Technical FAQ

Can I download the StreetSafe app and start using it immediately?

You need to buy a subscription first. Please visit the Purchase section on our website and choose your subscription plan. If you have already subscribed and activated your subscription you can begin using StreetSafe immediately.

Where do I download the App for my phone?

Our free app is available for the iPhone, Android, Blackberry and Windows Mobile 7. You may download this directly from the relevant app store or market place or follow the links on our “Downloads” page. You will also receive an email when you buy a subscription with a link to download your app.

How do I install the App on my phone?

Most phones will automatically install the app after you have downloaded it to your device. On certain devices like Blackberry or certain Android phone you will be asked to click “ok” to install the app. Please ensure that you grant the app “trusted” status if asked during the install process. We also have an excellent Tutorial on our website to help you with the installation.

I am having trouble with installing my app on my phone. Where can I get more information?

A detailed manual and technical faq can be downloaded from the “Downloads” page. If your question is still not answered please call 1-888-507-2266 and choose the option for technical support.

Should I allow the app to access my GPS or My Location?

Yes. This is needed to determine your location in case of an emergency. The app will not function without this feature enabled on your phone.

Will I need to manually turn on my GPS when I slide an alarm?

Typically if you set the app to use the GPS or location services it will automatically start the GPS and use it on your device. However some users prefer to manually turn off the GPS to enhance their battery life. In such situations the StreetSafe app will trigger a warning that the GPS is disabled and you will be required to manually turn your GPS back on. We recommend leaving your GPS turned on. StreetSafe will only start the GPS very briefly when launched and will then use it only when an alarm is activated.

What other services do you use?

Our app uses your data plan to send short data bursts with your location. These are very small in size and will not have any material impact on your data plan (A 24 hour alarm will use less than a couple of megabytes of data). However if your data services should fail we rely on SMS text messages to send the data. We will send a SMS every 15 seconds while your alarm is active. Please note that you may be liable to pay for the SMS messages if they go beyond your texting plan limit. However since SMS messages are only sent if your internet data service is unavailable, we typically send very few SMS messages.

Does StreetSafe track my location all the time?

No. We track your location from the point at which you raise an alarm until the alarm is reset by you. Since you control the alarm and the length of time it is on, you control the period that you are tracked. Your data is never shared with anyone but emergency services or the police as determined by your situation.

Can my parent or spouse track me?

No. This is not a tracking service. We respond only to situations where you need a trained professional on the phone to help you reach your destination safely. You location is only shared with the police if you need assistance (or if you specifically ask us to give it to someone else).

How accurately can you pin-point my location?

The truth is that “it depends”. Our system has been tested to locate your phone within 3 meters or less. Accuracy is determined by a number of factors – Your device, location (city, town), your cellular coverage, surroundings (GPS signals do not work well in basements) etc. In practice we will have a very good idea of where you are and will be able to track you on a map in our monitoring centers.

Why is my phone sending this cryptic SMS?

Our app uses your data plan to send short data bursts with your location. These are very small in size and will not have any material impact on your data plan. However if your data services should fail we rely on SMS text message to send the data. We will send a SMS every 15 seconds while your alarm is active. Usually on most phones this is done in the background. However on the iPhone and Windows Mobile 7 phones you will be required to manually send this SMS since these platforms do not permit automated SMS.

Does your app run in the background?

Yes except for Windows Mobile Phones and older blackberry devices our app continues to work in the background as long as the alarm is active. It will continue to track your location as long as your cellular service provider allows both voice and data connections simultaneously. Windows Mobile Phones however do not allow multitasking and our app thus cannot run in the background.

Can I use my phone for other applications after I slide the alarm?

While this is technically possible we highly discourage this after an alarm has been activated. Typically you will only use our app when you are in an uncomfortable or dangerous situation. We would like to keep your phone resources free to get you to safety first. Also with hundreds and thousands of apps being released every day, it is impossible to predict the behavior of another app in conjunction with ours.

What does this app do to my battery life?

Prolonged use of GPS and location services does drain your battery BUT we have developed a technique to save battery life by using the GPS only at specified intervals. We have tracked some of the smallest phones halfway across the country over a 24 hour period with an alarm enabled without draining the battery.

Which phone do you recommend I buy that works best with StreetSafe?

We do not endorse any particular device or manufacturer. Any supported smart-phone that supports multitasking, has a GPS and can support simultaneous data and voice will work best with StreetSafe.

Online Registration and Account Management

Who can buy StreetSafe online?

Any individual, family or small corporation can buy subscriptions online.

Do you sell to corporations, organizations or educational institutions?

Yes. Corporation or groups requiring over 50 subscriptions can contact our sales staff and we will work with you to provide a customized sales experience where our staff does all the setup work for you.

For large corporations we can provide customized services where calls can also be made to your local or campus security personnel if there is an incident with your employee or student in your campus vicinity.

Do you accept other methods of payment or just credit cards?

For our online sales we accept only credit cards at this point of time.

Do you store credit card numbers?

No. For your security we do not store credit cards on our servers. We only keep a basic profile with the last 4 digits for automatic renewals. Credit card numbers are stored by our payment processors, Authorize.net and Chase Paymentech both of which are PCI-compliant and adhere to the highest security standards.

What should I do if I want to buy a plan for my daughter/son/spouse only?

It is simple. Register on our website and buy a plan. Choose the customer type as “family” and proceed to checkout and buy the plan. After you buy the plan you will be required to activate the plan – Ensure that you now enter your daughter/son/spouse/loved one’s information once you click on the “activate” button.

Your loved ones will be able to use the plan on their phone after that.

What Mobile number should I use?

Always enter the mobile/cellphone number that you will use the app on. This allows our monitoring center to reach you during an emergency or when you slide an alarm.

Note: During plan activation you can change the mobile number you entered during registration and you can update your profile at any time should your number change.

What are these different customer types and what should I choose during registration?

Individual:

Choose this customer type if you are buying a subscription for yourself and you will use it on your cell phone. The account will be set up for your cell phone and your email address.

Family:

Choose this customer type if you are buying a subscription for a family member or for yourself and other family members at the same time. This allows you to buy multiple plans together and use the promotion codes on all accounts if bought together.

The account will be setup for the primary account holders cell phone and email address (typically this is a parent or head of household responsible for the payments).

All family members get their own account log-in credentials and can update their profiles on their own. As an added convenience the primary account holder can administer all the subscriptions from his or her account.

Corp-Spon (Corporate Sponsored):

Choose this customer type if your company wants to buy plans for the employees. Typically you should be the company coordinator and you will be required to provide a unique ID to register. You may then buy multiple plans for your employees and activate them.

If you wish to buy more than 50 plans please call 1-888-507-2266 and ask for “Sales” and we will be glad to assist you with this process. Large accounts are handled directly by the sales team and our staff handles the registration process for your convenience.

Corp-NSpon (Corporate Non-Sponsored):

Choose this customer type if your company or university has negotiated a special volume discount for StreetSafe.

Typically you will receive an email with a “Promotion Code” from your company/university coordinator and you will be required to provide an ID to register. That email will contain other instructions on how to setup your account.

In this case the individual is liable for the cost of the subscription but the price is discounted through your company or educational institution.

How many plans can I buy as a family or small corporation?

As many as you want. We limit online purchases to 10,000 plans but do not expect any family or small business to reach that limit. If your need as a corporation is more than 50 plans, please call us and we will be happy to do all the setup work for you.

Can I give the promo code I received to my friends?

We encourage you to invite your friends to our service and keep them StreetSafe. You may share the promo code as long as it is not a single-use code.

Do I need to enter my personal information and photo during activation?

Although not mandatory we highly recommend you fill out all the fields in the activation and registration forms. In case of an emergency this data will be shared with the police and/or emergency services. The more data we have about you, the easier it is to locate you and ensure your safety or attend to any medical needs.

Who will have access to my data?

Your personal information is maintained in a highly secure database. We do not sell, disseminate or otherwise exploit your personal information. We only use your personal information to respond to an alarm triggered on your phone. Only the police or emergency services will receive your data and only when it is necessary, to assist you.

What does the “Renew” button under the “Manage Plans” section do?

It renews your plan immediately for another term using the payment profile we have on file. This can only be done once to avoid duplicate transactions that could be made in error by clicking the button multiple times. This is for your protection. You may however choose to auto-renew by choosing the Edit button and checking the Auto-renew box.

What does the “Upgrade” button under the “Manage Plans” section do?

You may upgrade only monthly or quarterly plans to a higher duration plan. Plans can only be upgraded once but they can be renewed for the longer duration by choosing the auto-renew option.

I bought a plan but I cannot use it on my device. Where do I get a subscriber ID?

You need to activate plans before you can use them. Since you may buy plans either for yourself or your family or employees we require that each plan be activated separately before a subscriber ID is generated. The subscriber ID is unique for each individual. The primary account holder can activate multiple plans for his family or employees. Users will receive their own username and password and can update their own personal information at their leisure.

I bought a plan and activated it. How do I get it on the phone?

You can download the app to your device using our “Downloads” page or from the link in the email that was sent to you. We recommend you use the email link so that you get the right app on your phone. Please visit our “Tutorial” section for more details or download the user manual.