The Legend of Zelda was right. It’s dangerous to go alone so it’s always best to be prepared to handle those little – and not so little – challenges life sends your way.
These 4 free Android apps to help keep you safe offer a variety of ways to keep the less desirable elements away from you. Of course, there’s no guarantee that any deterrent will work against everybody so it’s always wise to be aware of your environment and those around you. Also, keep in mind that while some of these apps are listed as being for women’s safety, there’s nothing keeping the guys from downloading these apps to their phones. Danger doesn’t discriminate so there’s no reason for anyone else to, either.
iFollow won Nasscom AppFame AWARD for ladies safety.
This handy little app is perfect for people who, for one reason or another, are unable to talk but still need to let others know there’s a problem.
Choose three people that you’d want by your side when things go sideways and enter those three names in the contact list. Now, when you’re in a dangerous situation, just shake your phone three times within five seconds. Once triggered, the app calls your first contact person. If that person doesn’t respond, an sms, along with your location, will be sent to all the three contacts. Also, if your location changes by ten meters, a new message with the new location info will be sent to the three contacts.
Similar to iFollow but with a few notable differences. Instead of three contacts, With U lets you choose four, and you have to hit the panic button instead of simply shaking your phone. Alternately, the app can be set up to send the messages when the volume button is pressed twice.
In addition to sending out an sms and location information, the app also sounds an alarm with flashing lights, which is nice if you want to let the creepy people know you think they’re creepy. That in itself might be enough to avoid trouble.
This app is a personal favorite because it has a major difference that sets it apart from the previously mentioned programs, but it requires a good memory and keeping track of time to avoid false alarms.
While the above apps sound an alarm when you trigger them, Get Home Safe sounds an alarm if you fail to cancel it. If you’re going out on a blind date, taking an evening jog, or just not comfortable with the weirdos in the grocery store, just program the app with your plans to start the check-in process.
During the scheduled time, the app will check in to make sure you’re okay. If you fail to respond, an alert is sent to your pre-selected contacts. Included in the SOS message is your intended destination, GPS tracking, remaining battery life, and an interactive map to give your emergency contacts a head start when deciding what to do next. You can also trigger an instant panic alert if you have time to let people know things are going bad.
Not all dangers come from unsavory characters, but that doesn’t make a flat tire on a dark road or getting lost in the woods any less dangerous. Just like the name says, this app transforms your phone into a super-bright flashlight, using the LED that’s usually only used as a flash while taking pictures. You can choose between a constant light source or a strobe/blinking light, with the strobe frequency being adjustable.
Will these apps guarantee everything goes smooth in your life? Unfortunately not, but they could make navigating some of the rough patches a little easier.
