Google’s latest app uses real-time location updates to help keep you safe
Google has introduced a new app today, and this one is for safety-minded folks who want to ensure they have someone “with” them while they’re out and about (even if they actually don’t).
The name of the app is Trusted Contacts, and the premise is simple: you can choose any of your contacts and label them as “trusted.” When you’re going somewhere — say, walking home from work at night or through a potentially dangerous area — you can choose to instantly share your location with your trusted contact.
They’ll get to see where you are at any given time, so if something isn’t right (like the person taking an unusual route or stopping at one location for a long period of time) you can call them to make sure they’re alright or send help to the location. Once the walk is over, you can stop sharing your location and call it a day. Your contact can also request your location at any time, and you can decide to grant them access if you feel you need to.
The feature works if the other person’s phone is offline too, so if the battery dies or the phone is shut off for some reason you can get the latest known location before it happened.
Of course, this app alone won’t immediately keep you safe, so you’ll still need to practice your safety habits as you’ve done all your life. But it’s a nice way to ensure someone you trust knows something might be wrong as soon as it occurs so they can do whatever they can to help. Find it at Google Play ahead.
Download Trusted Contacts at Google Play