The creator of the code is the only person choosing the amount and types of information that are shared. The limited data set could include the phone owner’s name and email address, emergency contact information, and any medications, allergies, or conditions that may be important in an emergency situation. Frequent travelers, university students, school sports teams, and school children are just a few of the groups who would benefit from having this information readily available in the event of an emergency. The only information that is required to generate a QR Code would be an emergency contact and phone number. Other types of information can be included at the discretion and choice of the user.

The App is very simple, containing a Create function and a Scan function.

The Create function allows the user to include the phone owner’s name and email address, emergency contact information, and any medications, allergies, or conditions that may be important in an emergency situation. The only information that is required to generate a QR Code would be an emergency contact and phone number. Other types of information can be included at the discretion and choice of the user. Multiple QR codes can be created for different family members.

With the Create function a user can check to see that the information is correct before generating the final QR code. The user can then preview the QR code prior to installing it on the lock screen of the phone. The QR code is visible on the lock screen of the phone in case the phone has been locked by a password.

Anyone wishing to access the information would use any QR code reader (many are available for free on the App Store or Google Play) to scan the code and obtain the information the user has chosen to share in the event of emergency.

When the code has been scanned, the information chosen by the user is presented very clearly and communicates any necessary information but at a minimum, an emergency contact number.

In order to protect the information used for creating QR Codes so it cannot be changed by an unauthorized person, you can create a password for the Create function (note: this does not interfere with the Scan capability of the App).   On the create screen, tap the lock icon in the upper right corner.

On the next screen, switch the password protection switch to the on (green) position.  You will be asked to enter and confirm a password and then provide a safety question and answer.   You should also provide a valid email address as it could also be used for password recovery or to reset your password.  The Create function is now password-protected.

The user can “spread the word” by sharing the Emergency QR Code app via various methods, including Facebook, Twitter, Email, and Whats App. When the recipient scans the separate Product QR code, it will take them to a site for downloading the app. It is anticipated that viral marketing campaigns can be developed around this functionality.