HelpKnock

Be found without a network

Free · In‑App Purchases

When a disaster takes the network down, your phone becomes a Bluetooth beacon: rescuers nearby can find you, see how you are, and message you. No signal needed. When an earthquake or a collapsed building takes the network down, HelpKnock turns phones into Bluetooth beacons. People who need help can be found, show how they are, and talk with rescuers nearby, without any signal. Not a replacement for emergency services. If you have any signal, call 119 or your local emergency number first. FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED HELP • Tap "I need help" and your phone starts broadcasting at once. There is no SOS button and nothing else to press, and it keeps broadcasting with the screen locked. • Battery, how long since you last touched the phone, how long the phone has been still, and your last known position are shared automatically. Nothing to type. You can turn position sharing off on the home screen. • Quick report switches for fire, flooding, live wires, no way out, injuries and gas: one tap each, one hand. • Situation and needs ask only for facts, and every question can be skipped. • See when a rescuer has read your status and how many rescuers are nearby, and message them. • Tap a rescuer to see the unit and skills they entered and whether anyone nearby has reported them. Report or block anyone who seems wrong. • When you are safe, confirm it with the slider on the home screen and rescuers nearby are told. FOR RESCUERS • A status board with one card per person: battery, idle and still time, hazards and headcount at a glance. • A radar of the beacons you can hear, plus people only other rescuers can hear, with where they were heard. • Open a card for the situation, needs and the details the person chose to share. • Mark "I am handling this" or "Marked safe". Every rescuer in range sees every mark, and several rescuers can handle the same person. • Teams with a roster and a team chat, no network needed. • Messages to someone out of your range are passed on by rescuers who can hear them. • Report or block someone, and see who others nearby have reported. YOUR DATA STAYS WITH YOU • No server and no account. The developer never receives anything you enter. • Personal and medical details stay in this phone's keychain. You decide in "What others can see" which of them are shared when you ask for help. • Anyone nearby who chose the rescuer role can read what you share, and none of it is verified. Bluetooth transfers are not encrypted in this version. BEFORE A DISASTER Fill in your details, choose what to share, and allow Bluetooth, Location and Motion & Fitness while you are calm. When something happens, you only have to open the app and tap "I need help". GOOD TO KNOW • Both phones need HelpKnock. • Bluetooth reaches only a short distance, and less through walls and rubble. • Do not swipe HelpKnock away in the app switcher: iOS will not reopen it, and nobody can find you. After a restart, open it again.

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The developer, Yun Shen, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

  • Data Not Collected

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    Information

    Seller
    Yun Shen
    Size
    2.9 MB
    Category
    Utilities
    Compatibility
    Requires iOS 18.6 or later.
    • iPhone
      Requires iOS 18.6 or later.
    • iPad
      Requires iPadOS 18.6 or later.
    Languages
    English and Traditional Chinese
    Age Rating
    4+
    • 4+
    • Learn More
    • Contains
      Messaging and Chat
      User-Generated Content
    In-App Purchases
    Yes
    Copyright
    © 2026 Vulcan Shen
  • Developer Website
  • Privacy Policy