[deif]

For sure, but any app store listing would give that away so that kind of obscurity only gets you so far.

Apple are extremely restrictive on how you present your apps, so it will always be obvious what the app is from the listing (which is why I specifically had to use hang man, as the name of the app has to match the general functionality). I couldn't even release a separate app with the same functionality but completely reskinned as they classed it as spam. So I had a problem of only having 1 app and providing functionality to two different sets of users. One set only wants the dead man switch functionality and an initial screen that hides the app is useless to them, and the other set only wants the hidden functionality.

If they were less rigorous in applying their rules then a more secure app could be made and I'm always open to suggestions. This was actually made in conjunction with liasing with a US charity for domestic abuse as it was a feature they specifically asked for.

[ryanschneider]

What if the game itself was 100% vanilla and all the dead man’s switch setup was done through a website using your iCloud login? Then instead of the help button the user could configure a “safe word” that when entered triggers the notifications.

Also, doesn’t a true dead man’s switch require periodic confirmation? As in, shouldn’t it trigger _unless_ I enter my safe word as a guess every N days?

Edit: I just read the homepage, the linked page didn’t really explain the switch, just the dedicated help button in the menu, so disregard that part.

[jones1618]

Using a safe word to unlock is brilliant. Why require iCloud or web access at all, though? Hide a configuration page behind the safe word as well. You could also have another secret word to instantly trigger your silent alarms.

Also, if the author wanted to keep the web site discreet, just have a landing page that talks about "This is the greatest hang man game of all time, blah , blah" and underneath have ads/badges for "Save the whales", "Feed the Starving Children" and "Prevent Domestic Abuse." When they click the abuse "ad", they get additional information that's actually about the app.

[Der_Einzige]

Can we start to accuse apple of being complacent in domestic abuse then? I'm only mostly joking

Apple products are used at a far higher proportion among women (and the vast majority of domestic abuse victims are women) than Android products are and the locked down nature of the platform means that attempts to fight this with innovative apps masquerading as other apps (as the author has indicated that they want to do) breaks their TOS and is banned by the platform.

Feminists need to start sounding the alarm right now and pushing women towards open platforms which give them a chance to fight against their abusers.

[gowld]

Maybe it's better to have an OS that prevents spyware apps. If the victim isn't in control of their phone, do you want the abuser to have free reign on it?

What people need is a hidden extra phone, not a hidden extra app.

[thrwaway69]

If you care about women rights, you should also care about open source, here's why.

It might actually work to push the FOSS movement ahead.

[Ajedi32]

Perhaps a PWA or a side-loadable app on Android would avoid the need for an app store listing.

[deif]

Yep, definitely a possibility for higher risk users in the future. The current listed app should cover off a large portion of use cases and making it simple to access is my highest priority. Side loading a more secure app for those few cases that absolutely need total peace of mind and security can round off the offering.