Help & how it works

Questions, answered

Everything you need to set up SENTINEL, use it safely, and exit the simulator when you're done.

Getting started

Set up in four steps

1

Set your duress PIN

Choose a secret 4–6 digit emergency PIN, separate from your real passcode. It's stored only as a one-way hash.

2

Add trusted contacts

Enter the people who should be alerted, then send a test alert to confirm the pipeline works.

3

Lock to the decoy

Follow the in-app Guided Access guide so the device holds the SENTINEL screen instead of the real iOS lock screen.

4

You're protected

If the phone is taken and the duress PIN is entered, the fake wipe runs and your contacts are alerted instantly.

FAQ

Common questions

No. The wipe is entirely a simulation. It shows a convincing erase animation to deter the thief, but nothing on your device is ever deleted or touched. Your photos, messages and apps remain exactly as they were.
It's completely separate. Your real iPhone passcode still works as normal. The duress PIN is recognised only by SENTINEL on the decoy screen — and because both look like ordinary unlock attempts, a thief has no way to tell them apart.
Three things happen silently and at once: a full-screen ~20-second wipe animation begins, an email alert goes to all your trusted contacts (with device label, owner name and timestamp), and — if you've opted in — your GPS location is captured and embedded as a live Google Maps link.
There are a few ways. Guided Access (recommended): triple-click the side button, enter your Guided Access passcode, and tap “End.” Corner-tap exit: rapidly tap the top-right corner the number of times you configured (3–10). Invisible button: at the end of the wipe animation, an “Exit Simulator” button is rendered black-on-black — tap it if you know where it is. Hard reboot always breaks out of any locked state.
It's designed to be extremely unlikely. The corner-tap exit needs a specific rapid sequence (and the time window shrinks as you raise the tap count), swipe-up is disabled on live screens, and the exit button is invisible. The Auto-Lock override also keeps the decoy on screen so it never goes dark and reveals iOS underneath.
On the 3-account and Family-5 plans, the person who buys is the administrator (primary account holder). They get the admin panel: visibility of every member device, PIN-configuration status, and a live feed of wipe events. Members have limited access — they manage only their own PIN and trusted contacts. Roles are enforced at the database level with row-level security.
Privacy-first by design: PINs are one-way hashed and never stored in plain text, every record is isolated by row-level security so you can only access your own data, and location is captured only at trigger time and only if you opt in — never tracked passively. Deleting your account wipes your device profile, trusted contacts and event history.
SENTINEL is built for iPhone and uses iOS Guided Access to hold the decoy lock screen. It's designed to feel like a native iOS app — respecting safe-area insets, supporting light/dark mode, and disabling overscroll bounce.
No. SENTINEL is an independent app and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Apple Inc. iPhone, iOS and Find My are trademarks of Apple Inc.
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