Police said a revamped version of their mobile app will be a far more user-friendly "one-stop shop" that offers intuitive and personalised services for users to do everything from asking questions to applying for various licences and reporting crime.

Deputy police commissioner Johnson Chan said the redesigned interface would increase efficiency, as people can access key services through the app instead of having to go to a police station or make a phone call.

This, he said, would allow the force to free up more manpower to handle emergencies in person or on the phone as well as speed up the processing of non-emergency cases.

Chan said while the previous version of the app – first rolled out in 2012 – had many features, it wasn’t necessarily easy for people to use.

"The new app is more user-centric, instead of being hierarchical or very structural in the sense that we design this interface from the point of the members of the public, so that they can get the most useful information or the most commonly used policing service that they need on a daily basis," he said.

Senior superintendent Swalikh Mohammed from the force's Digital Policing Services Bureau said users who use the government’s authentication app iAM Smart can get highly personalised services via the new “super app”.

For example, he said people who’ve filed a report can easily get the contact information of the investigation team handling their case, or find out if there are any updates to applications they’ve made.

“These are the very unique features… that enable citizens not having to come to a police station every time or call the police station, while you can access police services at your fingertips,” he said.

Mohammed said the app would also help foster a “community policing” concept by making it easy for users to make reports if they see something suspicious.

“The very heart of this app is an e-report, so if it relates to you – something that you’ve lost, some crime that just happened… if you have this app and you’ve registered, you can press the e-report at the centre button,” he said, adding that many fields would be auto-filled for convenience.

Other features include push notifications for general information such as traffic control measures, along with personalised messages to update users on their particular cases or applications.

The new-look app also boasts a new AI-powered chatbot that, thanks to its ability to learn new information, can handle all sorts of inquiries and give comprehensive, human-like responses.

While police say the app can handle all sorts of tasks, they say people facing emergencies should still call 999 or to report rooms directly.