By Conner Toffan

Dad creates app to try and force a response

Jan 10, 2019 | 5:27 PM

MEDICINE HAT– In an age where it’s easier to get a hold of somebody than ever before, it can be frustrating when someone’s not getting back to you.

That’s why a dad from London, England named Mike Herbert made the app ReplyASAP for Android phones.

“It was sort of personal frustration when I was trying to get a hold of my son when I needed to get him important messages,” said Herbert.

ReplyASAP sends a full-page notification to someone in a situation where you need them to respond. Rather than appearing like a normal text message, these pop up more like alarms.

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“The point is that it’s a message that can’t be ignored,” said Herbert

“The app does not block his phone, it doesn’t lock it at all,” said Herbert, who also explained that you can cancel the notification or press snooze to finish what you’re doing, then the notification will pop back up later on.

This app isn’t meant to be used for regular texting, “the point of the app was to encourage communication and realize that this is for important messages only,” said Herbert.

Once the message arrives in the receivers phone, the sender will get a notification to say that it was received, along with the phones location.

Not anybody can send you this type of message, as both people first need to download the app and go through a small process to be able to send the messages.

“I have to invite the person, and they have to accept that message. It’s consensual, it’s their choice if they want to do it,” said Herbert.

Since the app released on Android it has gotten over 100,000 downloads.

“I created the app for more of just me and my son. I didn’t really realize that a lot of other parents have the same issue, so it kind of just took off from there,” said Herbert.

ReplyASAP is currently being developed for Apple. Herbert hopes to release the app onto the app store sometime in February.