Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Waze beta feature reminds parents to take their kids out of the car

By Dave Palmer July 30, 2016

waze reminds parents to get the kids out — Waze

It has been a hot summer across the United States this year, and there have already been a number of child deaths attributed to parents leaving their kids in hot cars. Not all situations like these are fatal, but they are certainly all serious. Temperatures in cars jump very quickly in a very short period, and make the create a severe heat stroke risk for anyone inside. A few short minutes in a hot car can be extremely dangerous or even fatal.

The creators of Waze recognized the severity of leaving kids in cars, and decided to add a feature into their app to address it. Waze, after all bills itself as “being all about the common good,” on its site. Waze’s child reminder is now in beta and aims to help parents remember the dangers of summer heat, and ultimately reduce incidences of child injury and fatality as a result.

Waze’s new feature provides a customizable notification when users arrive at their intended destination. The feature is in beta and appears in the changelog, according to Android Police. Users will find it located in app settings within the section of options to prevent auto-lock and keep Waze on top. Users can choose to enable or disable the warning and customize the message.

When the feature is available, a pop up will appear at the end of a user’s drive that gives an opt-in toggle. Users that opt in will then have access Waze’s child reminder features. Based on the serious consequences of forgetting a child in the car, Waze is hoping that users with children will opt in and use it to help keep children safe.

Waze is available to download for free on both Android and iOS platforms.

Download for iOS Download for Android

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Dave’s technology geek-fest began with the classic Commodore 64 computer, which started a lifelong passion for all things…

Mobile

Is Temu legit? Everything you need to know about the shopping app

An image of the Temu app listing on the iOS app store on an iPhone 12.

Have you been looking for an Amazon shopping alternative? Outside of getting in your car and heading to your local brick-and-mortar establishment (scary, we know), one smartphone and tablet-friendly shopping tool you could take for a spin is Temu.

Launched in September 2022, Temu prides itself on its cost-friendly approach to buying stuff online. But is it a worthy stand-in for Amazon, or should you stick to the Almighty A for your household must-haves? Let’s find out!
What is Temu?

Mobile

What is Wi-Fi calling, and how does it work?

Wi-Fi Calling

Network coverage has been steadily improving, but there are still many people around the world who can’t get a decent phone signal in their homes. There are gaps in many networks, particularly in rural areas, as a quick glance at Open Signal’s coverage maps reveals. Wi-Fi calling could be the answer.
What is Wi-Fi calling?
Wi-Fi calling allows you to seamlessly use any Wi-Fi connection to make or receive calls when your network signal is weak. If you’re at home and there’s a dead spot in the back bedroom, or the bars on your smartphone drop down to one when you go into the bathroom, then your phone can automatically switch to your home Wi-Fi network and use that to make and receive calls.

The beauty of Wi-Fi calling is that it should work seamlessly. Assuming your carrier supports it, you’ve activated the appropriate setting on your phone, and you’re connected to a Wi-Fi network, then it should kick in automatically whenever you need it. All the calls you make and messages you send through Wi-Fi calling appear as normal in your usual messages app and call logs.

Mobile

7 hidden iMessage features you need to be using

hidden iMessage features.

Apple's iMessage is a widely used messaging app with over 1 billion active users. It was launched in 2011 and is deeply integrated into Apple devices, allowing iPhone, iPad, and Mac users to exchange text messages, photos, videos, and more seamlessly across platforms.

Over the years, Apple has introduced many new features to the Messages app. You probably use some of them every day, but others are easy to overlook and forget about it. Below are a few of our favorite hidden iMessage features — and ones you should be using if you aren't already.
Pinning messages