“Let me know when you get home.” We’ve probably all said this to a friend or family member at some point after parting ways for the night. And, if you’re like me, you usually forget by the time you get there.
A new app promises to automate this process so friends and family will always know you got home safely. Kitestring is a “safecall” service that alerts your contacts if you fail to virtually check in at designated times after going out.
The app is web-based, so anyone with a phone number can sign up. Accounts, which can be created on Kitestring’s website, must be linked to a cellphone number.
Schedule a time and date for when you plan on being out and how long you think you’ll be gone. After the allotted time has passed, Kitestring sends a text message reminding you to confirm you made it home safely.
Should you fail to do so, the app texts one or more designated emergency contacts with a distress message letting them know you may be in trouble. This takes the burden off those of us prone to forgetting to write our own check-in messages — provided they don’t get a distress call, friends can rest easy knowing we made it to our destination.
For the extra paranoid cautious, you can designate additional secret code words to prevent bad guys from using your device to check in for you. Users can set a special password which, if enabled, is the only word that can be used to check in. You can also designate a code word to indicate duress should you get into trouble. If you respond with the code word, the app pretends you have checked in while secretly alerting your contacts that you may be in danger.
Users can also text message Kitestring at any time to extend the trip, check in early or signal duress.
KItestring is not the first app designed to virtually check up on its users’ safety but the fact that it relies solely on SMS, rather than a data connection or standalone app, opens it up to millions more users who don’t have smartphones. The service is available in 217 countries, though English is the only language currently supported.
Source: Mashable
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