App turns power button into 'panic button'

[BarryII]

http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/amne...pp-fight-attack-kidnap-and-torture-2014-06-23

"Amnesty International has launched a 'panic button' mobile app meant to help activists and journalists...After they have pressed the power button multiple times in a short period of time, the app sends a text message with the sender's GPS location to three pre-set emergency contacts."

I want that for 911. Sometimes the double tap to unlock my phone takes multiple tries, then there are two more presses necessary before I can start dialing, and there were times when it took a several seconds to figure out that I have to tap the little keypad icon after I tap the phone icon (I don't make many calls). Not good for emergencies. And there seems to be no special emergency icon for 911. I think I'd actually need to go through the People menu. Dialing would be faster than that.

Unfortunately, "currently, it's only available for Android." I trust the source of this app more that the source of the apps I've seen in Windows Store which tend to "require" things like your location and camera access even when you don't want to do anything technically requiring those things.

 

[Laura Knotek]

Why would an app be needed when an emergency call can be made without even unlocking the device?

 

[BarryII]

I don't have that screen. My screen is black when locked and it just gives the time and date when I unlock it, then I have to swipe up to get to my tiles. Even after I click the phone icon and the keypad icon all I get is the number tiles with no "emergency call" tile.

 

[BarryII]

This video shows what I see with OS version 8.0.10517.150

[video]http://tinypic.com/r/2d85t3/8[/video]

 

[Laura Knotek]

Maybe it's a US requirement. I'm not aware of any US devices that do not allow emergency calls even when the device is password locked. I've always used a password. My BlackBerry devices also allowed emergency calls when password locked.
Sent from my Nokia Lumia 920 using Tapatalk

 

[BarryII]

Oh, I don't mean that kind of locked. I mean I lock the screen so I won't pocket dial anyone. I don't have the phone password locked.