You just finished a late night working at the office. It’s late. It’s dark. It’s eerie. It’s 11 p.m., and walking to your parking spot alone isn’t safe. We’ve all been there.
What if there was a solution to feeling unsafe? What if there was a way to track our friends as they walked to their car? What if there was a way to feel safe paying for parking? What if there was something that we, as women, could use to feel safe?
As mobile technology advances, we’ve seen an increase not only in apps that focus solely on safety, but apps that make daily tasks safer for users.
Whether it’s an app that uses GPS to track friends while they’re walking home or one that delivers food to the convenience of your home, mobile technology is making everyday life safer for women and users in general.
As technology progresses, safety at our fingertips is possible. These mobile apps are making waves in the tech industry, while keeping users safe:
Use of Safety Apps Increases
Watch Over Me app
Have you ever felt nervous about going on a date with someone you met on an online dating service?
It’s a scary thought, especially if you have never met the person. The standard safety rule-of-choice is to always meet in a public place; however, even meeting in public can be unsafe. Cue the free Watch Over Me app. It has been featured on BusinessInsider.com, NBC, Elle, BBC News, “Good Morning America” and more for its ability to keep a close eye on you or loved ones. The app gives users three simple steps to follow:
Tell the app how long to watch over you, and it will track your location.
Add details such as pictures, notes and other information that could help keep an extra eye on you.
Tap ‘I’m safe’ once you arrive at your destination safely. If you don’t tap the ‘I’m safe’ button before your time runs out, your emergency contacts will receive an alert with your exact location, notes or pictures.
If you’re in danger and don’t have time to call someone for help, shake your phone (even if it’s locked) and its alarm and video camera will be activated, and your emergency contacts will be alerted with your location, uploaded notes, pictures and video.
One reviewer commented: “As a woman Realtor, I needed a way to safeguard myself when showing properties to strangers. I set it when I arrive at my location, take pictures and leave notes about whom I’m meeting. This app gives my loved ones peace of mind that I have some sort of protection.”
Companion: Never Walk Alone App
Imagine leaving a restaurant alone and having to walk to your parked car. It’s frightening. It’s unsafe.
With the Companion: Never Walk Alone app, users can tap in their destination, select contacts to be their “companions” (they do not even have to install the app) – they will see a live feed of your exact location, and receive updates as you make it from point A to point B. If something happens to go wrong on your journey, such as your phone falls to the ground or your headphones disconnect, the app will check in on you. If you do not respond within 15 seconds, your companions will instantly be notified.
If you’re feeling uneasy about a situation, simply tap the app’s “I feel nervous” button and your companions will be notified. If you need to dial 911, you can immediately access in-app emergency assistance by tapping twice to contact the closest dispatcher.
SafeHer App
We’ve all experienced, or known of someone who has experienced, an uncomfortable Uber or cab ride. Whether the driver made inappropriate comments or advances, it’s far too common.
To protect women, the SafeHer app was created by a former Uber driver. The ridesharing app was implemented for only women to drive women. The app focuses on the safety of women. Part of the fare will be donated to female nonprofit foundations and charities. Stay tuned for the official launch of SafeHer.
Mobile Apps Parking Safer
Parking Apps
We’ve all read the cringe-worthy headlines about the dangers of parking facilities. As technology advances, specifically in the parking industry, women can use mobile apps to be safer. Rather than parking and getting out of your car to feed the meter, women can take advantage of mobile parking apps to pay and extend parking sessions from the safety of their car.
In general, mobile payment technology takes the physical realm out of paying for products or services, which ultimately creates a safer environment. Even specific mobile parking apps feature wayfinding technology, which can direct women to the safest parking locations. Other mobile apps specifically focus on reserving parking, which can completely bypass locating a parking spot.
As mobile technology advances, women and other users will continue to see an increase in safety-focused mobile apps, as well as apps that make parking safer. As our society adopts mobile technology, we will continue to see an increase in safer environments from the comfort of our mobile devices.
Kelsey Owens, a Sales Associate at Passport, can be reached at kelsey.owens@passportinc.com.
