Women’s safety is presently the most talked about issue these days. However, not only women, but also senior citizens, children, men and the handicapped are prone to attacks on the street, at work and at home. Incidents of rape, murder, mugging and even kidnapping are on the rise. With very little or almost no security on the streets today, it is left up to you to fend for yourself.
In the event of an incident, the first thing one does is scream to alert everyone around and/or make a run for life. The second best one can do is a self-defense, but you need to know tactics and be possibly armed too. Well, your smartphone in your hand or pocket can be your best help too. The apps can also be best used for people, especially senior citizens and people with medical conditions, when they require emergency medical attention.
By installing a simple app on your smartphone, you can use it to alert your friends and family by SMS and/or email by the tap on the screen or pressing a combination of buttons. The app needs to be pre-configured with numbers and email addresses of the ones you need to alert when in trouble. Here are lists of 10 free Android apps that can help you save your life.
With U (Women Safety): When you feel you are in danger, a press on the SOS button will send an SMS to your contacts with your current location. Also an alarm will be activated with flashing lights. The app also provides the facility to send SMS to the emergency contacts by pressing the volume button twice. Save up to four contacts from your phonebook or manually. If you have Internet and GPS, you can also send SMS alerts with your GPS location.
Women Safety Secured: Usually, when you are attacked, there are high chances that your phone is the first to be snatched from you. This app also features sound activation apart from the standard features. You can train your mobile to recognise your voice, pitch and volume (usually a scream), and it will automatically switch to emergency mode and send out the alert.
Women’s Security: This app is simple. It needs you to key in your numbers and email Ids to whom the alert needs to be sent out. Once done, simply add the app as a widget on your home screen. A tap on the widget will send the alert in the background and additionally send out a 45-minute voice recording from your phone. This recording will be recorded and sent soon after the widget is tapped. If you don’t have an Internet connection available, it will save the recording and send it out later when an Internet connection is available. The recording is also safely stored on the phone for later investigation help.
Womens’ Safety App: This app uses different types of alert techniques. You can use it as a widget tap on your desktop, or simply shake the phone to send out the alert. The app also sends a web link of your present location via SMS.
Nifty GPS Keep Safe/Secure: A weird name for a safety app, but this one has a hidden trick under its sleeve. Lets take a simple example, when you are out jogging in the morning or returning home late at night, you would usually listen to some music using your earphones – Most of us do it all day when traveling. This app, once configured, will send an alarm when the earphones are unplugged. Usually, the attacker (or you yourself) would pull away the earphones from the phone, which will trigger the alarm. The app sends an SMS with a Google Map link to give out your present location.
Alerter-Prevent Crime/Be Safe: Pressing the power button a few times will trigger this app into sending alerts. What’s unique about this app is that it sends out SMS and GPS alerts every 1-5minutes, which is configurable. Additionally, the camera will secretly capture images and saves it to the phone’s memory card so that you can later file a complaint against the criminal.
VithU: V Gumrah Initiative: This app sends out an SMS and GPS alert every two minutes keeping the alerted numbers updated with your location. All one needs to do is configure the app with the contact numbers and set it aside. Pressing the power button twice will trigger the app.
With U: This app is different from the one mentioned above, but has similar features. It also includes multiple alerts at intervals and also a loud audible siren to possibly scare off the criminal. The app can be helpful for senior citizens and the medically handicapped, which can alert the caretaker of an emergency.
Raksha: An initiative recently taken up by the BJP, the Raksha app does similar wonders. However, it needs the alerted numbers to also have the same app installed on their phone and also needs an active Internet connection for sending out the alert.
YWCA Safety Alert: A tap on the alert button or a shake of the phone in an emergency situation activates the app, and an alarm gives out a loud shrilling sound to attract the attention of passer-bys within the vicinity. It also sends out the distress signal with an email and SMS along with a GPS location.
We urge everyone to install one of these apps on their smartphones. Who knows when you might need to send out a distress signal to your loved ones. You could be a victim of attack or a medical emergency, and this app could help save your life. We hope and pray that the day of hitting the alert button does not arise.
