The questions people ask before they say yes.
Short, honest answers to what people actually ask before they sign up — including the ones that are a little uncomfortable.
What is Guardian Sarah?
An app that helps a family stay connected with an aging loved one. Sarah is an AI voice who calls you on the phone you already own up to three times a day — morning, afternoon and evening — talks with you about your day, and remembers it next time. The family members you invite read a short recap, see what you asked for, and keep the stories you tell. The app also gives you the reminders you asked for, and has big buttons for music, radio, audiobooks and scripture, plus solitaire and a daily word game.
Do I need to download an app, or does Sarah just call my phone?
There is an app, and you only set it up once. After that you never have to open it to talk to Sarah — she reaches you by ringing your phone the way any call rings, and you answer with one tap. Music, radio, audiobooks, games and reminders all live in that same app, on the phone you already own. There is no separate device to buy and nothing else to operate.
Is Sarah a real person?
No. Sarah is an artificial-intelligence voice — a computer, not a human being. She says so out loud on your first call, and she will say it again any time you ask her. She will never claim to be a person. Nobody at Guardian Sarah listens to your calls while they are happening.
Does she sound robotic?
Not the flat, automated voice you get from a phone tree. Sarah uses modern AI text-to-speech that pauses, breathes and shifts tone the way a person talking does, and most people find her easy and pleasant to listen to. But she is still a computer voice, not a human being — a careful listener can usually tell within the first minute or two, and we are not going to pretend otherwise. She says as much herself, out loud, before anything else.
Is this a medical or safety device?
No. Guardian Sarah is a family-connection app. It gives no medical advice, cannot detect a fall, cannot summon help, and cannot hear you between calls. In an emergency, hang up and call 911. If you are in emotional distress, Sarah will stop what she is doing and give you 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — she cannot call them for you, so she will ask you to.
Are my calls recorded?
Sarah records your calls and says so out loud at the start of every call, and that announcement cannot be switched off. If you say “don't record this” during a call, Sarah stops recording and ends the call. You can also end the call at any time, and write to support@guardiansarah.com to have recording turned off so nothing further is saved. Everyday call recordings delete themselves after 30 days, Story tab keepsakes can be deleted one at a time by the family admin in the family app, and all saved audio for a person can be deleted at once by asking us. Deleted means gone. There are no cameras.
What does my family see?
Only the people you invite, and only a short written recap of what you talked about — plus recordings, when your calls are recorded. They cannot listen to a live call. You can have any family member other than the Family Admin removed at any time — email support@guardiansarah.com and we cut their access the same day. The Family Admin can also remove other family members in the family app. We do not sell your information and we do not use your conversations to train AI models.
What does it cost, and how do I cancel?
Sarah is ready right away, with no payment needed to begin. When you are ready, subscribe to Sarah's plan in the app through Apple or Google — the first 14 days are free, and nothing is charged until day 15. After that it is $39.99 a month, or $399.99 a year (two months free), billed by Apple or Google through the app. One price, one product — there will be no special-offer pressure and no deadline. You cancel any time in your Apple or Google account settings, not with us. If it is not for you, ask Apple or Google for a refund — they decide, and we won't object.
My parent isn't good with technology. Can I set it up for them?
Whoever is paying sets up the subscription on their own phone, in the app, through the Apple App Store or Google Play — not on this website. The person who is going to use it sets up their own account on their own smartphone. We will not start it for someone who has not agreed to it — if they are not sure, the whole thing waits. After that there is nothing to operate: the phone rings and they answer it. If a family member ever tells us the person who signed up did not understand what it was, ask Apple or Google for a refund — they decide, and we won't object.
Still have a question?
Write to support@guardiansarah.com and one of the two of us answers, usually within a business day.