App allows messages from the dead

UK developers are working on a new app that allows people to record messages that can be accessed by loved ones after they pass away.

The SwonSong app, which is due to be available on smartphones and tablets, is currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign that aims to raise £100,000 to support its full production.

The app is intended to give users the opportunity to record video and audio messages, as well as prepare emails and slideshows of photos.

After a user has been confirmed as dead, these messages are then delivered to people that they have chosen at a requested time, such as Christmas or a birthday.

David Lamonby, who co-founded SwonSong with Ian Lamonby, said the inspiration for the app came from his mother’s death due to dementia, which meant she “wasn’t herself” at the time she died.

“This app would have allowed her to record messages when she was healthy, which would have been the best possible way to remember her,” said David Lamonby.

He added that the app wasn’t just suitable for people with terminal illness or serious health issues, however, saying it could act as a personalised digital extension of someone’s will.

“It’s for organised individuals who want to put a plan into action for close friends and family while they are fit and well.”

David and Ian Lamonby have a long way to go to reach their Kickstarter target of £100,000; they have reached just £314 with 18 days to go.

There are a range of rewards for people who pledge, with options ranging from £1 to £1000. 

Those who donate £1 will receive the ‘freebie’ package, which allows users you to send one email and one audio message to many recipients.

At the other end of the scale, top donors receive 1000 ‘SwonSong credits’, giving users access to the full range of services, including a 10 minute eulogy video.

After the campaign ends iOS and website coding for the app is due to begin on 15 June, with Android coding beginning a month later. Testing is expected to be complete by September 2015 with the product to go live in October 2015.

Regarding the privacy of messages, SwonSong’s website states: “We will not share your private messages with anyone, nor will we make them public, except in the case of a user selecting the preference to upload a personal farewell message for public display.”

It adds that this public display service would typically be used by “someone that is famous or a very well-known person in the entertainment industry”.