Your iPhone to the Rescue: 5 Apple Apps That Could Save Your Life

If you’ve ever left home without your phone, you know that feeling of nakedness-slash-terror that comes with realizing you don’t have it with you. With our ever-increasing reliance on mobile devices, it’s no wonder you feel vulnerable in the absence of your phone. Apple has given us more reasons to remember our phones with a slew of safety apps available for the iPhone 6 that can turn your phone into a practical rescue device.

iTriage

Your child falls ill one night while vacationing far from home. Phoning your pediatrician won’t do any good, and WebMD will only convince you that your child could be suffering from every possible illness from the common cold to colon cancer. This is where iTriage steps in. iTriage is a free app that provides users with symptom information and offers advice about seeking medical attention. The app, created by ER physicians, can also provide you with the names and locations of the closest hospitals, emergency rooms and urgent care centers. It’s a godsend if you’re ever sick in an unfamiliar area.

Dark Sky

Dark Sky is a handy app to have if your car breaks down and you’re in a race to get help before nightfall. Dark Sky lets you know precisely when the sun will sink and leave you in the black of night. It can also predict the weather for the next 24 hours, so if your car dies and you are alone under a cloudy sky, this app can help you decide whether you should hoof it to the gas station or wait for assistance where you are.

Flashlight

Flashlight provides you with the only thing you always seem to need but never have handy: why a flashlight, of course. The app provides light in the dark corners of the unexpected. Walking to your car at night after work? Flashlight will light the way. Dropped your house keys in the bushes outside your home? Flashlight will help you find them.

StreetSafe

StreetSafe is a silent alert on your iPhone that signals to authorities that you are in danger. With one swipe, you can activate a silent alarm that tells the monitoring center to call police. It can also transmit your personal medical conditions and physical description to 911 operators. If you happen to be out alone and night and notice someone following you, you can also call a safety adviser through this app. This person will stay on the phone with you until you make it safely home.

Circle of 6

If you’ve ever worried that in the event of an emergency, the one person you call for help might not answer the phone, then Circle of 6 will alleviate that fear. Circle of 6 allows you to send out a pre-composed message to six predetermined people in your contacts. It is simple to activate, and with two taps of the screen, your location and SOS will be delivered to your circle. It’s a fantastic application for high school and college students and anyone who wants their whereabouts and circumstances known immediately by their most trusted contacts.

Through the wonders of technology, the little devices we used to only make phones calls with could now end up saving our lives—as long as you remember to grab it on your way out the door.