Are You Dead?: The viral Chinese app for young people living alone

There comes a time, sooner or later, in everyone's life when they are forced to live alone, whether due to a temporary move for study or work, a search for new independence, or personal necessity. Living alone, however, despite being a goal widely sought after by younger people, is also an almost inevitable outcome for those in other age groups.

Spending your life alone exposes you to undoubtedly considerable risks, foremost among which is the possibility of feeling ill, injuring yourself, and having no way to call for help. To address this less pleasant aspect of solitary living, a group of three young Chinese developers created the app “Are You Dead?”, which was released for free last year. The app, which is now available for a nominal fee, has become increasingly popular, reaching the top 2 in Singapore and Hong Kong, and the top 4 in Australia and Spain.

It works in a simple way. Every two days, the user must check in by tapping a large green button on the screen. If no action is taken, the app sends a message to previously designated emergency contacts, alerting them.