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Alert Cops - SMS Challenge

JGJ

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Donating Member
Time of past OR future Camino
June 2023
Hello: I’ve tried numerous times to set up Alert Cops in Canada but without success. The issue is not receiving the verification code via sms. I figured the cause was my Canadian SIM card. Now here I am in Spain (Pamplona) with a Spanish SIM card and yet I have the same problem. The App uses a country code drop down menu so that is not the problem. Also there is no way to space or use “.” or “-“ between the main phone numbers. As a result my main phone numbers are keyed in one number after another. I’m at a loss … any ideas? PS my phone is an iPhone 8 … perhaps I should just throw it away (recycle of coursr ).
 
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iPhone 8 shouldn't be a problem, I have the same and had no issues. The keying problem might be because you are using a keyboard set up for US English rather than Spanish. All I can suggest is that you ask a friendly tech-savvie local e.g. a hospitalero to help you, maybe in a cell phone provider outlet/store or the local police.
 
JGJ said:
Also there is no way to space or use “.” or “-“ between the main phone numbers. As a result my main phone numbers are keyed in one number after another. I’m at a loss … any ideas?
Click to expand...

Why is that an issue? That's how I entered my own cell number. without any spaces etc.
 
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Robo said:
Why is that an issue? That's how I entered my own cell number. without any spaces etc.
Click to expand...
I think what he means is that he cannot separate one phone number form another with the result that all the phone numbers (presumably of emergency contacts) are one long stream of digits.
 
Robo said:
Why is that an issue? That's how I entered my own cell number. without any spaces etc.
Click to expand...
An earlier thread mentioned to try spacing however, it’s not possible to do this, at least with version 4 which is now available for download. I know I can use 112 but it would be nice to have Alert Cops on hand.
 
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dick bird said:
he cannot separate one phone number form another
Click to expand...
Simply enter the phone number without spaces or dashes.

What are all these "main numbers" you are trying to enter in Alert Cops? I think that I just entered one number - of my Spanish phone.
 
C clearly said:
Simply enter the phone number without spaces or dashes.

What are all these "main numbers" you are trying to enter in Alert Cops? I think that I just entered one number - of my Spanish phone
Click to expand...
C clearly said:
Simply enter the phone number without spaces or dashes.

What are all these "main numbers" you are trying to enter in Alert Cops? I think that I just entered one number - of my Spanish phone.
Click to expand...
Thanks for follow up. Main numbers equal my Canadian number. Thats been my issue all along. In Canada and over here I’ve been entering all in a row (no choice). I saw in an earlier thread with someone else that the suggestion was made to space etc.
 
Do you mean numbers or digits? If it is digits (comprising one phone number), try typing them in with no plus signs, parentheses, spaces etc
 
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I am in Spain with exact issue. I enter the country code from drop down, then my phone number with no spaces or dashes. It says it is sending a verification code to my phone number, but this code does not arrive, so can’t continue to set up. I have an iPhone SE using T-Mobile international. There are three options for +1. First is +1, second and third show on my screen as +1… Because I can’t see what the … is referring to, I have tried all three to no avail. The only option for entering the phone number is to do so without any dashes, spaces or parenthesis so assuming these are not required.
 
Oh my gosh…had a thought….scrolling down the choices, there are actually maybe a dozen or more +1 choices….ahhh. Unfortunately, I can not tell on the screen which each of these refer to, so maybe Canada for JRJ and the USA for myself are down the pull-down menu a bit, just unable to see which is the correct +1.
 
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I would suggest to refrain from new thoughts until the OP has not confirmed that he did exactly what he has been advised to do: select the country code +34; enter the digits of the telephone number that belongs to his Spanish SMS card without any spaces, points, commas, dashes or anything that is not numeric; then click on "Get code by SMS".

If he then really does not receive a text message with the necessary initialisation code, the next thing I'd do is ask another pilgrim to send me a text message to verify that my mobile phone is set up to receive text messages in general.

There is a known problem for some users when they are in the USA and/or using US mobile phone numbers. Some - not all - cannot receive the kind of text message that is sent by the AlertCops app. It has to do with fee structures/plans.

The suggestion to try to enter a phone number with spaces between various digits is pointless. It is simply not possible. It would be helpful if posters tried out their suggestions before airing them.

Here is a link to a list of country calling codes for international phone calls. I can see that both the USA and Canada have +1 and there are others such as Antigua or the Bahamas where the country code starts with 1-2... The list in the AlertCops app simply reproduces such a common list. Which is the reason why you see +1 twice in the AlertCops list and several options starting with +1-2... as country code or similar.

For an app a number is just a number. I very much doubt that it matters whether you pick the first +1 or the second +1 in the list. But if I were in Canada or in the USA, with a mobile phone plan that allows me to receive AlertCops initialisation text messages, this would be the first thing I'd try out right now to see whether it makes a difference or not.
 
Kathar1na said:
There is a known problem for some users when they are in the USA and/or using US mobile phone numbers. Some - not all - cannot receive the kind of text message that is sent by the AlertCops app. It has to do with fee structures/plans.
Click to expand...
Despite being able to activate Alert Cops on a previous phone with my US number (I'm also using T-Mobile) I haven't been able to receive the text message to activate it on my new phone.

I posted a review of the app on the Google Play store and them let know of this issue. This is the response that I received.



I haven't yet sent an email.
 
trecile said:
Despite being able to activate Alert Cops on a previous phone with my US number (I'm also using T-Mobile) I haven't been able to receive the text message to activate it on my new phone.
Click to expand...
First of all, for the benefit of casual readers, this part of the thread does not concern the OP who uses a SIM card with a Spanish mobile phone number. It refers only to mobile phones with a US phone number.

@trecile: Before I had seen your reply I had already decided to finally write to alertcops@interior.es. I explained that some US mobile phone numbers do not receive the validation code when they are in the USA and some even when they are already in Spain. I mentioned that I have a mobile phone number that starts with an EU country calling code, that I do receive the validation code and that I noticed that the sender of the validation code is not a regular Spanish phone number but a so-called short number (4 digits). I got a reply within less than an hour. Here is the relevant part:

Could you please confirm if none of them can register or if there are any of them who have been able to register?​

It would also be helpful to have the phone numbers of the people who are trying to register, whether they have succeeded or not, in order to determine if there is a pattern or reason preventing registration.​

I replied that I will suggest to people with this problem that they contact alertcops@interior.es directly. If nobody raises the issue with them, they will not know. They need to be made aware of the extent of this issue by many individual users. (There is no need to translate emails into Spanish - IT people can read English)
 
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About a year ago I tried to activate AlertCops on my Iphone 8+ with my TMobile cellphone number and had the same problem - no sms code received. I was in the US so after several futile attempts, I decided I would wait until arrival in Spain. I never did get to Spain (emergency surgery in Porto) and, therefore, never tried. I will not email the tech contact because I no longer need that app, but I would like to know what the fix is. Thanks.
 
Thanks. I’ll keep at it and let you know. With my current Spanish SIM card I am using my Canadian number for calls etc. For Alert Cops I’ll try using the Spanish number that came with the card.
 
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JGJ said:
With my current Spanish SIM card I am using my Canadian number for calls etc
Click to expand...
It is quite useful to be as precise as possible when describing a technical issue. Do I read this correctly, in this case it's an iPhone 8 with two sims in operation? And apparently one sim linked to a Canadian number and one sim linked to a Spanish number?

The AlertCops FAQ does not address this issue. It addresses, however, this case: If you do not receive the SMS with the validation code, check that you do not have more than one SIM card associated with the same phone number. In this case, only the card that is identified as the main card in the service contract with your operator will receive the code.

So while I can't be certain my guess it that it has to do with this particular iPhone 8's configuration / chosen CAN-ES setup and there's nothing that can be done about it ... Having said this, it is totally unclear to me how one can "use" a Spanish SIM card with a Canadian number but I accept that there are limits to my comprehension capabilities and I can live with it . Buen Camino in any case.
 
Thanks for following up. My phone has onlySIM card.
Thanks for the follow up. My phone only has capacity for one SIM card. When I return to my albergue in Puente la Reina I will use wifi and try again … but use the Spanish phone number this time round. If that doesn’t do the trick then it’s an issue with my phone’s configuration. By the way I am really enjoying the camino. Probably one of the best experiences of my life. Gracias !
 
No give it to me!!
 
Let us pick up your suitcase once you arrive in Europe....
...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
m
JGJ said:
... The App uses a country code drop down menu ...
Click to expand...

Not necessarily relevant to your situation, but I have experienced drop-down-menu problems when accessing a Spanish language website (i.e. not an app) from an Android device using Chrome with Google Auto-translate set to "On". The website rejected any and all drop-down menu selections. The data validation problems went away after I turned off auto-translate (but then of course my linguistic problems increased).
 
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From the US but had a similar problem. There was an update not too long ago, and once I removed the app and reinstalled, it actually worked to complete the registration…
 
SMS txts messages can not be sent or received via WiFi.

Given that your phone only has capacity for one SIM card, which SIM card do you have in when you try to register AlertCops?

I suggest that the best SIM card to have in is the Spanish one AND your phone must be set up to use calls on the Spanish card.

SMS messages use a telephone protocol.

You might also need to jigger the settings in Apple Messages because, by default, it doesn't use the SMS protocol it uses its own proprietary protocol. However I have heard of Apple phones receiving SMS messages and so it must be possible.

I know almost nothing about Apple phones but I have technical expertise in telecommunications protocols including SMS.
 
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Worked from UK on an 02 mobile putting in a Uk mobile number when I installed it and did the test last week end….
 
@JGJ
I just set it is here in Australia with my local number. The verification code didn’t come via text. It just appreared in small dark print under the boxes where you need to put the code.
We were looking in the wrong place
I also noticed that the country prefixes seem to be in the alphabetical country order, rather than numerical order. Easy for me cos Aus is near the top. Trickier for others.
Edit - it eventually came through as a text.
 
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Let us pick up your suitcase once you arrive in Europe....
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I forgot I tried to set up months ago but didn't receive a text message. And forgot all about it until reading this. I'm in Canada using an iPhone 11. Today I tried a few more times scrolling down the drop down menu and trying different +1. It didn't appear in small dark print or by text. I've tried while using my phone connected to the house WiFi and also using my cell provider's Wifi. I'll try that email. Does anyone know if I write to it in Spanish or English?
 
Maybe I did something wrong, but I'm sitting at home in South Carolina in my office and just installed Alert Cops on my my android phone, using the phone's regular US number, in a couple of minutes. The instructions were really simple and basic, the code number was sent directly to my phone so I did not have to type it in, and I even did the test, so know it's working. Since I'll need it in 5.5 weeks, I think I'll just leave it as is. Much smoother and easier than last year (not to mention back a few years ago).
 
VintageCowgirl said:
I've tried ... and also using my cell provider's Wifi.
Click to expand...

As far as I know, WIFI communications technology is separate and distinct from mobile (aka cell) phone communications technology. In layperson's terms, they use utterly different communications routes.

Many or most smart phones do provide WIFI connectivity, but the WIFI connectivity that they provide is not, strictly speaking, related to telephone systems at all, it is "just" a computer function (smart phones being, of course, a type of computer).

So, do you mean that you have tried using your cell provider's cell phone connectivity as opposed to using WIFI linked to the internet?

I am not trying to denigrate your comment. In fact I am new to smart phones and am still on the learning curve myself.

Those who are more expert than I am are free to correct me if I am in error.
 
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I got curious about some of you saying that you did not have to copy the validation code from the text message you had received. I habe an iPhone 8, btw. So I did another little test and I see now that there is a small active area (see screenshot) and when I click on it, the validation code is immediately transferred to the entry box. That is neat!

However, the validation is code is also sent as plain text message and the sender (in my case) is a four digit number (a so-called short code). It would be interesting to know what people in the USA, Australia and the UK see as sender in those cases where all this works!

 
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It is useful to hear from people in the USA, Canada, Australia and also the UK in this thread who did receive their validation code and could activate AlertCops while using and linking the app to their US, CAN, AUS and UK mobile phone number. Perhaps we can find similarities and differences to pinpoint where the issue lies in those cases where it is not a plain user error (like making a mistake when entering your mobile phone number).

It is not an issue with non-Spanish keyboards; it is not an issue with automatic translation of webpages from Spanish into English; it is not an issue of text message versus iMessage on iPhones; it has nothing to do with the technical protocols for the transmission of text messages; it is not a question of using the most recent up to date version of AlertCops; it is not a question of which of the +1's you pick (but don't pick +1 when you use your new Spanish SIM card, pick +34 instead).

My hunch is that it has to do with the fact that the sms with the validation code is sent to your mobile phone from an international or foreign short code number (in cases where you are not in Spain and/or do not use a Spanish mobile phone number) and whether your provider allows such sms to go through to you or not. But it is just a hunch and I can only see how my own phone receives the validation code (and it has already received plenty of them ) but I cannot see how your phone receives it.

So one line to pursue would be this: first, confirmation from successful users that they received the sms from a short code number; second, check with your provider whether your provider or your plan or your mobile phone setup allows you to receive such an sms or not.
 
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Pilgrim9 said:
Those who are more expert than I am are free to correct me if I am in error.
Click to expand...
I understand your interest in learning and sharing info about technical protocols but I am not sure that this will help finding a solution to the problem at hand. Whether my mobile phone is connected to my Wifi net or not - I do receive the validation code for AlertCops, no surprise there. It may be a financial issue - whether your plan allows you to receive international sms or not for example. I have no idea of the various combinations of the hundreds of plans that exist as I've had the same plan for umpteen years and I make no changes when I go to Spain.
 
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@JGJ, did you have any success in the meantime? If so, I am sure it would be interesting to know for others.

I'm still not clear about your setup. So you have an iPhone 8 and two SIM cards, a Spanish one and a Canadian one? You swap them depending on your needs? Both are phone + data, or is the Spanish SIM card data only? And when the Spanish card is in the slot, you enter as phone number for validation purposes of the AlertCop app this: +34 chosen in the list and all the digits of your Spanish mobile phone number in the field next to it?
 
Kathar1na said:
Having said this, it is totally unclear to me how one can "use" a Spanish SIM card with a Canadian number but I accept that there are limits to my comprehension capabilities and I can live with it .
Click to expand...
I don't believe it is the case here, but some phones can have more than one SIM card and use them simultaneously for different purposes (like using one for data and another for voice). That might lead to one having and using a Spanush SIM card while retaining use of a Canadian number.
 
I watched a few YouTube videos and tried various suggestions on getting SMS to work on the iPhone. No luck. My cell is with Fido which is through the Rogers network so it's a big cellular company in Canada. I have tried at home when the phone is connected to my home's Internet and I've tried while out at the farm where I keep my horse, using my phone's data plan. I've tried so many times that my phone tried to populate so I clicked on that to see what would happen and got a message that Alert Cops is not working so that's the closest I've gotten!
 
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Kathar1na said:
It would be interesting to know what people in the USA, Australia and the UK see as sender in those cases where all this works!

View attachment 148916
Click to expand...

Yes it looked just like that when I activated in Australia yesterday. So I think your assumption that it might be that some providers are blocking that function could be correct.
 
I had problems with a UK SIM earlier this year, but just put in a new UK SIM and it has worked perfectly. In the past I have registered with an Australian SIM from Australia, a UK SIM in Portugal (twice) and a UK SIM in Spain.

Once you do get it working, if for some reason you do change your SIM and number, you do have to re-register to get any alerts and use the app.
 
VintageCowgirl said:
I have tried at home when the phone is connected to my home's Internet
Click to expand...
Connecting to your home Internet makes no difference to SMS. SMS is a telephone protocol not a data protocol.
VintageCowgirl said:
I've tried while out at the farm where I keep my horse, using my phone's data plan
Click to expand...
Using your phone data plan will not get you SMS messages. SMS is a telephone protocol not a data protocol.

The basic issue is that in the USA. and possibly Canada (I don't bother trying to follow Canada) some telephone network companies charge for receiving SMS. Most of the rest of the world only charges for sending SMS.

In the USA this leads to customers getting upset with receiving unwanted or spam SMS. messages and being charged for them.

This leads to SMS being turned off at various places

Places where SMS can be turned off:
1) At your network provider (carrier). This is rare because network providers like to make money but some customers and possibly some plans specifically have SMS turned off at the provider end.

This means that if this applies to your phone/plan then you will never receive an SMS message while that carrier SIM card is in your phone and it is set to make telephone calls.

2) Not having an app on your phone that is capable of and given authority to send and receive SMS messages. This is very rare but possible. BTW Apple's iMessage can send and receive SMS messages if correctly set up.

In this case you will never receive SMS messages regardless of which SIM card you have in your phone.

3) Using the options in your phone's operating system and app to turn off the ability to send and receive SMS messages. This is probably reasonably common.

Again, in this case, regardless of which SIM you have in your phone you won't get SMS messages.

4) Apple's IOS operating system has an option to allow you to filter SMS messages so that you can only ever get SMS messages from someone who is already in your contacts. This is quite a useful way of filtering out SMS spam and so is possibly quite common.

The AlertCops SMS short code will not be in your contacts and so these SMS messages will be filtered out.

5) Your network provider providing a spam filter for SMS. In this case they are likely to filter out most SMS messages sent from a short code.

A Spanish SIM card should not have this problem.

6) Someone at your network provider forgot to set up the central exchange that routes SMS messages. Rare but I came across it once when I was in Sweden with a local SIM card from a very small provider and trying to send SMS messages back to Aotearoa New Zealand.

I diagnosed the problem and then emailed a technician that I knew at the ANZ provider end and she confirmed the problem and eventually got around to fixing it.

++++++++

If you have an iPhone and you use iMessage then all the blue coloured messages that you send and receive were sent using Apple's proprietary protocol which does use data and there for can't be sent and received when you don't have a data connection or WiFi.

If you have ever seen Green coloured messages then those are the SMS messages and need a telephone connection.

BTW if you are in the habit of putting your phone in flight mode then you will never receive an SMS message while in flight mode.
 
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I’ll try my best to explain here. As it turned out when I purchased the Spanish SIM card I continued to try and register with Alert Cops while using my Canadian mobile number to receive the authorization code. I did not realize that my iPhone had recognized I had no two mobile numbers and it gave me an option to use both. When I toggled to use both then the phone allowed Alert Cops to sms my Spanish number (rather than Canadian number) to receive the authorization code in order to activate the app. I hope that makes sense.
 
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I realized that I never returned to this thread to say how this problem was resolved for me.

I emailed them, and after some back and forth in which they asked me about my phone model, service provider, etc. they sent me these instructions.

Good morning, dear user.

We consulted with our service provider to verify where the problem may be occurring between sending and receiving the message and have opened an inquiry ticket.

Meanwhile, we will proceed to provide you with the validation code manually the next time you try to validate in the APP.

To get validated in the APP follow next steps:

1. Open the Alertcops application and it will ask you for validation as in previous occasions.

2. Once the code has been requested, and without closing the application, open the email and reply to this thread indicating that you have requested the new validation code.

3. We have a 24 hour service that will answer the email as soon as possible and will proceed to provide the code.

4. Once the code is received, go to the Alertcops application, is very important that the Alertcops App stay open, or the validation process while begin again.

5. Enter the provided code and the validation process will be completed.


I was able to successfully validate the app.
 
Last week, I got a notice (from somewhere) that app was updated. I opened the app and was finally able to validate and get logged in. Not sure what the problem was, but it took a long time (maybe a year). I have a Greek phone number.

so maybe keeping trying!
 
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