Eight apps to keep you safe
Jonah Crenshaw, Staff Writer
It’s inevitable that there are times where we find ourselves in situations where we aren’t necessarily the most comfortable with our surroundings. Whether it’s a large parking lot late at night or just taking a jog around a neighborhood, sometimes we don’t feel safe. Your smart phone can be more than just entertainment. Here are eight ways your smart phone can have your back with the assistance of these apps.
1. Watch Over Me
This app allows you to set a destination and amount of time for you to reach it. You can enter something like ‘walk to car.’ Then a countdown will start. If you don’t extend the time or confirm you have reached your destination, your phone will send an alert via email, text or even Facebook to the friends you have programmed with your GPS location.
2. Bugle (iTunes only)
Bugle allows you to set an amount of time you will be away from your phone. Examples could be if you went running, hiking or anywhere where you may be without your phone. If you do not make it back in time to check in it will send alerts by email or text.
3. On Watch (iTunes only)
This is similar to Watch Over Me. The difference is the phone will first alert you, and if you don’t reply, it will send out emergency alerts. The app also includes “Call 911,” “Call Friends” and also” Call Campus Police” features.
4. bSafe
This app allows for you to have a “follow me” setting with a time, or you can activate a manual alert if you wish. The app also activates an audible alarm and starts recording video from your phone if an emergency is activated.
5. Safetrek (iTunes only)
This app is simple. When you are in an uncomfortable situation, you open the app and place your finger on a safe button. If your finger comes off, you are asked to enter a four digit code. If you do not enter the code, the police will be alerted.
6. Guardly
Guardly is similar to others in the aspect that it alerts authorities or friends. The difference is you can program a specific emergency. This means you can setup different contacts to alert for different situations like walking home alone or having an emergency allergic reaction.
7. Circle of 6
Just as the name says, this app revolves around six contacts. You can program six other people as your emergency contacts. While on the screen, there are multiple options to alert your friends, such as needing a ride (which gives GPS location), needing a call to get out of sticky situation or just an alert. It also has programmed contacts like campus police or the authorities.
8. VithU (Android only)
This simple app allows you to program emergency contacts for use. Should you come across an emergency, a simple double click of the power button will alert your contacts along with your location every two minutes, updating locations each time.
