Hold the button. Someone comes.
Bellpull is the family's own alarm. The person you look after wears a small button. When they hold it, the alert goes to the family, friends and neighbours they have chosen, and keeps going until one of you says you are on your way.
There is no call centre in the middle. You decide who is called and in what order, you can see that everything is working, and you own the equipment. There is no contract.
An alarm the family runs
With most personal alarms in the UK, a press goes to a call centre. An operator answers, speaks to the person through the base unit, and then rings the family. You pay a monthly fee for the centre, usually £15 to £31, and the equipment is often rented and has to be returned when you stop.
Many families already are the response. They live nearby, they have a key, and they would rather be called straight away. Bellpull is built for them.
- You choose who is called. Each person has their own list of responders in the order you set, with backup numbers such as a neighbour or a landline.
- The alert is hard to miss. It sounds through silent mode in the Bellpull app, and if nobody responds it becomes a spoken phone call, then moves on to the next people.
- Everyone knows who is going. The first person to respond is named to the others, so nobody is left wondering and nobody sets off for no reason.
- You can see it is ready. The app shows the responders, the button battery, the hub and the last test, and reminds you to test each week.
- The kit is yours. You buy it once and keep it. There is no contract, and you can stop paying for the service whenever you like.
- It costs less over time. After the kit, the service is £79 a year. A monitored alarm is usually £180 a year or more. Covering a second person at the same address needs only an extra button and a small monthly charge, not a second subscription.
How it works
Each person who carries a button has their own list of responders. These are usually family members and a neighbour, and they join by accepting an invitation on their phone.
When the button is held, every responder on the list gets a text message with a link to respond. Responders who have the free Bellpull app also get an alert that sounds even when the phone is on silent or Do Not Disturb. Each message says who pressed, the time, the address and any access notes, such as where the key safe is.
If nobody has responded after 45 seconds, Bellpull phones the responders. The call reads out the alert and asks them to press 1 to respond. If there is still no answer, Bellpull tries again at 2, 4 and 6 minutes. At 8 minutes it adds backup numbers, such as a neighbour or a landline, and it keeps trying for up to an hour.
As soon as one person responds, by tapping the link, pressing 1 on the call or replying YES, everyone else is told who is going. Bellpull does not call 999. The person who responds decides whether emergency services are needed.
A short press of the button does nothing, so it will not go off by accident in a pocket. A double press sends a test message, so the person can check it works whenever they like.
What comes in the kit
The kit has a button and a hub, and it is yours to keep. We pair them and set them up for your account before we send them, so there is nothing to configure at home. Plug the hub into your broadband router with the cable provided, hold the button once to test it, and it is ready.
The button, on a wrist strap
The button is a Flic 2. It is 30 mm across and 8.5 mm thick, and it is splash resistant. The battery lasts up to two years and is a standard coin cell that is easy to replace.
Or in a clip-on holder
The same button fits a clip-on holder for a belt, a pocket or a lanyard, for people who would rather not wear anything on their wrist.
The hub
The Flic Hub LR sits by your router. It hears the button anywhere in a normal house and garden, up to about 50 metres indoors. It does not need a phone nearby and does not use the landline, so the digital phone switchover does not affect it.
The button and hub are made by Flic in Sweden and are CE marked. Weftworks supplies them and sets them up for Bellpull. Images are illustrations until product photography is ready.
Knowing it is ready
In the Bellpull app you can see whether everything is working: which responders are ready, the button's battery level, whether the hub is online, and when the button was last tested. Once a week Bellpull reminds you to run a test.
The app shows the person as covered only when the hub has checked in, at least two responders are ready, and a test has worked in the last seven days. If the hub goes offline, for example because the broadband is down, you are told.
One account can cover more than one person, such as both parents. Each person has their own button, responders, order, backup numbers, address and access notes.
What Bellpull does not do
Bellpull holds no health information. There is nowhere in it to record a condition, a medication or a diagnosis. We keep names, phone numbers, an address and the practical access notes you write, such as which door to use.
Bellpull does not call 999 or any emergency service. A person always makes that decision.
Bellpull does not track anyone's location. The button only tells us that it was held.
Why it is called Bellpull
In older houses a bell pull hung by the fireplace. It was a long embroidered strap, and when you pulled it a bell rang somewhere else in the house and someone came to find you. Nobody had to find a phone or remember a number.
Bellpull does the same job in a home today. The strap is a small button worn on the wrist or clipped to clothing. The bell is the phones of the people who would come.
Coming soon: routine alerts
We are working on an optional sensor for the home. It uses AI to learn the usual routine of the house, such as the time the person is normally up and about, and lets responders know when today is later or quieter than usual.
Routine alerts will be off by default. They are only switched on with the agreement of the person being looked after, and the button works whether or not they agree. If you would like to hear when they are ready, let us know when you get in touch.
Price
You buy the kit once and own it. Then you pay for the service for each person who has a button. The service covers all the texts, app alerts and phone calls, the backup numbers and the weekly test reminders. You can pay monthly or yearly and cancel at any time.
| Kit: button, wrist strap, clip-on holder, hub and cable, set up for you | £99 once |
|---|---|
| Service, per person | £7.99 a month or £79 a year |
| Extra button, for a second person at the same address or as a spare | £35 once |
| Service for a second person on the same hub | £3.99 a month |
No VAT is added. You can return the kit within 14 days for a full refund.
Order a kit
We are preparing the first kits now and will open orders on this page soon. To hear as soon as you can order, email [email protected] and tell us who the button would be for. If you would like to hear about routine alerts too, say so in your email.
We only use your email to tell you about Bellpull. See the privacy policy.
Questions
Does it need a landline?
No. The hub connects to your broadband router by cable or Wi-Fi. It does not use the landline, so the switch to digital phone lines does not affect it. You can still add a landline as a backup number for Bellpull to call.
What happens if nobody answers?
Bellpull keeps trying. It phones the responders after 45 seconds, tries again at 2, 4 and 6 minutes, adds the backup numbers at 8 minutes and carries on for up to an hour until someone responds.
What if the broadband goes down?
The hub checks in with Bellpull regularly. If it stops, the app shows the hub as offline and you are told. A cable connection to the router is more reliable than Wi-Fi.
Does the person with the button need a smartphone?
No. They only need the button. The app is for the responders, and responders without the app still get texts and phone calls.
Can I cover both my parents?
Yes. Each person needs their own button, because the button tells Bellpull who pressed it. Add an extra button for your second parent and it works with the same hub. Each person has their own list of responders, and a second person on the same hub costs £3.99 a month.
Is there a contract?
No. Pay monthly or yearly and cancel whenever you like. The kit has a 14-day return period.