- Rebranded app targets safety risks among seniors living alone
- System alerts families if users fail to check in for two days
A viral Chinese app once aimed at helping young people signal they are still alive has been repurposed into a digital safety platform for elderly residents living alone, as governments across China explore technology-driven eldercare solutions.
Authorities in Hangzhou’s Shangcheng District said on May 24 that the app formerly known as “Si Le Me?”, loosely translated as “Are You Dead?”, had been upgraded and relaunched as the “You There?” safety platform.
This change followed public feedback over its ominous-sounding name earlier this year.
The platform has begun pilot operations in Nanxing Subdistrict, one of Shangcheng’s grayest communities, where residents aged over 60 account for 44.4% of the population.
The updated system allows elderly users to complete daily check-ins through a simplified smartphone interface featuring large fonts, minimal steps and higher fault tolerance.
If no check-in is recorded for two consecutive days, the system automatically alerts family members or emergency contacts.
For seniors without smartphones, local authorities and the platform operator have introduced a physical emergency button that can be worn or kept nearby.
Pressing the device sends alerts simultaneously to guardians and community support staff.
The app first gained nationwide attention in January as a “survival check-in” tool for young people living alone.
The operating entity behind the app, MoonRealm, was formally registered in Hangzhou on February 13, 2026. Local officials said the company completed its relocation to Shangcheng District within about two weeks of receiving a government invitation.
