October is one of my favorite months of the year. It is when the weather starts to get chilly, so I can finally get those sweaters and leggings out of the closet! It is also my youngest daughter’s birthday, which is the week before Halloween. Even though the kids are older, they still love to go trick or treating. I am not 100% ready to give them free reign, so if I can find smartphone apps for a safer Halloween, I am all for it! I found 4 apps I can download on my iPhone 6 from U.S. Cellular I felt were the best for keeping my kiddos safer this Halloween. Also, parents with children and teens can use the U.S. Cellular® Better Moments Parent-Child Agreement to start a conversation about cell phone rules and etiquette and set expectations for Halloween night.This way they have some independence and I have less stress worrying about their safety.

6 Smartphone Apps For A Safer Halloween

Life360: This is an app I have had for a while now. It is a free app for IOS and Android. It is an app that allows you to instantly see everyone in your private Circle on the map. You can also message the whole group at once or one on one.

FBI Child ID: As much as we hate to admit it, kids to go missing. God forbid it should happen to you. The more the FBI can know about a child who goes missing, the more likely they are to find them. This apps allows you to upload a latest photo, identifying marks and other information about the child.

Track N Treat: This is another GPS tracking app to let you know where the kids are at all times. This is a free app for IOS devices. You enter your kids name and photo and then add the people from your contact list who you want to be able to see where your child is for up to 4 hours.

Red Panic Button: In case of emergency, parents can ensure they’re reachable at a moment’s notice with the Red Panic Button app. A press of the button sends an SMS and email that contains a link to Google Maps and their GPS coordinates to everyone in the panic contact list.

Torch Flashlight: Instead of keeping up with a clunky flashlight, the kids can download this free IOS app on their smartphone. Although most phones come with a built in flashlight, they are often pretty dim. The Torch Flashlight is super bright, lighting your child’s path and keeping them from falling and getting hurt.

Ghost Radar: OK, so we have many apps to keep the kids safe, so why not have a little fun this Halloween with the Ghost Radar app! This free app takes Halloween safety to a paranormal level by alerting users to any possible paranormal activity in the area. Ghost Radar takes various readings on the device, and includes a voice to announce when interesting words have been detected.

Nearly half (47 percent) of parents have a child with a cellphone (according to a recent U.S. Cellular survey), so why not put them to good use this Halloween?Feeling anxious about your teens or tweens who trick-or-treat or attend Halloween parties is something many of us will feel. But if we stay connected and have the kids download these important apps, we can breathe a little easier.

Which of these smartphone apps for a safer Halloween for your tween & teen would you use?