Smartphone tips to keep your trick-or-treaters safe

For parents letting their kids go trick-or-treating on their own, safety and peace of mind are key. There are a number of ways you can use your smartphone to ensure your kids stay safe and have fun on Halloween night.
AT&T offers the following tech tips for your young trick-or-treaters:

• Your child’s phone won’t do them any good if it’s not charged. As your kids are getting ready for the night, make sure their smartphone is charging and that it’s fully charged before they leave.
• Be sure the volume on the device is at its highest level so they can hear their phone in a crowd.
• Make sure your kids have key contacts pre-programmed. Think about parents, neighbors, grandparents and police. Set those key contacts as favorites so kids can quickly make a call.
• One tool that we all already have on our smartphones, an alarm clock can help by giving kids periodic reminders to text or call home along their route or to remind them when it’s time to head home.
• Make sure kids can easily access their wireless phone while wearing costumes: Have them carry their phone in a fitness armband or fanny pack so their phone is within easy reach.

And while handing out candy or walking in your neighborhood, parents can be a wireless Samaritan. If you see anything suspicious or out of place, use your wireless phone to call 9-1-1.

A few apps that may help your trick-or-treater stay safe:

• Download the Red Panic Button app to your child’s device for extra peace of mind. The free version of this app allows trick-or-treaters the option to press the Red Panic Button to automatically send a text message with their exact coordinates on Google maps to family members. Panic also can be shared on social media platforms.

• Track your trick-or-treater with a location-based service like AT&T's FamilyMap, which lets you track the location of your child’s device on an interactive map from your smartphone, desktop or tablet.

• A flashlight app will be very helpful for trick-or-treaters. iHandy is a free app that offers a bright light , and can flash SOS signals so kids can be seen if crossing in traffic or are in an area that's not well lit.

With all of these tools, kids are getting some freedom on a fun night -- and parents have peace of mind.