Safehers

A women safety App!

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Inspiration

Safety should never be a privilege — it should be a right. The inspiration for SafeHers came from hearing real-life stories of women feeling unsafe in everyday situations, especially while traveling alone or at night. We wanted to create a companion that empowers women to feel safer, stay connected to trusted contacts, and get help instantly when needed.

What it does

SafeHers is a women’s safety companion app that: Shares the user’s real-time location with trusted contacts. Sends emergency alerts at the press of a button. Allows quick access to call emergency numbers. Integrates with location tracking so loved ones can monitor the user’s journey. Stores important contacts for instant reach in emergencies.

How we built it

We built SafeHers using Flutter for cross-platform development. Frontend: Flutter widgets with a clean, minimal UI for quick navigation. Backend: Firebase Authentication & Firestore for secure user management and cloud-based data storage. Maps: flutter_map with latlong2 for live location tracking. Device Services: geolocator, contacts_service, and permission_handler for seamless hardware and permission integration. Communication: url_launcher for emergency calls and location-sharing via messaging apps.

Challenges we ran into

Gradle compatibility issues during the Android build process that required upgrading dependencies and removing deprecated repositories like jcenter(). Adapting the mobile codebase to also run as a Windows desktop app when Android APK builds initially failed. Managing permissions for location and contacts in a privacy-safe way. Syncing Firebase with Flutter without breaking dependency versions.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Successfully creating a working safety companion app despite build and compatibility issues. Expanding from just Android to also supporting Windows desktop in a short timeframe. Learning how to debug Gradle, migrate namespaces, and handle dependency upgrades. Building a UI that is functional, fast, and accessible.

What we learned

How to manage cross-platform builds in Flutter. Importance of dependency version control and keeping code updated for newer SDKs. Integrating location and contacts requires careful permission handling for both privacy and functionality. Even when your primary build fails, there are ways to pivot and still deliver a functional product.

What's next for Safehers

Implementing background tracking so emergency location sharing works even when the app is closed. Adding AI-powered threat detection that suggests safety routes and alerts based on location history. Expanding to iOS and MacOS for broader reach. Building an offline emergency alert mode for areas with poor internet connectivity.

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