No matter how modern or developed our society is, there will always be criminals in the world. We are not talking about cybercrime, bank account theft and other fraud. We are talking about your physical security. How unpleasant it feels to walk into a dark alley or go home alone in the evening.
Not all people are ready to resort to retaliatory physical violence, such as gas cans or guns. What do they do? There is a way out and you do not need to take special courses for it. Also, it is not always possible to call in 9-1-1 and even for such situations we have found a solution.
In addition to information security, you can ensure your physical security with your smartphone. And we are not talking about you hitting an intruder with your phone – there are special applications that will help you to call for help in the shortest possible time. We’ve selected 9 of the best apps for you to keep you safe.
Life360 Family Locator – GPS Tracker
The people we most often worry about are our family. Indeed, parents will always worry about their children, especially if they are still kids or teenagers. You can use the Life360 app to avoid sending “Where are you?” or “Have you arrived? It can track all the movements of people you care about. The main thing is that this data is displayed in real time and without delays.
To start tracking, all participants will need to install Life360 on their smartphones and give the application the necessary permissions. These are location data, but the permissions will be linked to a personal account.
Create your own family circle and each member will be displayed with a personal sign. Always be able to see who and where is located, even if all of you are in different parts of the city. The map of the movements is closed, so that nobody other than family members will receive information about the GPS-location of another.
It is also worth noting that if a phone is lost or stolen, you will always be able to track an intruder’s movements. This data will help you to detect a missing person or even a criminal much faster. Don’t worry about family members – use Life360.
bSafe – Personal Safety App
The application is based on a guardianship system. This means that you can become a guardian for someone, and your friends will take care of you accordingly. A list of your guardians is chosen by you from your smartphone’s contact book. It will be necessary to be able to contact at least one of them by phone. For the rest of the people involved it is possible to write text messages in emergency situations.
Since bSafe is designed to keep you safe, it is equipped with an emergency SOS button. It can perform various functions, but most importantly, it alerts the guardians about an emergency situation. If necessary, it is possible to record video or audio to a smartphone to identify the attacker. In bSafe, you share your location with your loved ones – they’ll always know where to pick you up, whether you’re home on time, and so on.
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BEAWARE – Personal Safety App
As one of the people who can really be at risk even in the most unexpected situations, you should be concerned about your personal safety. The BEAWARE app can help you to keep your life safe. It doesn’t only track the movement but it also provides you with an emergency mode for various situations.
A large number of features allow family members to determine exactly what happened. It is worth considering some of the most important ones. For example, the SOS button can work even when the phone is switched off – it is activated with the lock button. There is also a scheduled security check – it is possible to set a timer and at some point to check the situation.
GEO FENCE is designed mainly for those people who use specific routes – for example, children, when getting out of school. In case of deviation from this route, the guardian is immediately notified and can react in time.
Perhaps you have heard of a special system for entering pin codes. Banks have been using it for a long time: in case of an emergency, if you enter a certain set of numbers instead of a PIN, you automatically receive a distress call. This is very convenient, especially in those situations that do not dispose to open requests for help.
CitizenCOP
It is possible to understand by the title what this application means by itself. By installing it, a person gets an opportunity to feel like a real policeman and contribute to the organization of order around him. Now the citizens will not be able to just walk past the crime or remain unprotected in an attack – CitizenCOP and community members will not allow such a situation to happen.
Because people are often afraid to stand up for others, CitizenCOP offers you to remain anonymous and call the police when necessary. You create a more conscious and correct society in your region with your own hands, while regularly working with the police.
The app can be used to report theft and loss of items, attacks, as well as to send family location and security information. It is even possible to secure your taxi ride: send the car details to guardians, and check the car details yourself – if it has been stolen, and much more.
In case you are driving your own car – if you have an accident or towing, find an assistant nearby or call someone you know. CitizenCOP helps make the world safer and more comfortable.
Family GPS Locator for your Phone – Safe365
Earlier Safe365 was developed as an application that could help climbers in the mountains. With the help of this application, special groups were able to find people in the mountains who had been lost, injured or just frozen as quickly as possible, because their location was tracked in the application. Now Safe365 has been transformed into a family app that helps all family members to get information about the condition of others.
First, all family members will need to install the app and give it system permissions. Only then will all the information be available to users instantly. Parents and children will always be in touch – even without texting or calling.
Safe365 has an interesting security notification system. For each family member, up to 9 standard places are saved – for example, school, home, shop, etc. Every time a person is notified that he/she is in a safe place as soon as he/she arrives there. There will also be notifications about the battery level in case the phone of your child turns off soon. This will help to avoid unnecessary worries and searches.
There is also a help button. It immediately transmits the location to the emergency services and all family members. Safe365 doesn’t call 911 – they just give them your coordinates so the emergency services can always get in there.
Earthquake Alert!
Since seismic activity is hard to track, there is no way to know about earthquakes in advance. With the app, you don’t have to go on social networks or watch TV, you will be alerted when a natural disaster arrives. Earthquakes are dangerous events that can harm you and your family. There is a risk of serious harm if people do not take cover and take care of their own safety.
To ensure that you get the least damage from an earthquake, Earthquake Alert! Sends you information about impending seismic activity in a timely manner. It can even track earthquakes in other parts of the world – usually the app displays everything above 4.5 points. Keep an eye on what’s going on in the world, even when you’re traveling – especially if you’re going to fly to the islands.
Hollaback!
The developers suggest that you create a “map of violence” – more precisely, to participate in its creation. On this map, you and other users map the places and regions where users have been exposed to street violence or harassment. You can also upload photos of criminals caught at the scene. That way, scoundrels know they can’t escape punishment, and others can protect themselves and their loved ones by avoiding areas where violence thrives.
In addition to the application, the service has a website that provides all the same information. Activists believe that street harassment provides an opportunity for other forms of violence to flourish, and with the help of an application you can stop it. Install Hollaback! and share your experiences and stories with others – it’s much easier to overcome these experiences together.
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My Safetipin: Complete Safety App
When walking alone or travelling in new places, it is important to know that you are safe. When coming to a new city, you should stay calmly on the street and not be afraid that something might happen to you. My Safetipin will help to assess the level of security around you, while also evaluating not only the overall crime rate, but also many other impressive parameters.
For example, My Safetipin collects complete data on 9 terrain parameters: light, openness, visibility, environment, security, public transport, walking accessibility, people around and your feelings. Some of the settings are ambiguous and can be explained a little bit.
Security refers to the number of police officers around, the environment to the number of people, and the “people around” analyse them by sex and age. Of course, this can be considered a form of sexism, but you will agree that violence in a much smaller form can be expected from children.
When planning your itinerary or wanting to explore the city alone, it’s best to check with My Safetipin beforehand. It is possible to assess the situation right on the spot, but it is better to study some information about unsafe areas from the beginning. Find the safest routes and places on the map to help you stay healthy and emotional.
Saferway – Family Safety
Modern problems require modern solutions. That’s why we recommend that you use apps to secure yourself on your smartphone. Saferway allows the use of advanced tools to ask for help in a timely manner or to respond to a signal from someone close to you.
You should use Saferway to keep in touch with your family anywhere. You can do this by sharing your location or by asking any family member for it. To avoid doing this all the time, there’s the On My Way feature. It lets you track your friends and family in real time. You can even share your videos in real time in the event of an incident. The file will be sent every 5 seconds until you stop the process.
If you need emergency help, you don’t need to log in or even turn on your smartphone. Saferway will tell you when you’re screaming, whether you’re constantly pressing the lock button or other signs. In any case, Saferway will be able to send a notification to your loved ones and you’ll get the help you need.
It’s incredibly important to keep yourself safe these days. There are times when there are no security issues – you may need emergency assistance and no one else will be around. In order to be truly calm about your life and health, do not ignore any way to protect yourself.
It is important that your privacy is inviolable and you have every right to do so, both physically and informally. Apps in your smartphone can also help you with this – so rather choose the most convenient one for you and install it. Now you will be able to move around the city at any time of the day without fear, as well as not to be afraid to be alone.
