Event Tracking App for the Blockchain-based Platform

Business Overview

Our client is a hardware and software provider specializing in data security. They planned to launch a cutting-edge Android smartphone seamlessly integrated with their blockchain network, positioning it as a portable, highly protected crypto wallet. The company aimed to develop a phone that, in addition to its core functions, creates a safe environment for secure crypto transactions.

To this end, the client decided to empower their custom firmware with a unique system application designed to record all events occurring with the phone when it’s not in use. The goal was to increase the device’s security even more and thus improve user trust in the client’s company and their product.

Challenges

No final product vision. The client had a general business idea, but due to the lack of mobile development expertise, they couldn’t see the final picture regarding app functionality and design.
Custom firmware under development. We needed to develop an app taking into account the technical constraints of integrating it with the custom firmware, which was still under development.
Tight deadlines. We had to meet the scheduled deadlines since the client had already planned the smartphone’s release, followed by its presentation.

Solution

To minimize risks and realize a finalized scope of work, we started our project with the following steps:

Conducting a discovery phase, during which our team formed a solution that would maximally cover all identified business needs.
Review of their initial groundwork, after which we suggested many UX and UI improvements and also concluded the inexpediency of reusing existing code.

Android System Application

Android System Application

We built the app by modifying the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) and using the features available in the Android SDK. Among them are Bluetooth, content providers for getting information about launching and closing applications, broadcast receivers for tracking the locking and unlocking of a mobile phone, and many others.

To provide an even greater level of protection, we encrypted the tracked data using a symmetric method based on the SHA-256 algorithm.

Events The App Tracks

The application works in the foreground, offline, storing data in a cache and monitoring events such as:

Opening and closing applications
Connecting a USB cable
Attempts to unlock the screen
User access to the internet, etc.

The app records the events in the log, designed in a visually appealing tabular format, and captures the other user’s actions through screenshots. It also takes a webcam photo of the user if the screen unlocks.

User Flow

Outcome

We helped the client release the phone on schedule. Supplemented with a secured system app, it now attracts customers who want full control over their devices.
The phone is already available worldwide and has found a loyal audience among users interested in cryptocurrencies, blockchain technologies, and secure crypto transactions. The unique app functionality encourages customers to choose this particular device over other analogs on the market, for they know their smartphones are protected to the maximum.