iHobo app updated by Depaul

Written by Matthew Carter

A best-selling charity campaigning smartphone app has been updated.

Version 1.1 of the award-winning iHobo has been unveiled by charity Depaul in a bid to further boost its message about homelessness in the UK.

The interactive app puts an iPhone user in charge of a virtual homeless person, offering food, money and support over the course of three days.

Updated features include new hidden truth items, which reveal an important statistic about homelessness when obtained.

On top of this, users can share their progress in the charity campaigning software with their friends via its Facebook Connect functionality.

Depauk UK chief executive Paul Marriott said the recession is making homelessness a hot topic among younger generations.

"There is a real fear that young people sleeping on the streets will increase over the next five years. We hope this app will help us communicate the severity of this issue to the general public," Mr Marriott noted.

Depaul oversees emergency accommodation for homeless people at 50 locations across the UK.