BY: LISA MICHAELS 

These days, travel is a part of many people’s everyday life. Whether it’s for business or pleasure the important thing is to always stay safe. There are always ways you can be cautious by using your wits, but when you are in an unfamiliar area or venturing out by yourself, you can take it a few steps further and arm yourself with tools that could possibly save your life.

The tools you need to stay safe are none other than apps you can install on your smartphone. Today, there is an app for almost everything and an increasing number of them focus on personal safety.

Here are five apps that can keep you safe while travelling.

 

SOS – Stay Safe!

SOS – Stay Safe is one of the best safety apps you can take with you on your trip. You can get it in both free and pro versions. This app is designed to provide you with assistance if you find yourself in a dangerous situation while you are travelling and need help fast.

Designate someone close to you, whether it’s a close friend, family member, significant other or someone else so that they will be alerted if you are ever in a dangerous situation and need help. Activate the app with three clicks on your smartphone’s power button and your designated people will be texted and emailed that you are in need of assistance.

The notification includes the exact time you triggered the app, your location with a map link, the battery level of your smartphone and a recorded sound of the situation, which is only available in the pro version.

You can also take it a few steps further than that and customize the app so that police, community watch groups, security agencies or other individuals and organizations are alerted when you run into trouble. One of the best things about SOS – Stay Safe! is that it is generally a peer to peer app, so your personal information is never shared.

ICE (In Case of Emergency)

Many people have medical conditions, some of which are serious. With the ICE app, you can include all of your medical information so that if you have an emergency while you are traveling, that information can be accessed, even if your phone is locked.

You can store vital information in the app, such as your name, date of birth, medications you take, blood type, allergies and medical conditions. You can also store a photo of your insurance card, prescription card, driver’s license and any other pertinent identification right in the app.

Your primary care doctor’s contact information is also visible right from the lock screen, so if something happens to you and you have to be brought to the hospital, responders can get all of the necessary data easily.

SaferVPN

SaferVPN is a great VPN app that works for iOS, Android, Chrome, Windows and Mac. It is easy to use and allows you to browse the internet anytime you want, no matter what your location, using VPN services so that you can enjoy a safe browsing experience.

It is an essential tool to have at your disposal while traveling as you never know who or what lurks while you are using an unsecured public Wi-Fi connection. Using SaferVPN is simple because all you have to do is make a single tap to surf anonymously. The app automatically turns on once you have access to an unsecured network, so you can relax while browsing at an airport, a hotel, a coffee shop or even just walking down the street in another city.

CityMaps2Go

Getting lost in an unknown city can be dangerous. However, with CityMaps2Go in your pocket, you don’t have to worry. This is a free app for iOS and Android that provides you with a collection of maps of thousands of destinations from all over the world. The best feature of the app is that you can access the maps even if you are offline.

With CityMaps2Go, you won’t need to go looking for a hotspot to access an online map. And if you ever find yourself in an unfamiliar location, the app will help you find your way. You can see your position on the map and it will guide you in the direction you want to go.

However, this app is much more than a tool that helps you get around. It acts as your personal travel assistant and helps you plan your trip. You can easily find nearby bars, restaurants, attractions, etc. and even get recommendations from locals or other tourists. You can also find and book hotels, save places you want to visit and find useful information about the destinations you visit.

Sitata Travel Safe

Sitata Travel Safe is a free app that monitors for problems in various areas of travel, such as health threats, safety threats, extreme weather, violent conflict and just about anything else that would disrupt your travel plans. In other words, the app can help you to avoid a potential disaster if you have plans to travel somewhere that might currently be dangerous.

You can stay safe with Sitata Travel Safe by receiving alerts of any issues emerging or ongoing in places you wish or plan to travel to and get fast access to emergency numbers and hospitals. The app works with your smartphone’s location services so that it always knows where to look. You can also help other travellers by reporting any issues in a specific location and receive advice from fellow travellers as well.

Savvy travellers should never find themselves in an unfamiliar destination without at least some of these apps. They can help keep you, your personal data and devices safe. There is no doubt that these five apps are going to be your best companion no matter where you travel.