SafeSteps

Inspiration

We were moved by the rising concerns around personal safety, especially for women and children in urban and rural areas. Often, unsafe situations escalate due to the lack of timely alerts or trusted communication. We wanted to create something simple yet powerful that could be used in emergencies.

What it does

SafeSteps is a personal safety app that:

• Allows users to set emergency contacts
• Sends a one-tap SOS alert with live location via SMS/WhatsApp
• Activates background audio recording during alerts
• Has a “Safe Route” tracker with geofencing alerts for parents or guardians
• Can be triggered discreetly via double-pressing volume buttons

How we built it

• Frontend: Flutter for cross-platform mobile support
• Backend: Firebase (Firestore, Auth, Cloud Functions)
• Maps: Google Maps API for route tracking and geofencing
• SMS/WhatsApp Alerts: Twilio API for notifications
• Audio Capture: Native code integration in Android/iOS for recording

Challenges we ran into

• Implementing reliable background services across Android and iOS
• Ensuring fast and accurate location updates
• Balancing simplicity with robust security features
• Creating a discreet UI that doesn’t alert potential threats

Accomplishments that we're proud of

• Successfully built a prototype that functions offline and online
• Integrated real-time geofencing with emergency alerts
• Designed a minimalist UI that works under stress

What we learned

• How to use Flutter to build functional mobile apps under time pressure
• The value of user empathy in designing safety-critical tools
• Handling edge cases like network failure and battery optimization

What's next for SafeSteps

• Partnering with local police departments and helplines
• Adding community-based safe zones and volunteer responders
• Voice-activated emergency triggering
• More robust testing for accessibility and low-end device performance

Built With

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