Google Trusted Contacts Will Help You During An Emergency; Runs On Android Phones Initially; iOs Devices To Follow
Google wants users to be safe at all costs. The search giant has come up with a new feature that can help in case an emergency happens. They are calling their newest feature as Google Trusted Contacts.
The said application, which is currently only available to smartphones running Android and has Google feature, will let the user select Google Trusted Contacts, as reported by CNET. A person's exact location will be shared to their trusted contacts, with the help of the phone's location services.
The news site also reported that the Google Trusted Contacts will also see if the person is offline, and also see the battery status of one's phone. The application, according to Google's product manager David Tattersall, will be a big help to its users in letting their friends and families know that they are okay.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Google Trusted Contacts will create a map of the user's activity. These maps will be private unless the user adds a trusted contact. Trusted contacts may ask for their contact's location, and it is up to the user to decline or accept the request. If a user fails to respond to their trusted contact's request after five minutes, the app will automatically share the map to the trusted contact requesting for it. The app is also said to have the capability to work offline.
In addition, a person's contact does not need a Google account or does not need to be signed in to see one's location, but will be required to log in if they want to request a contact's location, reports The Verge. Google Trusted Contacts may also be modified anytime.
Another feature will allow a friend to walk you home virtually. If you are on your way home and you feel unsafe, you may share your location to a trusted contact. Sharing your location may be stopped anytime with just one tap.
And while the Google Trusted Contacts application is currently available only to Anroid users, Google states that they are already working on the app's availability on iOS devices.
