One tap activates everything
SOS dispatch, trusted contacts, and location stream activate in a single response flow.
Response Timeline
Rakshya v1.1
Safety. Reimagined.
One intelligent safety system for urgent moments. Instant SOS, live location intelligence, voice-triggered response, and encrypted evidence capture in one tap.
System Features
Designed for real-world emergencies.
Smart SOS
Launches a synchronized emergency workflow in one tap for immediate response.
Voice AI
Detects hidden distress phrases and triggers protective actions discreetly.
Evidence Recording
Captures audio and video automatically to preserve a secure incident trail.
Live Tracking
Foreground and background GPS updates stream location with continuity.
Ride Monitoring
Tracks route deviation and trip risks in real time for safer travel.
Check-in System
Scheduled safety check-ins reduce uncertainty and notify contacts automatically.
Emergency Contacts
Encrypted contact list of trusted people notified instantly during an incident.
Safe Places
Discovers nearby hospitals, police stations, and fire stations in a crisis.
Legal Help
Quick access to legal resources and support contacts when you need them.
Fake Call
Simulates an incoming call to discreetly escape uncomfortable situations.
Privacy by Architecture
Built on serious security, not promises.
Rakshya encrypts all sensitive data on-device with AES-256-GCM, with keys stored in the Android Keystore. The backend stores only opaque encrypted blobs and never sees plaintext, minimizing data exposure while preserving reliable emergency response.
How it works
Your data stays yours. Your own backend serves you.
Encrypt on device
All sensitive data is encrypted with AES-256-GCM, with keys stored in the Android Keystore.
Send only blobs
Only opaque encrypted blobs travel to the server—never readable plaintext.
Self-hosted backend
A Node.js + Express + SQLite backend you control stores the encrypted bytes for backup and sync.
Product Demo
See Rakshya in motion.
Inside Rakshya
A look at the screen you rely on.
Rakshya is built around fast, calm interactions. Here's a preview of the core screens.
Login
Secure sign-in
Sign in with Google via Credential Manager—no passwords to remember.
Home
Feature hub
Every safety tool—SOS, tracking, contacts, rides, and more—one tap away.
Track
Live location
Foreground and background GPS keeps your trusted contacts in the loop.
Contacts
Emergency contacts
Encrypted contact list notified instantly the moment an incident is reported.
Ready when it matters most.
Download Rakshya and build a smarter personal safety layer into every day.
Roadmap
Where Rakshya is heading.
Rakshya is rebuilt and verified on v1.1. Here's the plan as we continue restoring and hardening every safety feature.
v1.1
Complete rebuild — Google sign-in, self-hosted backend, on-device encryption.
v1.2
Restore SOS screen and live location tracking.
v1.3
Restore ride monitoring and safety check-ins.
v1.4
Restore emergency contacts and encrypted video capture.
v1.5
Restore safe places, legal help, and fake call.
v2.0
Production hardening, release signing, and Play Store submission.
Rakshya Blog
Building a personal safety app that responds in seconds.
Rakshya is being built as a real-world emergency response companion. This page explains what it does, why it matters, and how the system is evolving.
🧠 What is Rakshya App?
Rakshya is a comprehensive women's safety Android app with a self-hosted backend. It provides fast emergency assistance through SOS alerts, live GPS location sharing, encrypted video capture, and quick trusted-contact notification. All sensitive data is encrypted on-device with AES-256-GCM, and the backend stores only opaque encrypted blobs.
❗ Why Do We Need a Women Safety App?
With rising safety concerns worldwide, having a reliable emergency SOS app can make a critical difference. Rakshya focuses on reducing response time and ensuring that help can be reached instantly.
⚙️ Key Features of Rakshya
🚨 1. One-Tap Emergency SOS
Launches a synchronized emergency workflow—SOS dispatch, trusted contacts, and location stream—in a single tap.
📍 2. Live Location Tracking
Foreground and background GPS updates stream your location with continuity during emergencies.
🎤 3. Voice Activation
Detects hidden distress phrases and triggers protective actions discreetly when your hands are not free.
📹 4. Encrypted Video Capture
Captures audio and video encrypted on-device with AES-256-GCM to preserve a secure incident trail.
👥 5. Emergency Contacts
Encrypted contact list of trusted people notified instantly when an incident is reported.
🚗 6. Ride Monitoring
Tracks route deviation and trip risks in real time for safer travel.
✅ 7. Safety Check-ins
Scheduled safety check-ins that auto-notify contacts if you miss one.
🏥 8. Safe Places
Discovers nearby hospitals, police stations, and fire stations in a crisis.
⚖️ 9. Legal Help
Quick access to legal resources and support contacts when you need them.
📞 10. Fake Call
Simulates an incoming call to discreetly escape uncomfortable situations.
👥 Who Can Use Rakshya?
Although designed as a women security app, Rakshya can be used by anyone who needs personal safety support:
- Students
- Travelers
- Night shift workers
- Anyone needing personal safety support
🛠️ Technologies Used
Rakshya is built using modern technologies:
- Kotlin 2.0 + Jetpack Compose (Android UI)
- Node.js + TypeScript + Express (Backend)
- Hilt 2.52 (Dependency Injection)
- SQLite via node:sqlite (Database)
- Google Credential Manager (Authentication)
- AES-256-GCM encryption (Android Keystore)
- CameraX (Video Capture)
- OkHttp (Networking)
This makes it a secure, self-hosted safety platform with on-device encryption.
⚡ How Does the SOS Feature Work?
When activated, Rakshya:
- Sends an emergency alert
- Shares the user’s live location
- Notifies pre-selected contacts instantly
This ensures quick response in critical situations.
🚧 Challenges During Development
Building a real-time safety app comes with challenges:
- Migrating from a broken Supabase-backed architecture to a self-hosted backend
- Implementing on-device AES-256-GCM encryption with Android Keystore
- Google sign-in via Credential Manager with proper token exchange
- Foreground service lifecycle management for SOS and location tracking
- Keeping the UI simple and responsive under stress conditions
🔮 Future Improvements
Planned upgrades for Rakshya include:
- v1.2: Restore SOS screen and location tracking
- v1.3: Restore ride monitoring and check-ins
- v1.4: Restore emergency contacts and video capture
- v1.5: Restore safe places, legal help, and fake call
- v2.0: Production hardening, release signing, Play Store submission
🌐 Try Rakshya App
Explore and contribute:
🧾 Final Thoughts
Rakshya is more than just a personal safety app—it’s a step toward using technology for real-world impact. As the project evolves, it aims to become a reliable companion for safety and emergency response.
Q / A
Frequently asked questions about Rakshya
What is Rakshya app?
Rakshya is a comprehensive women's safety Android app with a self-hosted Node.js backend. It provides SOS alerts, live GPS tracking, encrypted video capture, emergency contacts, ride monitoring, check-ins, safe places, legal help, and fake call—all with on-device AES-256-GCM encryption.
Why is a women safety app important?
In unsafe situations, response speed matters. Rakshya is designed to reduce response time and make emergency communication immediate.
How does SOS work in Rakshya?
SOS activates a synchronized emergency workflow: it creates an incident on the backend, records SOS-flagged GPS locations every 30 seconds, triggers an emergency call to 112, and shows a full-screen alarm notification—all in one tap.
Who can use Rakshya?
While designed with women safety in mind, Rakshya can also support students, travelers, night shift workers, and anyone seeking personal safety assistance.
What technologies power the app?
Kotlin 2.0 with Jetpack Compose for the Android UI, Node.js + TypeScript + Express for the backend, Hilt for dependency injection, SQLite for local data, Google Credential Manager for authentication, and AES-256-GCM encryption via Android Keystore for on-device security.
What challenges are involved in development?
Migrating from a broken Supabase-backed architecture to a self-hosted backend, implementing on-device AES-256-GCM encryption with Android Keystore, Google sign-in via Credential Manager with proper token exchange, and managing foreground service lifecycles for SOS and location tracking.
What future upgrades are planned?
v1.2: Restore SOS screen and location tracking. v1.3: Restore ride monitoring and check-ins. v1.4: Restore emergency contacts and video capture. v1.5: Restore safe places, legal help, and fake call. v2.0: Production hardening, release signing, and Play Store submission.
How does voice-triggered SOS work?
Rakshya can listen for a distress phrase you configure and start the emergency workflow when speaking is safer than reaching for the phone—so response can begin even when your hands are not free.
Does Rakshya record audio or video during an emergency?
Yes. Rakshya captures video using CameraX and encrypts it on-device with AES-256-GCM before backing up encrypted bytes to the backend. The server never sees plaintext—only opaque encrypted blobs. The encrypted video can be downloaded and decrypted on-device.
How does Rakshya protect SOS and incident data?
All sensitive data is encrypted on-device with AES-256-GCM using keys stored in the Android Keystore. The backend stores only opaque encrypted blobs and never has access to plaintext, so your data stays protected even during emergency delivery.
What is ride monitoring or route deviation?
During trips, Rakshya tracks your live route against an expected path using Haversine distance calculations. If your movement deviates off-course, it detects the risk in real time—useful for rides, commutes, and travel where detours matter.
How do safety check-ins work?
You schedule safety check-ins through CheckInService, a foreground service that prompts you to confirm you are safe. If you miss a check-in, your trusted contacts can be notified automatically to reduce uncertainty.
Is Rakshya a replacement for calling emergency services (for example 100 or 911)?
No. Rakshya is a companion for alerting people you trust and sharing location—it does not replace police, ambulance, or official emergency lines. Use local emergency numbers when life is in immediate danger.
When will iOS be available?
iOS is planned; the site currently highlights Android while the iOS build matures. Check the download section for the latest status.
Where can I download the Android APK?
Use the Download section on this page or the release APK linked from the site footer. Install from unknown sources only if you trust the source—here, the official GitHub Pages release for Rakshya.