Google recently announced they are shutting down the Trusted Contacts App. This app allowed you to see the location of a person in your Trusted Contact list, even if they don’t respond to you. It served as a sort of emergency response mechanism for loved ones in your phone’s contact list.
The Announcement
Google announced via email that the company was shutting down the app:
“Over three years ago, we launched the Trusted Contacts app as a way to help people stay up to date with their loved ones’ whereabouts. Since then, we’ve built this functionality into Google Maps with Location Sharing – making it even easier to share your live location with trusted friends and family. As a result, the Trusted Contacts app will be removed from the App Store and Play Store today, and will stop being supported after December 1, 2020. If the app is installed on your device, you can continue to use it till then.”
This means that any user can still use this app till the December 1, 2020 deadline. After that, the app will become nonfunctional.
As Google proposed in their announcement, Trusted Contact users can still use Google Maps for location sharing, but it is not the same. Users must opt-in for constant tracking. This means that users will not only be sharing their location with their loved ones, but everybody, all the time. If that sounds like a no-go from you or your loved ones, we recommend you consider a PERS device.
How PERS Can Fill The Gap
Trusted Contacts was a way for people to keep track of loved ones, especially aging family members. But a PERS device is a more reliable and easier way to keep them safe. PERS devices are monitored 24/7 by a professional monitoring company to ensure the safety of the ones you are concerned about. Companies such as our sister company, Freeus, provide some of the best PERS devices in the industry.
Lone workers might also be affected by Trusted Contacts ceasing operation. PERS devices are also a great solution for lone workers to stay protected while on the job.
A PERS device can fill the gap that Trusted Contacts is leaving behind. Don’t let your loved ones go without protection. Reach out to Freeus to find out more about PERS devices and monitoring.
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