author Marlee Hirson, Tuesday March 29, 2016

With technology changing and advancing, there are always new apps and features coming out. But with the amount of safety apps available, it's important to select the features that are most beneficial for users.

We've compiled a list of features that are the most useful for communities. These features have more ways to call for help, watch over others, and keep users informed. Here are our top 5 features in safety technology.

     
  1. Geolocation Tracking
    Geolocation tracking lets you track a user’s location when they request it. This feature is commonly used when a student is walking home alone at night and feels unsafe. The user can hit a panic button if they are worried and have security or police teams immediately sent to them. This improves response times because the user’s location is already pinpointed. Here’s a cool video!

  2. Mass Notifications
    Users receive notifications on their phones alerting them of a safety emergency or threat. These are called “push notifications” because they notify users with an alert when the app isn’t running. Push notifications can also travel over either WiFi or Cellular networks. This feature ensures that in an emergency, your users are informed as soon as possible.

  3. Chat with Dispatch
    A more recent feature that has been seeing high usage is the chat with dispatch feature. This feature allows users to message a dispatcher to report a tip or discreetly request help. The “chat with dispatch” feature lets users go unnoticed when they use your safety resources.

  4. Custom Crime Maps
    Custom crime maps pinpoint the locations of where crimes have taken place. The incident details are also included with the pinpointed location. This provides users with valuable safety information about their geographic area. It’s a great tool for US institutions who need to make this kind of data available for the Clery Act.

  5. User-to-User Location Sharing
    User-to-user location sharing lets users send their location to a selected contact. The contact will receive a link to an interactive map with the user’s location. The contact is notified if the user pushes a panic button or reaches their destination. Here’s another cool video!

These five features are among the many powerful capabilities that mobile safety apps provide. We think that a mobile safety solution should have features that are both advanced and intuitive. It’s what AppArmor strives for when we build new capabilities.

Do you have any features to add to this list? Comment below and let us know what you think!