Google's Chrome, Google Inc.'s new Web browser, is displayed on an laptop. (Photo : Getty Images/Alexander Hassenstein)
Google released a new Android app for personal safety and calls it Trusted Contacts. The latest app allows family members and friends to see a phone owner's current location for safety reasons, which will then give everybody peace of mind.
The tech giant announced the launch of Trusted Contacts on its official blog and explained that it is aimed for the safety of every person. It allows the sharing of location with family members and selected friends. It can even let the contact persons keep track of the phone owner's location so one can have company when and if they feel unsafe. It is something like a friend taking them for a virtual walk home at night.
The search engine giant explained that after installing the Android version of the Trusted Contacts app, users can assign "trusted" status to their family members and closest friends. They will then receive a request for the initial setup. Once everything is in place, the trusted contacts can then track the activity status of that individual.
These trusted contacts, if they are worried, have the option to request their loved one's current location just in case they want to know if everything is okay. These requests can also be denied by the phone owner if things are just the way they should be. Denying the request is also a signal that the individual is safe.
Now, text messages and calls can be ignored but not this app. If a person fails to respond within a pre-defined timeframe, the location will be shared automatically by the new app, no questions asked. For now, this will give the trusted contact person an option on how to help out by using the Trusted Contacts website.
Additionally, the Trusted Contacts app can send out the last known location to a request if the smartphone is offline or if the device's battery gets drained. According to CNET, the trusted contacts will at least have an answer no matter what the situation is.
In the meantime, the Trusted Contacts app is only available for Android devices via the Play Store, but it is also being developed for the iOS.
