German developer Jens Beuckenhauer, maker of such apps as 1-2-go and WoW,  adds to the category of fake call/SMS apps by releasing AlibiSMS in the app store. The company that started 4 months ago when the app store was opened and which focuses solely on the development of iPhone apps, gets into competitive terrain here, but AlibiSMS does what it promises and will work for anyone who wants to use text messaging as a way of escape.

AlibiSMS allows the user to customize and save pre-written fake text messages, which will be send to the iPhone at a pre-selected activation time. The name of the fake sender of the SMS can be either selected from the iPhone’s contacts or entered directly. The message itself is written by the user and the activation time and ringtone for the SMS can be selected as well. Furthermore any screenshot can be selected to serve as the backdrop of the SMS, allowing for the message to appear realistic.

All of the possible selections above are great and provide more believability than some other fake call/SMS apps. But while AlibiSMS serves its purpose by all means, the app could be enhanced in its development. Like most other apps of a similar nature, the ringtone options of AlibiSMS do not offer the same sounds that the iPhone offers, making the falseness of the SMS easily detectable for any iPhone owner who has looked into these kinds of apps. There are also no pre-configured messages for unexpected situations. And the personalized home screen is one great idea that could be improved as well. While the screenshot of the home screen gives the fake SMS a great realistic touch, it is still a screen shot, which means that the time on the screen will be inaccurate once the message arrives. Maybe the next update will address these issues and make an already good app even better.

Concentrating only on fake SMS messages, AlibiSMS provides a customizable reason to escape for anyone resorting to the App Store for help in uncomfortable or unwanted situations. Compared to other apps AlibiSMS’s price tag of $1.99 might be a little high but the app delivers what it promises and offers more options for personalization than many of its competitors.

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category: Utilities