UnLink

In the digital age, leaving an unsafe relationship isn’t just emotional. It’s digital. It’s overwhelming. UnLink helps you navigate your digital autonomy and provides safety and shelter resources.

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UNLINK

A Guided Reset for Women Reclaiming Their Digital Safety

1 in 4 women experience intimate partner violence in their lifetime.

In the digital age, leaving an unsafe relationship isn’t just emotional.
It’s logistical.
It’s digital.
It’s overwhelming.

When someone leaves, one cannot just “move on.” There are shared passwords, devices, bank access, social media accounts, location tracking, and cloud backups to untangle. Even after someone leaves your sight, they can still access your world through your device.

UnLink is inspired by childhood journals — because nothing feels more grounding during chaos than something familiar. We transformed a frightening, isolating process into a structured, empowering experience.

It feels like a diary.
But it functions like a recovery system.

The Problem

Technology has become deeply intertwined with relationships:

  • Shared Apple IDs
  • Location tracking
  • Streaming accounts
  • Banking apps
  • Smart home devices

All of these create invisible vulnerabilities.

For women leaving unsafe relationships, the digital layer often becomes:

  • A source of surveillance
  • A channel for harassment
  • A barrier to financial independence
  • A risk to physical safety

Yet most resources focus on emotional healing or legal steps — not digital disentanglement.

We asked:

What if reclaiming your digital life felt like turning a page of a book, not fighting a battle?

Our Solution

UNLINK walks users through reclaiming control in structured “chapters,” just like pages of a diary.

Each chapter addresses one critical area:

Devices

  • Removing shared accounts
  • Checking tracking permissions
  • Securing backups

Social Accounts

  • Password resets
  • Instructions on how to privatize accounts

Finances

  • Separating accounts
  • Reviewing shared subscriptions
  • Monitoring activity

Resources

  • Instant access to regional and national crisis support

Instead of overwhelming users with technical checklists, UNLINK reframes the process as progress through a diary. With each step, you’re not just checking a box — you are reclaiming a piece of yourself.

When Safety Is Urgent

The app can:

  • Request location permission
  • Use the OpenStreetMap API to locate nearby regional helplines and shelters
  • Provide immediate contact information

If location sharing is denied, UNLINK still provides nationwide 24/7 crisis resources and chat lines.

Safety should never depend on one permission.
No one should have to navigate this alone.

Design Philosophy (UI/UX)

We intentionally moved away from sterile “security dashboard” aesthetics.

UnLink is built to feel:

  • Warm
  • Familiar
  • Private
  • Grounding

Our typography mimics handwritten notes — something soft and personal rather than clinical. We use light pastel color palettes to reduce anxiety and visual intensity.

The diary metaphor is not decorative — it is psychological.

During trauma, familiarity creates stability. By designing the app to resemble something nostalgic and safe, we reduce cognitive load and make difficult steps feel manageable.

All interface prototypes were built in Figma, iterating toward clarity, warmth, and ease of navigation through arrows and sticky notes.

Technical Implementation

UNLINK is built using:

  • React Native — cross-platform accessibility
  • TypeScript — safer, scalable development
  • Google Cloud API — secure login and access to Google Drive, Calendar, and Gmail
  • OpenStreetMap API — geolocation-based crisis resource mapping

Core Features Built

  • Secure Google OAuth authentication flow
  • Automated scans of Google Drive, Calendar, and Gmail to detect:
    • Files shared to or by partner
    • Files accessible via links
    • Upcoming events with partner in attendance
    • Potential shared subscriptions via subscription-related emails
  • Interactive questionnaire to identify digital risk areas with progress bar
  • Modular “chapter” system (Devices, Socials, Finances, Support, Resources)
  • Location permission handling with fallback logic
  • Dynamic mapping of nearby shelters and helplines

Location System Logic

  1. User is asked for permission to share location.
  2. If granted, OpenStreetMap API retrieves nearby regional shelters and crisis numbers.
  3. If denied, the app defaults to national 24/7 support resources.

This ensures accessibility without compromising user autonomy.

Why UNLINK Matters

Digital autonomy is safety.

Many women stay in unsafe situations longer because disentangling shared digital infrastructure feels impossible. We are not just providing information — we are providing structure.

UNLINK:

  • Breaks down an overwhelming process into achievable steps
  • Reduces fear through design psychology
  • Provides immediate safety resources
  • Promotes digital literacy and independence
  • Gives women control over their data, devices, and privacy

This directly aligns with the hackathon theme: Safety in the Digital Age.

We are not just reacting to digital risks — we are redesigning how recovery should feel.

What Makes Us Different

Other safety apps focus on:

  • Emergency alerts
  • Legal documentation
  • Physical location tracking

UNLINK focuses on the digital layer of recovery — the invisible infrastructure that often keeps women vulnerable after they leave.

We turned something terrifying into something structured.
We turned isolation into guided progress.
We turned digital chaos into a fresh start.

When you leave, the hardest part isn’t always walking away.
It’s untangling everything that’s still connected.

UNLINK makes that process clear, guided, and manageable.

Because every woman deserves to feel safe — not just physically, but digitally.

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