1. Why does the app require all these permissions?

Some app users are concerned about the number of permissions the app requires, which is especially obvious in Android 6 (Marshmallow). In general, the app only uses additional permissions when the user initiates specific activities where these are required. Here are the specific examples of how it uses the permissions (the terminology might be slightly different between iOS (Apple) and Android:

• Contacts – When you add emergency contacts, you can select them from your existing contacts.
• Location – When you activate the panic button or the “Follow Me” button, the app can tell your contacts and security company (if they partner with us) where you are. It is also used when you want to add home location or location of crime alerts.
• SMS – When you press the panic button it will send an SMS to your emergency contacts showing your location. It will also send SMSes to contacts when you cancel the alert.
• Phone – To make phone call to your emergency contact when you press the panic button.
• Photos/Media/Files – So you can add a photo of yourself (at registration) or a crime (when adding an alert). The app never does this in the background – you must initiate this.
• Microphone – To record audio when you press the “Record Audio” button only.
• Data – The main way the app uses data is when you press the panic button or follow me button (to send a small data alert to the backend database), at registration and adding crime alerts (to save details to the database), to use the map (e.g. to find your home location or crime locations) or to use the online shop.
• Identity – So Google Play knows who has downloaded it and so users can access across devices.
• Device ID and call information – Device ID so we can synchronise your app details if, for example, you delete the app and re-install it.

2. What does the app icon at the top of my screen mean? Is the app using data or GPS in the background?

The app doesn’t use services (such as GPS or data) in the background. It only does so when the app is open and active. The app icon at the top of the screen on Android phones only indicates that the app can use the earphone jack. It has nothing to do with data or GPS. This is a new feature whereby you can activate the panic button by pressing the media button on your earphones.