Verifying a new member

Why verification exists

Joining a circle puts a phone inside your trust group, so joining alone is never enough. A new member stays pending until an admin confirms it’s really them. Until then they don’t see the live phrase.

The new member chooses how they’d like to prove themselves, and the admin approves. Both sides see the state of this in their checks inbox.

The three methods

Video (the everyday choice). The joiner taps Join instantly with a video and records a short clip of themselves saying the phrase on their screen. The admin watches it, recognises their face and voice, checks the words match, and approves. Done in a minute, no call needed, works across time zones.

In person (the strongest). Next time you’re together, you both open SafePhrase and confirm you see the same live phrase at the same moment. Two screens, same three words, no way to fake it remotely. If video was the quick start, upgrade to in person when you next meet.

Voice call (the fallback). The admin calls the new member, who reads back a special verification phrase that’s stable for the day. It works when someone is camera-shy, but a voice alone is the very thing scammers can now imitate, which is why this is the least preferred option.

Levels stack

A member’s verification level is visible in the circle: voice, video, or in person. You can upgrade someone later from their member page, and the app will nudge you to strengthen weaker verifications when you meet.

What it proves, and what it doesn’t

Verification proves the person who joined is the person the admin recognises. It doesn’t freeze time: if their phone is later lost or taken over, verification history doesn’t protect you. That’s what freezing and key rotation are for.