, or after reinstalling, open Settings, Beacon Pro and tap Restore purchases while signed in to the same App Store or Google Play account you bought with. You don't need a Beacon account for this. Signing in to Beacon takes Pro to your other phones.

Manage or cancel a subscription. Subscriptions are billed by Apple or Google and renew until you cancel at least 24 hours before the period ends. Cancel in App Store subscriptions or Google Play subscriptions, or from the Manage button in Beacon Pro. Refunds are handled by Apple or Google Play.

Importing from Google Tasks and Apple Reminders

Go to Settings, Bring your stuff.

• Google Tasks (iPhone and Android): tap Connect Google Tasks, allow access, then pick the lists to bring in. This only links Google Tasks; it doesn't sign you in to Beacon. Titles, notes, dates and completed tasks come across, and subtasks become tasks that name their parent. Turn on two-way sync to keep a Beacon list in Google Tasks in step. Running the import again brings in only new tasks.
• Apple Reminders (iPhone): allow Full Access to Reminders when asked, or in the iPhone Settings app under Beacon, Reminders. Lists, notes, due dates, alerts, location alerts and repeats come across. Mirror Apple Reminders keeps checking Reminders each time you open Beacon. Beacon never changes anything in Apple Reminders.

App lock and a forgotten PIN

Settings, App lock keeps Beacon behind Face ID, Touch ID, your fingerprint, your phone's screen lock or a 6-digit Beacon PIN. If you forget the PIN, tap Forgot PIN on the lock screen and unlock with your phone's own screen lock.

If your phone has no screen lock, the only way back in is to delete and reinstall Beacon. Tasks synced to your account come back when you sign in; tasks kept only on the phone are lost. Setting a screen lock on your phone is the safer choice.

Privacy and terms

How Beacon handles your data is in the Beacon privacy policy. The rules for using Beacon and Beacon Pro are in the Beacon terms of use.