Obserc Beta Release Notes

Every update brings us closer to launch. Below is a detailed breakdown of changes, improvements, and known issues for each Obserc beta release.

Obserc Beta v1.1.0 Release Notes

Release Date: August 31, 2025

Thank you for your continued participation in the Obserc beta program. This update introduces a completely overhauled user experience, a brand new home mapping feature, and key stability improvements based on your feedback.

What's New

New Login and Signup System

We've built a full authentication system from the ground up. New users can now create an account directly within the app, and existing users have a streamlined login experience.

Persistent Sessions

You will now stay logged in to your account even after closing the app. No need to enter your password every time you launch Obserc.

Home Mapping and CoreSpace Setup (Phase 1)

  • Guided Room Walkthrough: Users first set their home location and specify the number of rooms. They then walk through each room in a guided "+" pattern. The app logs spatial coordinates to map the layout and individual zones.
  • Simple Home Map: After the walkthrough, the app generates a simple visual map of your home, showing each mapped room as a section in a square layout.
  • CoreSpace Determination: After mapping, the app enters a two-minute tracking period. By analyzing your movement, room size, and number of rooms, the app determines your "CoreSpace"—the critical zone in your home where you spend the most time and are most at risk. A pop-up notifies you when this process is complete.

Bug Fixes & Improvements

  • Improved Continuous Listening: Fixed a major issue where the listening function was not truly continuous and could miss words or phrases. The listening engine is now a more stable on-device system, resolving "Client Error" and "No Match" issues.
  • History for All Sessions: The History screen now logs an entry for every session attempt, including failed ones. Failed sessions are clearly marked, providing a complete activity record.

Known Issues

  • Listening Service Reliability: The core listening service may occasionally fail to load when starting a session. This remains our highest priority, with a complete fix planned for a future update.

Thank you again for testing Obserc. Your feedback continues to guide the development of safer and smarter features.

Download Beta (v1.1.0)

Obserc Beta v1.0.0 Release Notes

Release Date: August 27, 2025

Thank you for participating in the closed beta for Obserc! This initial version is focused on testing the core detection pipeline and local data logging. Your feedback on the stability and accuracy of these foundational features is crucial.

Key Features & Beta Goals

This release includes the essential framework for on-device analysis and data collection.

Emotional & Verbal Abuse Detection

The primary goal of this beta is to validate our manipulation models. The app actively listens for speech and classifies it as either "manipulative" or "non-manipulative."

Listening Modes

  • Triggered Sessions: Users can manually start and stop a listening session from the Home screen. This is the primary mode for controlled testing.
  • Background Listening (Toggle): A toggle is available in Settings to enable a persistent background listening service.

Local Data Logging

All session data and detected events are stored exclusively on your device in a local database (Room DB). No audio or personal data is sent to the cloud in this version.

Session History

A functional History screen displays a list of all completed sessions. Tapping a session reveals a detailed view with timestamps and detected phrases.

Predefined Test Circle

The Circle screen displays a static, read-only list of internal test members. The "Send Test Alert" button confirms backend connectivity by writing a timestamped event to our database.

Daily Check-in (Placeholder)

The UI for the daily check-in feature is included to gather feedback on the concept. The feature itself is planned for v0.02.

Settings Control

The Settings screen allows you to toggle background listening and other data collection preferences. These settings are saved locally on your device.

How to Test

  1. Run Triggered Sessions: Use the "Start Triggered Listening Session" button on the Home screen. Speak scripted or ad-libbed phrases to test detection accuracy.
  2. Review Session History: After stopping a session, navigate to the History tab to see if the session was logged correctly. Tap on it to view the details.
  3. Test the Database Connection: Go to the Circle tab and press the "Send Test Alert" button. Please let the development team know if you encounter any errors.
  4. Explore the UI: Please navigate through all screens (Home, History, Circle, Settings) and report any crashes, layout issues, or unexpected behavior.

Known Issues

  • Speech Recognition: The built-in Android Speech Recognition requires a stable internet connection and may not be available on all emulator configurations. A device with Google Play Services is required.
  • Performance: You may notice a slight delay or UI stutter when stopping a session or submitting a check-in as data is written to the local database.

What's Next in v0.02 (Planned for September 30th)

The next major beta version will build upon this foundation to create a fully integrated and dynamic user experience. We are excited about the significant advancements planned, which will dramatically expand the app's capabilities.

Full User Interface & Dynamic Login

We will move beyond the single-tester model to a complete UI with a dynamic, multi-faceted authentication system. This will allow for secure, individual user accounts, personalized profiles, and a tailored user experience.

Expanded Verbal Analysis

While v0.01 focuses specifically on patterns of mental and emotional abuse, v0.02 will broaden the analytical scope. The underlying models will be enhanced to detect a wider range of harmful speech, including patterns of coercion, direct threats, and other verbal indicators of escalating aggression.

Video Analysis for Physical Abuse Detection

A significant new feature will be the introduction of video analysis. With explicit user consent, the app will be able to process video streams to identify patterns of movement and interaction that may indicate physical abuse or escalating violence. This expands Obserc's focus from the purely verbal (v0.01) to include critical non-verbal cues, aiming to provide a more holistic safety net.

Full Circle Integration & Intelligent Escalation

The Circle feature will become fully dynamic. Users will be able to securely invite and manage their own trusted contacts. The escalation logic will be implemented in full, moving beyond the simple test button. This system will be designed to intelligently assess the severity and frequency of detected events—both verbal and physical—to trigger a tiered alert system, ensuring that Circle members are notified appropriately when a situation appears to be escalating.

Thank you again for your time and effort in testing Obserc. Your contribution is invaluable.

Download Beta (v1.0.0)

Obserc Beta v1.0.1e Release Notes

Release Date: August 28, 2025

Thank you for participating in the closed beta for Obserc! This version marks a major milestone, moving from internal concepts to a fully interactive testing environment.

Focus of This Release

  • Simple user onboarding flow
  • Full end-to-end escalation logic
  • Your feedback on the reliability of sign-up, contact management, and scenario simulations

Key Features & Beta Goals

This release includes the full architectural framework for user management and the core emergency alert system.

Full User Onboarding & Management

  • Authentication: Create an account using email + password. Login screen available for returning testers.
  • Phone Number Validation: Ensures all numbers are in proper international format (e.g., +12223334444).
  • Contact Entry: After sign-up, users must add five emergency contacts (Primary, Secondary, and three others).

Dynamic Circle Management

  • Contact Loading: Circle screen fetches & displays saved contacts.
  • Add/Modify Contacts: Prompts new users to add contacts. Includes “Modify Contacts” option to update existing entries.

Complete Escalation Logic & Simulation

  • Manual Triggers: 5 buttons to manually trigger escalation scenarios: WHITE, YELLOW, ORANGE, RED, BLACK.
  • Full Simulation Mode: Runs a 20-minute escalation (WHITE → BLACK).
  • Real-World Actions: Scenarios now execute planned actions:
    • SMS alerts with tailored wording
    • Real phone calls to saved contacts

Dynamic Call Settings

  • Play Call Audios (Default): Simulates calls with pre-recorded audio playback.
  • Call Circle Directly: Initiates real phone calls (with disclaimer).

Functional Settings

  • Logout & Delete Account: Secure account management, protected by confirmation dialogs.

How to Test

  1. Onboard a New User: Sign up, validate phone number, and add 5 contacts.
  2. Test the Circle Screen: Navigate to Circle tab and verify contacts load correctly. Use Modify Contacts to make changes.
  3. Test Call Settings: In Settings tab, toggle between Play Call Audios and Call Circle Directly. Ensure disclaimer appears for real calls.
  4. Run Manual Scenarios: In Test tab, trigger RED and BLACK with audio mode enabled. Switch to direct call mode and confirm actual calls are made.
  5. Verify SMS Messages: Use a second device to confirm correct SMS messages arrive in all relevant scenarios.

Known Limitations

  • Emulator: Cannot fully test SMS/Calls — physical device required.
  • Audio Focus on Physical Devices: Due to Android policies, the app cannot play audio during calls. The new dynamic call setting lets users choose between simulated audio or real calls.

What’s Next in v2.0.0 (Planned for September 30, 2025)

The next beta will expand Obserc into a fully integrated and dynamic experience:

Full User Interface & Dynamic Login

  • Multi-faceted authentication
  • Individual accounts with profiles & personalization

Expanded Verbal Analysis

Beyond mental/emotional abuse patterns, the app will detect coercion, threats, and escalating aggression.

Video Analysis for Physical Abuse Detection

With explicit consent, video streams will be analyzed for non-verbal cues (movement & interaction), providing a broader focus on verbal + non-verbal abuse detection.

Full Circle Integration & Intelligent Escalation

  • Secure Circle invitations & management
  • Intelligent, tiered escalation system based on severity & frequency of events

Thank you again for your time and effort in testing Obserc. Your contribution is invaluable.

Download Beta(v1.0.1e)
Load Past Release Notes