The apps that can help keep you safe

Our phones can be many things – a connection to the people we care about, a source of information, a tool to capture memories, and also a way to help keep us safe. Whether it’s raising the alarm, highlighting health conditions or checking in on loved ones, there are many ways our phones can protect us.

Here are a few apps and services to remember…

Call the emergency services when your phone is locked

On an iPhone 8 or later, hold the side button and one of the volume buttons until the ‘Emergency SOS’ slider appears.

On an iPhone 7 or earlier, rapidly press the side (or top) button five times. Then the ‘Emergency SOS’ slider will appear.

On an Android phones it differs depending on manufacturer. But if you go to your phone’s lock screen you should see the world ‘Emergency’ at the bottom. Tap this and you can make a call to the emergency services without having to unlock your phone.

Adding emergency info to your lock screen

Want to set up your lock screen so that critical information is available to first responders? Follow these instructions for iPhone and Android.

Feel safe when you’re out and about

If you find yourselves out and about alone, why not try Hollie Guard? With a simple shake or tap of your phone you can immediately notify your chosen contacts, pinpointing your location and sending audio and video evidence directly to their mobile phones.

Or you could use Kitestring. Sign up and Kitestring will check up on you when you’re out and alert your friends if you don’t respond. As it’s not an app, it will work on any phone.

Keep your loved ones safe

Use Life360 to keep an eye on your family. As the world's leading real-time, location-sharing app, it’s the best way to coordinate with family and friends. Get automatic notifications when your family comes and goes from home, work and school, and when they complete drives. Available on iOS and Android.

So there you have it. You can put your mind to rest and your phone to work, knowing that your loved ones are a bit more protected.