As far as I am aware, I have come across one app that has had a similar idea to my own called Emergency. I found this app whilst browsing YouTube. Here is the link to the following video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTF9J33RU6Q
This app allows you to set up an emergency number that you can set and settings as to how you can set up the alarm (Press the lock button 4 times) etc.
However his app does not have a direct line to the authorities. His app alerts contacts on his phone and this is a bad idea as people read different messages at different times. For example, you may need to use this emergency app whilst on a night out and one of the emergency contacts is asleep. They will not get the message until when they wake up and they may still call 999 and report the crime again. This would be a waste of time and resources. My app bypasses having to rely on others, and is a direct line to the police.
One of the ways that he let users activate the alarm is by having the panic button on the lock screen which you can press when the phone is still locked. This is a bad idea because a user could have a phone in their pocket and accidentally activate the alarm.
I think the lock-screen is a good idea to casually set off an alarm, but it can be better disguised. I propose having two passwords to unlock the phone. One unlocks the phone without setting the alarm off and the other password will set off the alarm without anyone noticing.
SOS feature on the Apple Watch has a similar function on their device. If the user holds down the side button, they have to wait until an alarm starts ti sound which will automatically contact the emergency services; or they can swipe the “Emergency SOS Slider” and after the call ends, it will send a text to your emergency contacts with your current location. They can do this by editing their emergency contacts on their iPhone in a separate menu. But this is pointless. A user shouldn’t have to log in to another device to be able to use one function when they can have it in one device or the other (in my case the phone.)
Also this product does not protect the user beyond just calling for help, my app records audio and video of the events which can be used in case the user becomes the victim of a crime or if the user is witnessing a crime.
Another feature I will add to the app which the competitors haven’t done is the promotion of local community and police campaigns. I have seen on their website they advertise their police campaigns, but people hardly visit their local police stations website. I want to move that material from their website into this app.
I also want my app to have statistics of where calls were made from and where the alarm was set off so that civilians know where to avoid danger depending how many times the alarm was used in a general area. We want the user to be able to back and look at statistics from months ago and to see where and how crime has developed in their general area. All users who set off the app will remain anonymous.