We live in a dangerous world. People are getting hurt in more ways than we previously thought possible and it looks like nobody is off the hook. In these trying times, it’s imperative that we do our best to keep those important to us, safe, and that’s what Digi is trying to do with their new Digi Family Safety app.
As the name would imply, the Digi Family Safety app is designed with the sole purpose of keeping your family safe and sound. This free application can be used to keep track of your loved ones and set parental controls, among other things. While the application is free, there is an optional subscription fee of RM5/month that lets you unlock Premium features.
For example, in the free version of the application, you can register up to two different family members per family account. If you choose to pay the subscription, that number goes up to 7. There is one caveat, however. It’s only available for Digi customers.
So, if you are a Digi customer, here’s what you can do with the Digi Family Safety app. First up, you have Family Location, which is a pretty straightforward feature as it lets you keep track of your family members. There is also a check-in feature that will regularly inform your family members of your location.
Beyond that, you can also set up Geo-fencing safety zones which lets you designate a perimeter around your family member as a “safe area”. The app allows you to set the safety zone around your family member’s smartphone’s GPS location and will alert you if and when that particular smartphone leaves the area. In the free version of the application, you can set up to two safety zones while the Premium lets you set up to 20 safety zones.
Perhaps one of the most useful features in the Digi Family Safety app is the Panic Alert feature that lets a family member send out an SOS during times of trouble. This would be particularly useful in cases of an emergency as the SOS will alert all registered family members and send them your location.
There are also two additional Premium features for those willing to fork up the monthly payment. The first of these premium features is Parental Controls. This allows the parent to restrict access to certain applications on their children’s smartphones. Next, you have Phone Security, which is like Google’s Find My Phone feature and allows you to locate, ring, lock and wipe any registered family phone if it’s lost or stolen.
While this is an interesting way to keep track of your family members, it seems a shame that Digi only limits this service to those flying their banner. This application, alongside a #SafeWeb4Kids workbook was launched in collaboration with Protect & Save the Children (PS the Children) as part of Digi’s CyberSAFE program. It is designed to protect our children, keeping them safe from exploitation, and fight cyber crime.
