Carmen Guardian checks texts from numbers you don’t know
Carmen Guardian is the app on your phone. Texts from numbers not in your contacts are checked: who sent it, how old the link is, what it wants and whether it is rushing you. High risk texts go to junk with the reason attached.
What it does
Carmen Guardian runs on your phone. It is included with Personal and Business, with no credits used.
Watches
Texts from numbers not in your contacts.
How it alerts
High risk texts with hard evidence go to the junk folder with the reason. Anything Carmen is unsure about stays, with a note. A notification when something needs a look.
Never reads
Texts from your contacts. Those never leave the phone.
Setup
Install the app on iPhone or Android and turn on one switch in Settings.
Where
In testing, not in the App Store or Google Play yet. You can also share a message or a link to the app, or paste it in.
A parcel held at the depot
A text asks for a $2.99 release fee, then a customs charge, then sends a final warning. Carmen Guardian sees that the link is four days old and that no carrier charges a fee by text.
The text goes to junk with the reason. You do not need to pay or click anything.
What Carmen checks here
How long it has existed
A real carrier has had its address for years. This link is four days old.
How it reads
A fee, a deadline and a final warning. Carmen has seen this wording before.
Whether Carmen has seen it before
The same text sent to fifty people this week.
What it is asking for
A small payment now, your address, a card.
What happens to your data
Carmen checks what it needs to judge the risk and keeps the answer. The message itself is discarded.
What leaves the device
The scrubbed text or link, over an encrypted connection. Names, numbers and IDs are removed first, in the browser and on the phone.
What is kept
The verdict, the reasons, which account it was for, and when.
What is not kept
The messages Carmen screens for you. Each one is checked, answered and then discarded.
Who sees it
Only our software. A person sees it only if you ask for expert help.
Turning it off
Mail, browsing and phone screening are each a switch, per person.
Common questions
All questions →Does it read my messages?
Only texts from numbers not in your contacts, on the device. Texts from people you know never leave the phone.
What if Carmen is not sure?
The text stays where it is, with a note saying what could not be checked. Carmen does not mark a text safe unless it can check it.
Can I turn it off?
Yes. Phone screening is its own switch.
Does it use credits?
No. Screening is included and not counted, within fair use. Credits are only used when you ask Carmen to look deeper at something.
Get Carmen Guardian
Carmen Guardian comes with Personal and Business, along with the other three products. Personal is $5.99 a month and Business is $9.99 a seat.