An iOS/iPadOS and Mac App to Help You Find and Join Virtual and Hybrid NA Meetings
We Are Never Alone is an iOS/iPadOS-only app (or MacOS, using MacCatalyst), designed specifically for NA members (but is, in no way, associated with NA World Services, Inc., or the NA Fellowship. It is an app for members, by members).
This is a completely free, open-source app. It is currently localized (translated) in English, Spanish, French, German, and Portuguese (Brazil).
Overview
When you start We Are Never Alone, it collects or updates the entire worldwide NA virtual meeting database from all BMLT servers. This includes “hybrid” meetings, which are in-person meetings that also offer a virtual option (usually with a TV screen and webcam set up in the meeting venue).
NOTE: This uses the same servers as the BMLT aggregator and does not use the virtual-na.org server, which maintains a separate list. While most meetings are common to both, there may be differences.
virtual-na.org maintains a strict “opt-in” database. Although it is separate from the one we use, it may have meetings available that are not in We Are Not Alone. We do not manage that list, but it is maintained by some dedicated people.
The database is presented as a simple table, showing meetings based on their start times and days of the week. You can select a specific day and time. By default, the app sets the day and time to your current day and time.
Keep It Simple
The main idea behind We Are Never Alone is simplicity. It helps you manage a large number of diverse meetings from all over the world, at different times, and sort through them easily and quickly.
All Times Are Shown In Your Local Time
No matter the timezone of the meeting, its start and end times will be displayed in your local time and format. If the meeting is in a different timezone, that timezone and the start time in that zone will also be shown.
Select Meetings As Ones That You Attend
You can mark meetings that you attend, allowing you to manage them in a simpler and smaller list.
Open A Meeting Directly In the App
If you have a video app that can join the meeting (e.g., Zoom or Google Meet), We Are Never Alone will allow you to open that video app directly and join the meeting (if the proper information was provided). You can also directly dial into phone meetings using a phone.
Common Format for All Meetings
NA is a very diverse community, and our meetings reflect that. We Are Never Alone refines this varied information and presents it to you in a simple, sensible form.
“Power User” Features
We Are Never Alone includes gestures designed for experienced members, allowing you to navigate through the meetings easily and quickly. This page explains these features below.
Using We Are Never Alone
Get the app From the Apple App Store
Of course, the first thing that we should do, is download and install the app from the Apple App Store.
Once the app is installed and placed where you want, start it up. You will be presented with:
The Main Screen
Weekday Selector
At the top, is a set of buttons that represent (left – to – right):
- “Now”
This is meetings that are currently under way (in progress) - Weekdays
(Sunday – Saturday, in Figure 1, but will adapt to whatever order your week is in). - Search Mode
This is a special mode, where you can search through all the meetings, for particular meeting names.
When you first start the app, it will select the current weekday (in your local time), and the meetings nearest your current time (again, in your local time).
Time Selector
Below the Weekday Selector, is the Time Selector. This is a display of the selected weekday and time, with an “arrow” button, on either side. Select the left arrow, to go to meetings that start before the current time, and select the right arrow, for meetings, afterwards.
Between the Weekday Selector and Time Selector, is a thin, horizontal red bar. This indicates how far through the day, the selected time is. All the way left (almost invisible), is 12AM, and all the way right (completely extended), is midnight.
Special Gestures
Pull-to-Refresh
If you pull down on the table of displayed meetings, it will start a new pull from the main server, so it will update the meeting database to the most recent one.
Double-Tap
If you double-tap, anywhere in the Weekday Selector or Time Selector Weekday/Time Display, the controls will reset to today/now.
Long-Press in Weekday Selector
If you long-press (select and hold) over the Weekday Selector, you will be able to “scrub” left or right, to select a different weekday. The selection will follow your finger/cursor.
Long-Press in Time Selector
If you long-press (select and hold) over the Time Selector, you will be able to “scrub” left or right, to select a different time. The selection will follow your finger/cursor, and the red bar will indicate how far through the selected weekday you are.
Tap in Time Selector
If you tap the Time Selector, you will get a direct day/time selector. This allows you to choose a day and time directly. When you have finished, simply select the outlined “X” on the right, to return to the regular selector.
The Meeting Table
This has a scrollable list of the meetings that begin at the time indicated in the Time Selector. All of the days and times are in your local timezone.
Note the meetings in Figure 3 that are surrounded by a green border. That indicates that the meeting is currently in progress, and there will be a text line, indicating at what time the meeting started.
There will also be a line, with the meeting start time and end time.
Below that, is a line that will indicate the timezone native to the meeting, and the start time, in that zone, of the meeting. NOTE: If the meeting is in the same timezone as you are, this line will not be there.
The “Now” (In-Progress) Mode
If you select the leftmost segment of the Weekday Selector, the table below, will reflect all meetings that are currently in progress:
The Meeting Name Search Mode
If you select the rightmost segment of the Weekday Selector, the table below, will initially show every meeting, and will update as you type into the text box, showing only meetings that have the text in the meeting name:
Select the blue circled “X” on the right, to exit Search Mode, and return to your previous mode.
If you tap on any meeting in the list below the header, it will open a new page:
The Meeting Inspector
In Figure 7, note the row of icons in the meeting. These denote:
- Direct Phone Call (Yellow Phone Icon)
If you select this, the app will use the phone to call into the meeting directly, using the phone number that was supplied by the list. - Web Browser (Green Globe)
Every meeting will usually have this (not always). This is a link that opens Safari, and selects the page provided by the list. In some cases, it may open an app on your phone. - Direct Video Link (Blue Square Icon)
This means that you have the app used by the meeting installed on your device, and that the list has provided a link to it. Selecting this button will open the app directly, and join the meeting.
In some meetings, there will be additional information, displayed below the icons (like in Figure 6). This may have selectable links, such as phone numbers or Web addresses.
In many cases, the meeting may have the password, or even the video and phone information, in these text fields. We do our best to interpret these , but are not always successful.
Meeting Formats
You can also view meeting formats, by selecting the “Meeting Formats” dropdown. Selecting that will cause the page to expand, to show you the various meeting formats:
In-Person Meeting Location (Hybrid Meetings Only)
In the case of hybrid meetings (meetings that have both an in-person and a virtual component), the in-person location is accessible through a dropdown, similar to the Meeting Formats, and located just below the Meeting Formats. Selecting this, opens an address display, and a map:
“I Attend”
This is a concept that helps us to simplify our experience.
You can declare any meeting to be one that you attend. This is done with a simple checkbox in the upper left of every Meeting Inspector Screen (Figures 13 and 14).
If you select the “I Attend” checkbox, in the upper, right of the screen, it will display a check:
And the meeting will also show as checked in the Main Screen list. Note that the checkbox button at the top, right of the screen is now enabled.
If you select the checked and enabled button in the top, right of the Main Screen, it will bring in a much simpler screen, with only the meetings that you have marked as ones that you attend:
Universal Links
A neat feature of the app, is “Universal Links.” This allows you to get a link to a meeting, and send it to others. If they have We Are Never Alone, it will open the app, and select the meeting. If they do not have the app, it will, instead, go to the App Store for the app.
You get a link to the meeting, from the “Action” item, in the top, left of the Meeting Inspector Screen:
This will bring up a modal sheet, with options on what to do with the URL:
The Universal Link will have a form like:
https://vmf.littlegreenviper.com?1952732650930855
With that long number, being the ID of a meeting.
The Settings Screen
In the upper left of the Main Screen, is a navigation button that looks like a set of gears.
If you select this, you will be sent to the Settings Screen:
Currently, there is only one setting: “Reduce Service Meetings.”
This setting will try to filter out meetings that are focused on NA “business” rather than Recovery. Most people looking for virtual NA meetings are not usually interested in these types of meetings.
Bonus Track
Here’s an illustration of how the app will “normalize” the start and end times of the meetings, to match your current location and phone setup:
Important Note
Please be aware that we are not responsible for the content of the data displayed by this app.
Our app fetches publicly available data from numerous servers around the world, maintained by hundreds of dedicated NA members, and reformats it to be as useful as possible for you.
This means we likely cannot correct errors in the data itself (though we can fix issues within the app) and have no control over the conduct or format of the meetings.
While we may be able to help in some cases, we are not an intervention or therapeutic organization and will not get involved in personal recovery matters or legal disputes. We reserve the right to refuse involvement in issues beyond the scope of We Are Never Alone.
We provide the same information that is publicly available, and we strive to do it well.
Privacy
This app does not collect any information. The “I Attend” setting is kept completely on your device (which means that it is not synchronized to your other devices, and will be completely deleted, if you delete the app).
This is our general app privacy policy
Dependencies
RVS_BasicGCDTimerRVS_Generic_Swift_ToolboxRVS_PersistentPrefsRVS_UIKit_ToolboxSwiftBMLSDKLGV_MeetingServerLGV_TZ_Lookup- The Basic Meeting List Toolbox (BMLT)