Here's a clever idea for a messaging app: Nick Herbert, a London resident, has had enough of his teenage son, Ben, not replying to his texts. So he made an app that makes it impossible for Ben to shrug him off.

ReplyASAP, An App You Can't Ignore

He created ReplyASAP, an app that triggers the phone's alarm even on silent mode and doesn't stop ringing unless the recipient opens the message. But that's not all: ReplyASAP also freezes everything until the person replies to the message. These two conditions make messages impossible to ignore.

Herbert said the inspiration behind this comes from finding it impossible to get a hold of his son while he was out and about with friends, largely because the device is put on silent.

"Whenever I was trying to get hold of him, he would invariably not respond. It frustrated me," he said. He felt that there's something he can do to make his presence felt more strongly. ReplyASAP sure fulfills that.

Herbert doesn't personally have a background in tech and programming. Hence, he hired developers to do it for him. The app is currently available on the Google Play Store, but an iPhone version is being planned. He still hasn't solved the problem, though, as his son uses an iPhone, but Herbert believes his app could turn into a hit.

ReplyASAP Is More Than Just Forcing Recipients To Reply

The idea behind ReplyASAP isn't to force recipients to reply rather than force them to see the message, according to Herbert. It can also be a form of signal. For emergencies, both the parent and the kid can use ReplyASAP, so when it alarms, either will know something needs to be dealt with immediately.

Users can also schedule messages ahead of time. For instance, a parent can set the app to send a reminder to their children once they have left school. The idea must surely be irritating for certain people, but its emergency component makes a lot of sense.

ReplyASAP is a free download but does require paid subscription from users. The app includes several tiered plans depending on how many people you want to be in contact with via ReplyASAP. A Bronze plan allows users to connect to one recipient for $1.28 a month, while the highest, a Platinum plan, allows users to connect to 20 for $16.73. These are rough dollar conversions, keep in mind. Check out the app if you want more information on pricing.