Findly - Lost and Found Application
Released: Jan 2025
Description
A comprehensive Android application designed to help users connect and exchange information about lost and found items. It provides a platform where users can post detailed listings of items they have lost or found, complete with categories, descriptions, and images. The app facilitates direct communication between users through an integrated real-time chat system, allowing for efficient resolution and return of items. It also includes robust user management features, personal item listings, and a dynamic interface for a seamless user experience.
Key Responsibilities
Designed, implemented, and maintained the client-side Android application
Structured the Firebase Realtime Database for storage and retrieval of user profiles, item listings, and real-time messages.
Implemented custom user registration and login flows, managing user sessions, and ensuring that users can only access and modify data relevant to them.
Developed image capture/select functionality, and integrating with Firebase Storage for secure image uploads and retrieval.
Developing layouts, implementing responsive UI elements, smooth navigation, and providing clear user feedback through XML and Java.
Technology Used
Java
XML
Android Studio
Firebase
Features
Instant Item Updates
The live, continuously updating feed of lost and found items lets users see new item posts and existing item updates instantly, ensuring they always have the most current information.
In-App Chat Feature
Users can participate in private conversations directly within the app, facilitating direct and secure communication between 2 people to discuss item details and coordinate returns.
Camera and Gallery Integration
The app has robust photo upload capabilities, enabling users to attach images to item listings and profile pictures directly from their device's camera or photo gallery.
Secure Contact Sharing
Chats feature an integrated option for users to securely share their personal contact details (phone number and/or email), facilitating direct contact while maintaining privacy.
Personalized Item Browsing Views
The app offers distinct browsing categories, each with dynamic search capability: "Lost" and "Found" for general listings, and a "Mine" section for the current user's items.
Screenshots
Additional Information
This project was developed as a project showcase for the subject "Advanced Mobile Programming". It was developed in a span of 3 weeks, and completed 3 months before our evaluation.
The inspiration for Findly sprang from first-hand experience of the inefficiency of poorly managed lost-and-found system on campus. The vision was to replace messy lost-and-found boxes with a streamlined digital solution.
The practical utility of the app impressed our professor and there were discussions about its potential deployment as the official lost-and-found system for the entire college campus.
Ideas like Google Maps for item location tracking, leveraging AI for image matching between lost and found items, incorporating push notifications for category alerts were considered during planning, but were scrapped for the initial release to focus on getting the key features in place first.
As a solo developer, I opted for Firebase as the backend, for its real-time features for dynamic updates and live chat. Despite the credit card requirement, this choice simplified infrastructure setup, freeing me to concentrate on the Android app's UI/UX and core logic, ultimately making it the sole project in the batch with a robust server backend.
The project utilizes a custom authentication system developed from the ground-up using Firebase and traditional encryption techniques, because I was unable to integrate Firebase Authentication. This was removed in the GitHub release, where passwords are plaintext instead.