With incidents of crime frequently making headlines in the papers, the need to safeguard oneself has grown. A mobile phone is an indispensable object for many and in times of danger, it is often the first thing one reaches for. Seeing this potential, companies have launched SoS mobile apps that are designed to help you in times of need. Available on different platforms, either for free or for a nominal price, these apps can be downloaded on most smartphones. They are designed as priority solutions to assist women, children, young adults and senior citizens in fighting crime and calling for help during emergencies.
Help Me on Mobile
‘Help Me on Mobile’ has been launched by OnMobile Global Ltd. and offers two services ‘I am here’ and ‘I need help’, which are accessible from a single place. “We live in a society troubled with a constant fear of crime, medical emergencies and accidents. Help Me on Mobile has been conceptualised and designed to reassure users round the clock,” says Mouli Raman, co-founder and chief executive officer of OnMobile. You can send constant location updates with the ‘I am here’ feature while in times of emergency, the ‘I need help’ feature will alert people around you with an alarm that cannot go unnoticed and simultaneously send location updates and panic calls to your trusted guardians (to be chosen by user after downloading the app). The first guardian is defined as the main guardian who will receive a call in addition to an SMS.
Available for free on Android; Coming soon on Symbian and Java
Circle of 6
You can add 6 trusted members to your circle in the app. You need to tap it twice and the app sends out a predetermined alert message to these six contacts and includes the real-time location. The number of the local police station or an emergency number can be stored as well and a call will be placed to them automatically. Ranjani Nellutla, assistant professor at B R Ambedkar Open University says, “As a mother of two teenage daughters, knowing that the police will be informed immediately if they are in danger will give me a certain amount of relief.”
Available for free on Android and iOS
VithU
VithU, an initiative of Star India Pvt. Ltd is an emergency app that begins sending out consecutive alert messages every two minutes to your contacts when you tap the button twice. The designated receivers or guardians are selected by the user. The message says, “I am in danger. I need help. Please follow my location.” The receiver will receive a link to your location every two minutes, giving them your updated location. The app also features a ‘Tips Feed’ option that gives you safety tips in an emergency situation. Sanjana Eyunni, a student of Bio-Technology at St.Francis College for Women says, “SOS apps would definitely help in alerting others but I rely completely on my pepper spray. It makes me feel confident about immediate protection.”
Available for free on Android
Fight Back
FightBack app enables a user to raise panic alerts using a mobile and inform friends and family about their location through chosen mediums like SMS and email. This mobile app tracks user’s movement through the Global Positioning System (GPS) and sends information regarding location to the server. You can also send an SOS alert to the server by pressing the ‘panic’ button of the mobile application. It places phone calls to listed contacts along with the name, real-time location and the type of emergencies. It has a profile page where the user can include personal information like date of birth, eye and hair colour, weight, height, blood type and so on. Samhita Soma, a tenth grader says, “I am not very great with routes other than home and school and get lost often. Most of my friends have a mobile phone but few of us have downloaded any safety app.”
Available as free and subscribed versions on Symbian, Android, iOS, Blackberry and Windows
EyeWatch
This app has a free fall activation which means that the application gets activated by itself when your mobile phone falls down which commonly happens in panic situations. You can also simply shake the phone to activate it. It provides back-up when you’re out of coverage and sends SOS alerts finding the nearest network. It also immediately captures audio-visual information of the situation to share with your emergency contacts. This app works even while you are in a moving car or elevator. Monali Mitra, a 25 year-old from the city says, “It is important to catch the wrongdoers. Video footage can help the police nab criminals and will make us feel safer.”
Available for free on Android, iOS, Blackberry and Nokia
Hollaback
With its tagline – ‘Hollaback! You have the power to end street harassment’ – this app aims at drawing attention to different safety issues. Users can take a photo of the harasser and upload it as ‘caught in the act’ and submit their story on ihollaback.org. The app encourages users to submit stories along with photographs of harassment including cat-calls, groping, and stalking. Hollaback is part of an international movement and is an initiative to end street harassment with the support of the masses.
Available for free on iOS and Android