Pocket Familiar Support
Need a hand? Email hello@sinandsarah.com with “Pocket Familiar” in the subject. Never send an API key, pairing QR, pairing link, recovery credential, private Tailnet hostname, or unredacted conversation screenshot.
What you need
- An iPhone running iOS 17 or later.
- Pocket Familiar installed from the App Store or TestFlight.
- The supported Companion desktop app running on your own Windows computer for paired messaging, Touch, Care, and live desktop status.
- Tailscale connected on both devices under the same private Tailnet.
The standard product uses your own Tailscale network. It is not a hosted public relay, and your desktop must be available to produce new companion replies.
Pair the phone
- Confirm that Tailscale says connected on both the iPhone and the Windows computer.
- Open Companion on Windows and open its iPhone settings.
- Generate a fresh one-use pairing QR. Do not save or share it.
- Scan the QR on the same iPhone, review the pairing details, and confirm once.
- Wait for Companion to report that the iPhone is connected.
If Confirm Pairing appears stuck
- Open Tailscale on the iPhone and reconnect it.
- Make sure the desktop is awake, Companion is open, and both devices are still on the same Tailnet.
- Return to Companion and generate a fresh recovery QR. Do not reuse an expired QR.
- Scan and confirm once more.
An offline phone or desktop waits rather than inventing a reply. User-authored messages may remain in the protected offline outbox until the private route returns.
Notifications and Live Activities
Notification permission is optional. You can change it in iPhone Settings at any time. Focus, Notification Summary, Lock Screen previews, and system delivery policy can change when or how an alert appears. Starting or updating a Live Activity requires a verified Companion pairing; sample status previews remain visibly marked Preview inside the app.
Disconnect, recover, or delete
- Use Disconnect iPhone in Companion to revoke the current phone connection.
- Use secure recovery when reconnecting the same iPhone installation. Recovery retires the old encrypted channel before a new one is claimed.
- Unlink or disconnect first, then delete Pocket Familiar from the iPhone to remove its local app container. Deleting only the iPhone app does not remove conversation data already synchronized to the customer-owned desktop.
Contact
Email hello@sinandsarah.com. Include the iPhone model, iOS version, Pocket Familiar version/build, Companion version, and the exact visible error text. Redact all private identifiers and conversation content unless you intentionally want us to inspect it.
For urgent safety, medical, or crisis needs, contact local emergency services or an appropriate qualified service. Pocket Familiar is not an emergency, medical, or crisis service.