Personal safety should always be one of your biggest concerns when travelling. It’s a good thing that mobile technology has also evolved to bring us personal travel safety apps that will help protect our safety.
The following are the general categories of personal safety apps that you should install on to your mobile device before you step out of your home to travel.
Location Apps
There are a growing number of apps that allow the user to let people know where they are and where they are going next. These apps are quite useful in providing a way for travellers to plan in advance for their vacations. This is particularly useful for groups of travellers who want to split up at some point so they can visit different locations within the same general area and then meet up at a predetermined location. These apps provide a real-time function that allows their family and friends to know where they are at any point and know where they are going next.
Glympse, a multi-platform app, is one of the most popular location apps that provide this function. This is a very feature-oriented app that not only provides the stated feature, it also has an email and messaging function. Google Latitude is also a popular app that many people use. The app allows you to set the level of location data you want your friends to see. This app only works with Google Maps.
Alert Apps
These apps truly provide safety for its users. Its function is totally straightforward – if you feel threatened or your security is in doubt you just bring up the app, tap on a buton and it will immediately alert friends or family that have been included in the app about your position and that you may need assistance.
Even though “alert” apps have a very simple and direct function, its implementation would vary depending on the app developer. For example, the Android app bSAfe will let users make a list of “guardians” who will receive the alert at once. FightBack, on the other hand, will alert up to five contacts but will also add your location to a map that can be reviewed in order to identify trouble spots. OnWatch will give you a choice whether to contact your friends, 911, the local authorities or various combinations among these contacts.
Video capture apps
Video has become a great tool for security because it helps identify perpetrators and builds a strong case against them. There are many apps that will capture video and audio for a set period of time. One of the most popular apps in this category is Eyewatch, which captures video and alert contacts you’ve identified. The clips will have stamps that indicate not just the time but also the location. A nifty addition is that it will show the signal strength of your phone at the time the clip is being recorded.
SOS apps
Probably the simplest and also most straightforward app category are SOS apps. These apps serve as an immediate deterrent to scare criminals away. For example, Scream Alarm for Android will emit a scream that repeats over and over again until you turn it off. The same function is performed by SOS Siren Alarm for iOS, only you can choose from various sounds.
About The Author
Derek Gallimore is the Director of City Marque, the serviced apartments specialists in London.
