Frequently asked questions about modAmi and phone scams
modAmi answers here the questions people ask before installing, during a check and about data. In one sentence: two shared words, renewed every ten minutes on your two phones, prove it is really your loved one; if they do not match, the app guides you.
Everything people ask us before installing, and after. If your question isn't here, write to us.
The scams
Each scam has its own page, with how it unfolds, the moves that protect you and real cases. Here is where to go depending on what is happening to you.
- “Hi mum, I've changed my number”: what to do?Don't reply in writing, call the old number. The typical message and the right reflexes, on one page.
- Can you recognise a cloned voice?No, not by ear: three seconds of recording are enough. What remains is what only the real caller can know.
- A “adviser” from my bank calls to block a fraudA bank never asks for a code or a transfer. The script, and the number to call back.
- Can the number on screen be my relative's without it being them?Yes, 19,000 spoofing reports in 2025. How a fraudulent call unfolds, step by step.
- How do I check it really is my son on the phone?Neither the voice nor the number: his two words, on your screen. How it works, in three screens.
- Nineteen real cases in FranceDated, sourced, with the move that saved those who got away.
- Should we agree on a family password?It is the FBI's advice, and better than nothing. Its three flaws, and what modAmi keeps of it, on the blog (in French).
Before installing
My father doesn't have an iPhone. Does it still work?
Not yet. modAmi works on iPhone and iPad, with iOS 17.6 or later, and both people need it. An Android version is in development. In the meantime, if your relative has an iPad, that works: adding is done side by side, screens facing each other, and the words show there too.
Does the person calling me need modAmi too?
Yes. Both people have the app, and a relationship set up between them, so they see the same words at the same time. That's what makes the words impossible to guess from outside.
My loved one lives abroad. Does it work?
Yes. The words are computed on each phone from the time: distance and time zones change nothing. You can set up the relationship remotely, with a link, and with PROTECT choose the language of each contact's words.
My loved one is far away: how do I add them?
- In modAmi, tap "+" then "They are far from me".
- The app prepares a message with a link. Send it by SMS, WhatsApp or e-mail.
- Your loved one opens the link: modAmi installs, or opens if they already have it.
- They accept the relationship. The shared words are computed on each side.
- In the free mode the relationship is active after 24 h; immediately with PROTECT.
Side by side remains the simplest way: next time you meet, do the two-screens-face-to-face gesture again, and the relationship will be the same.
Can I use modAmi with only some people?
Yes. You choose freely which contacts you protect: two in the free mode, unlimited with PROTECT.
Verification
How does verification work?
The caller speaks first and reads their two words. You see three words on your screen. If both words you heard are in your list, it really is them. The third word absorbs a clock difference between the two phones. The words change every ten minutes.
Do I need an Internet connection during the call?
No. The words are computed on the phone, without any network. Only the device's time matters, and the carrier sets it automatically.
What if verification fails, or the person refuses to answer?
Do not continue the conversation and do not act on the request. A refused or incorrect verification is reason enough to stop, hang up and call back on the number you know. What to do, step by step.
What if I'm rushed, under pressure?
That is exactly why verification requires no analysis: either both words are on your screen, or they are not. Nobody has to judge a voice or a story in a hurry.
Can the words be guessed or reused?
No. They are generated automatically, change every ten minutes and are never reused. Someone who overheard the words of a call can do nothing with them ten minutes later.
Your data and your phone
Where is my data stored?
On your phone, in the Apple keychain, encrypted. It can also be included in an iCloud backup, manual or automatic, protected by a password you choose. modAmi has no server.
What happens if I lose my phone?
If a backup exists, you import your relationships again when reinstalling the app. Without a backup, you set the relationships up again with your loved ones. With PROTECT, backup is automatic.
Can I change phones?
Yes. Your relationships come back on the new iPhone from the backup. A second device, an iPad for instance, can also serve as a backup device.
Can I change my backup password?
Yes, at any time in Settings. A forgotten password cannot be recovered: nobody but you knows it.
Does the app read my address book?
Only if you allow it, to find a name and a number when you add a contact. Nothing leaves it, nothing is sent.
In the app
Which languages do the words exist in?
French, English, German, Spanish and Italian, with common words that are easy to say on the phone. With PROTECT, each contact can have their own language.
What is the activity log?
The list of what happened in the app: relationships created, verifications done, backups. It helps you find a specific event. It does not watch your loved ones and never leaves your phone.
I reset my phone: do I lose everything?
Not if you have a backup: the app comes back exactly as it was. The activity log itself is never erased by a reset made from the app.
What if I have an iPad, or an Android phone?
Does modAmi work on iPad?
Yes, it is the same app, on iPad with iPadOS 17.6 or later. Adding a loved one is done side by side, screens facing each other: one shows a QR code, the other reads it, no text message needed, and the iPad then shows the two words just like an iPhone. The only limit: an iPad on its own does not receive text messages, so your number will not be verified on it. If you also have an iPhone on the same Apple account, do the verification there: with iCloud turned on, the iPad picks up everything.
I have an iPhone and an iPad: do I have to set everything up twice?
No. With the same Apple account and iCloud turned on on both, your trusted contacts and their words appear on the iPhone and on the iPad within seconds, nothing to re-enter. Only the settings stay specific to each device: appearance, language, delays. And if you lose the iPhone, the iPad keeps everything.
My relative only has an iPad, no iPhone?
That works, as long as you can meet once. Adding is done side by side, screens facing each other, with the QR code, no text message needed. They give the number they can be reached on, the landline for instance, and during the call they read their two words on the iPad; you check that they are on your screen. The only limit: without an iPhone, their number cannot be verified by text message.
And an Android phone?
Not yet. An Android version is in development. Today, modAmi needs an iPhone on each side, yours and your relative's, with iOS 17.6 or later. Leave us your address on the home page: we will let you know on release day, for iPhone as for Android.
Trial and PROTECT
What happens at the end of the fifteen-day trial?
The app keeps working, in Essential mode: two protected contacts, a 24-hour delay for a new contact, manual backup. If you had more than two contacts, you choose which ones to keep. No data is deleted, nothing is charged.
How much does PROTECT cost?
€24.99 once, or €9.99 per year. Details are on the pricing page. Payment through Apple; the prices shown in the App Store prevail.
What are the filters and statistics for?
Filters find a specific event in the log. Statistics give an overview of your own usage, without watching anything on your loved ones' side.
About modAmi
Who makes modAmi, and what does the app not do?
nicolas coucke, an independent developer in France. The app does not analyse the voice, does not block calls, listens to nothing and sends nothing to a server: there is none. It is sold once or by subscription, with no advertising and no resale of data. Who makes modAmi, and how
Be told the day it comes out
modAmi is under review at Apple. Leave your address: you will get one message the day the app is released, and nothing else.
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