Google’s Android services already work overtime to make our life easier, but its new app may actually be able to save it. Called Trusted Contacts, it connects you with the closest people in your life to allow them to find you in an emergency.
To set up the app, you simply need to designate the people you would like to share your location with, and Google will ping them with your request. Unlike Familio or GeoZilla, however, Trusted Contacts isn’t for meet-ups. The app is primarily designed for situations where you need immediate assistance from your loved ones (or they need yours). The next time you’re in an emergency, you can use it to send your location to one of your contacts, or if you can’t reach your phone, it will automatically beam them your location if you don’t respond to a request within 5 minutes.
People on the other end will also be able to check in and see if you’ve been active recently, as well as how low your battery is. And Google has promised that an iOS version is on the way, so you’ll be able to ask your iPhone friends for help, too.
The impact on you at home: Location-tracking apps are hardly a new concept, but Google’s spin on it seems to be a good one. It’s not terribly intrusive and hopefully most people will never need to use it, but a little extra peace of mind on our smartphones never hurt anyone.
