An alternative to the “Are You Dead?” (Demumu) app
“Are You Dead?”, the Chinese check-in app now called Demumu, asks people who live alone to confirm they’re fine about once a day and, as reported, emails one emergency contact after roughly two days without a check-in. Heyimokay is built on the same idea with a different rhythm: two check-in windows a day, and a text message and email to up to six people as soon as a window is missed. It’s free and runs on Android.
What is the “Are You Dead?” app?
“Are You Dead?” is the English name of Sileme (死了么), a Chinese app that went viral in January 2026. According to Sixth Tone, it was launched in May 2025 and lets people who live alone press a check-in button each day; if they miss two consecutive check-ins, the app alerts their emergency contact by email. AFP described the trigger as 48 hours without a check-in.
After the app topped the paid charts in China, its developers announced a small fee of 8 yuan (about one US dollar) to cover text-message and server costs, and said they would adopt the global name Demumu (Al Jazeera, Yicai Global). Coverage around the world, including NPR, linked its popularity to a simple worry: that if something happened to someone who lives alone, nobody would know for days.
How Heyimokay compares
| Feature | “Are You Dead?” / Demumu (as reported) | Heyimokay |
|---|---|---|
| Check-ins | About once a day | Two windows a day, morning and evening, chosen by you |
| When contacts hear | After about two days without a check-in | As soon as a window closes without a check-in |
| Who is told | An emergency contact | Up to six people you choose |
| How they’re told | Text message and email | |
| Price | Small fee announced in January 2026 | Free, no ads |
| Reminder before a missed check-in | Not reported | Yes |
| Pause mode | Not reported | Yes, for vacations or hospital stays |
Details of Demumu come from news reports from January and February 2026 and may have changed since; check its store listing for the current version. Heyimokay isn’t affiliated with Demumu or its developers.
Why the timing matters
A check-in every couple of days answers the question “has something happened?” Two check-ins a day, with an alert as soon as one is missed, aims to answer it on the same day. For someone with a health condition, or a family member who would want to know by lunchtime rather than after the weekend, that difference is the point. When Heyimokay’s founder was living alone with heart-rhythm problems, the friends checking in wanted to know within hours, not days.
Telling several people at once also helps: the alert reaches whoever is nearest, not just one contact who might be traveling or asleep.
Which should you choose?
- If an occasional, low-key signal is all you want, and you’re fine with one emergency contact, an app like Demumu may be enough.
- If you’d rather your circle hears the same day, by text as well as email, and you want several people in the loop, Heyimokay is built for that.
- If there’s a real risk of falls or sudden emergencies, neither is enough on its own: a medical alert system with a 24/7 monitoring center is the right tool. See our comparison with medical alert systems.
Try Heyimokay
Heyimokay is free and installs on Android from heyimokay.com. See how it works, or follow the install guide.