Using Apps For Safety
As a solo traveler, it’s important to take advantage of any tools and resources available to keep yourself safe and informed. This includes using tools like safety apps to help you stay safe when traveling to unfamiliar places.
The list below showcases different safety apps that you can download on your smartphone to help you avoid dangerous situations while giving you some peace of mind while traveling alone.
1. Geosure
Geosure ranks destinations on different categories like nighttime safety, physical safety, theft, access to medical services, safety for women, and more.
The app claims to use information from big data, AI, on-the-ground reporting, and geospatial intelligence, which is all validated using algorithms.
The scores posted about the different destinations also seem to be updated live as you view them.
This app can come in handy if you’re concerned about safety and want a rough idea of how safe you would be in a specific destination.
The app also comes with a paid version that can create personal itineraries based on the safety of a destination,
scoring on how safe a place is by taking into account your own individual characteristics, finding hotels that are verified as “safe,”
and the ability to check in with your contacts by providing your location and level of safety.
2. Sitata
The Sitata app is more of an itinerary planning app, but it does offer general information and features that can help you stay safe when traveling abroad.
One of the free features it offers is providing local emergency numbers that you can call for whatever destination you’re in.
With a subscription, you would gain access to instant chat for concierge and emergency assistance.
The app also features an interactive map that shows information for: hospitals, embassies and consulates, banks, tourist attractions, and tourist information.
Admittedly, this part of the app is a bit cumbersome to use, but the information it provides can easily be searched using Google or any other search engines available online.
When planning your trip on the app, Sitata will provide an option to organize your itinerary and enable flight tracking.
It also provides useful information like entry requirements, health recommendations, and general safety information like current situations and other areas you might want to avoid.
The app even provides 24/7 alerts on information pertaining to current protests or demonstrations and other current events that you might want to know about.
All this information is included for free when downloading the app (which is a free download), with the exception of the chat function for emergencies.
Sitata also offers its own insurance plan if you decide to go that route.
3. Noonlight
Noonlight is basically an emergency app that can call emergency services by tapping and holding a button, which, when released, will automatically send help to your exact location.
The idea behind it is that if you feel unsafe or are anticipating some type of dangerous situation, you would hold down a button, and when released,
the app would ask you to input a pin. If the pin isn’t entered in 10 seconds, the app sends help to your exact location.
The app has a paid version that costs $4.99 a month, which allows you to access Noonlight on a smartwatch, access to the safety button on your lock screen, and crash detection and response.
The only downside to this app is that it only works within the United States, but if you’re traveling alone across the United States,
this app could really come in handy in situations where you might not be able to make a call or are unable to speak or make any noise.
4. First Aid: American Red Cross
This app shows users how to identify symptoms and step-by-step instructions on how to treat everything from allergies to cardiac arrest.
It tells you useful information about what to look out for when dealing with all sorts of medical situations. It even tells you when you should call 911 emergency services when dealing with specific symptoms.
They also provide classes for training and ways to purchase first aid equipment.
From my experience, it’s a good app to use if you want to learn about what to look out for when dealing with anything that calls for first aid.
The information they provide could come in handy in certain situations where you might be alone or in a specific situation where you might need to treat yourself or someone else while help is on the way.
5. Smart Traveler (Official U.S. State Department App)
This app is filled with official travel information straight from the U.S. Department of State.
As expected from an app developed by the government, the information provided is very no-frills, straight-forward information.
The app provides official information about travel advisories and what to look out for when traveling to specific countries.
Here’s an example of the categories the app provides for listed countries:
- Embassies & Consulates
- Destination Descriptions
- Entry, Exit & Visa Requirements
- Safety & Security
- Local Laws & Special Circumstances
- Health
- Travel & Transportation
If you’re an American citizen or traveling to the United States, this app would help you learn about the important requirements needed for travel to and from the United States.
6. Life360
Life360 is basically a location-sharing app that tracks your exact location so that your friends and family can easily locate you in case of emergencies.
I know that many people out there are worried about being tracked online, but if you’re a solo traveler, this app might save your life if you ever find yourself in a dangerous situation.
The app also features an SOS button similar to Noonlight where you can hold down a button and release to have the app notify your family members and emergency contacts.
The difference being that Life360 only notifies your personal contacts, whereas Noonlight notifies emergency services.
Although, with the premium version of the app, you would have access to an emergency dispatcher that can send law enforcement to your location 24/7.
The only downside to this app is that there are certain countries where Life360 isn’t allowed to operate in.
Here’s the list of “restricted” countries that are unavailable on the Life360 app:
- Afghanistan
- Crimea Region
- Cuba
- North Korea
- Iran
- Russia
- Syria
- Venezuela
- Donetsk Region (Ukraine)
- Luhansk Region (Ukraine)
7. Google Maps
Google Maps isn’t specifically a safety app, but what many people don’t know is that you can download Google Maps for use when not connected to the internet.
As you might imagine, this would come in handy for situations where you might not be able to connect to the internet.
You could be in an area where the internet signal isn’t as strong or in a situation where the internet just isn’t available.
When traveling on your own, having access to a map where you don’t have to rely on an internet connection could save you from a lot of stress and potential dangerous situations.
More on Safety Apps
When it comes to solo travel, it’s important to think about how you can use the resources available to you to help make your travels safer and easier to handle.
Especially in today’s world, where almost everyone has access to some sort of smart device. One of the best things you can do is to take advantage of these devices for more than just personal entertainment.
I’ve said this many times on this blog, but as a solo traveler, it’s important to learn how to be self-sufficient.
You have to constantly be aware of your surroundings and ask yourself, “How can I use what’s available to me since I’m traveling alone?”.
And more often than not, your smart phone is one of those items that you most likely have on you most of the time.
As a solo traveler, you only have yourself to rely on, so it’s crucial to practice having this type of mindset to keep yourself from harm’s way.
Want to learn more about what to do before traveling solo? Head over to the blog at Traks&Paks.com.
