The Best Apps For Your Safety Online and IRL

In partnership with Aspida Advisory Services

Guernsey is a relatively safe place to live, however that doesn’t mean that you can take your safety - whether online or in real life - for granted. The reality is that everyone is at times vulnerable and we all have a personal responsibility to take steps to stay safe. It's the sensible thing to do. Let's be clear, a lack of responsibility is not to be mistaken for blame. Should anything happen, the person to blame is the perpetrator and never the victim, but taking responsible steps for our own personal safety gives us an extra layer of protection.

So we have some tips to help you take a proactive approach. We’ve got a handy online safety list to share with you, but first, let's start with ways to protect yourself from physical threats by turning your phone into a personal safety device with alarms, journey trackers and enhanced safety features.

1. bSafe

The bSafe motto is Never Walk Alone. It is a personal safety app which you use to create your own social safety network of individuals who can be notified when you feel unsafe or if you are in an emergency situation. Features include the ability to invite friends to view your location, to send you a fake call if needed, or to set a timer which will trigger an alarm if you don’t return in time to switch it off.

2. Hollie Guard

The Hollie Guard app is free to download and it helps to turn your phone into an enhanced personal safety device. It has a journey tracker, which updates your precise location every 5 seconds based on your speed and movement activity, and it allows you to set a start and end journey point and notifies your emergency contacts if you don’t reach your destination. It also has an alarm which can be activated by shaking your phone or holding the ‘alert’ button. sending your precise GPS location, and it can act as an evidence catcher and reporting feature, activating your phone’s camera and microphone to record evidence.

3. Life360

In its simplest form, Life 360 is a location tracking app which can protect and connect your loved ones and pets with its driving and location features. It can also be used to help you organise your everyday essentials and keep your possessions safe. It links with Tile, the bluetooth device that you can attach to anything from your keys, to your wallet, phone, passport, laptop - and even your pets.

4. Kitestring

Kitestring offers you a level of security if you’re walking home alone at night and want someone to look out for you, or you’re going on a trip and want to let someone know when you’re due back home - without actually telling anyone your plans. .Simply enter the details into the app let it know what you are doing and it will send you a text at a pre-arranged time to check you are ok. If you don’t respond to the text, your emergency contacts will be alerted.

5. One Scream

The voice activated personal safety app One Scream is activated by a keyword or a scream, which triggers a loud siren from your phone. You have 20 seconds to cancel this alarm - if you need to. If the alarm is not cancelled an alert is sent out to your chosen emergency contacts and creates an open line so that those contacted can hear what is going on and come to your assistance if needed. The app works even if your phone is buried at the bottom of your bag.

6. Red Panic Button

The Red Panic Button app does what it says - it enables you to push a big red panic button on your device, which connects you with the emergency services or to your chosen emergency contacts, providing them instantly with details of your location. It works on your phone, your smart watch and is also available in the form of a wearable bluetooth panic button.

7. WalkSafe+

The WalkSafe+ app has a variety of functions, some location sharing, some not. Homesafe allows you to set a specific place and time, and share your journey plan with loved ones without sharing your location. Follow Me is for times when you are out and about with no specific destination in mind. Simply select a length of time to share your location and select the friends you wish to share this information with. WalkSafe differs from HomeSafe by updating your location in real-time, allowing your loved ones to monitor your safety on your journey.

And, as promised, here’s our handy mini-list to protect your online safety with apps for your phones and personal devices, covering communication, browsing, password protection and data and permissions. And of course, you can take extra steps to safeguard your online safety with these Simple Ways To Protect Your Personal Data Right Now.

You can view all of our articles for Cybersecurity Awareness Month in partnership with Aspida here.