SMS Opt-In & Consent Flow

Last updated: April 27, 2026

Program Overview

OtterTile (ottertile.com) is a productivity app operated by Ken Liang, located at 930 Roosevelt, Irvine, CA 92620. OtterTile sends account-triggered notifications only — specifically alarms, task reminders, and account alerts that the user explicitly configures. We do not send marketing, promotional, advertising, or lead-generation messages of any kind. Every SMS a user receives is the direct result of an alarm or reminder they personally created.

Step 1: Create an Account

Users visit ottertile.com and create a free account by providing a display name, email address, and password. No phone number is collected at registration.

Step 2: Navigate to Settings

After logging in, the user taps the Settings section in the app. The Settings panel contains notification preferences including a “Notify me via” dropdown.

Step 3: Select SMS Notification Channel

The user opens the “Notify me via” dropdown and selects one of the SMS-based options:

Step 4: Enter Phone Number

Once an SMS channel is selected, a Phone number input field appears. The user must enter their mobile phone number. A hint reads: “Include country code for international numbers (e.g. +44). US numbers work without a prefix.”

Step 5: Check the SMS Consent Checkbox (Required)

Below the phone field, a clearly labeled consent checkbox appears with the following exact text:

This checkbox is unchecked by default. The user must affirmatively check the box. The “Save Settings” button will reject the save with an error message if the box is not checked and an SMS channel is selected.

Step 6: Click “Save Settings”

The user clicks Save Settings to finalize their opt-in. At this point, the server:

• Validates that a phone number is present
• Validates that the consent checkbox was checked
• Records the consent timestamp (ISO 8601)
• Records the consent method (“web_checkbox_settings”)
• Records the user’s IP address at the time of consent
• Sends a double opt-in confirmation SMS to the phone number

The consent timestamp is immutable — once recorded, subsequent settings saves do not overwrite it. The original consent date, time, IP, and method are preserved for audit purposes.

Step 7: Double Opt-In Confirmation SMS

Immediately after the first successful save with SMS consent, the user receives a confirmation text message:

This confirms the user’s consent and provides immediate STOP/HELP disclosure in the very first message they receive.

Server-Side Enforcement

Even after opt-in, every SMS send is gated by server-side checks:

• The sms_consent_at field must be set (consent was given)
• The sms_opt_out_at field must be NULL (user has not replied STOP)
• If either check fails, the SMS is blocked and not sent

Opt-Out Methods

Users can opt out at any time via any of these methods:

1. Reply STOP to any SMS — the system immediately records the opt-out, auto-downgrades their notification channel to Email, and sends a one-time confirmation: “OtterTile: You have been unsubscribed and will not receive any more messages. Reply START to resubscribe.”
2. Remove phone number from Settings and click Save
3. Change notification channel to “Email only” in Settings

All STOP, STOPALL, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END, QUIT, REVOKE, OPTOUT, OPT OUT, and OPT-OUT keywords are honored immediately.

HELP Response

When a user replies HELP (or INFO, SUPPORT) to any SMS, they receive:

Re-Subscribe (START)

Users who previously replied STOP can re-subscribe by texting START (or UNSTOP, YES). The system clears their opt-out flag and sends:

Message Format

Every outbound SMS is formatted as follows:

• Brand prefix: “OtterTile: ” (always present, identifies the sender)
• Body: The alarm/reminder content the user configured
• Footer: “Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help.” (always present)

Data Recorded for Audit

Privacy Commitment

Mobile information (phone numbers and SMS opt-in data) will not be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. All other categories of personal data exclude text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; this information will not be shared with any third parties. SMS-related data is shared only with Twilio, our SMS delivery provider, solely for the purpose of delivering messages.

Contact

For questions about OtterTile’s SMS program:

• Business: OtterTile, operated by Ken Liang
• Address: 930 Roosevelt, Irvine, CA 92620
• Email: staff@ottertile.com
• Phone: (949) 771-8396
• Hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM–5:00 PM Pacific Time