3 Best Apps for Safe Trick-or-Treating This Halloween

For kids, there’s no better night than Halloween. After all, what’s better than wandering the neighborhood in search of free candy? For parents, it’s more complicated: trick-or-treating is a fun activity, sure, but it’s also loaded with potential safety issues, especially when kids begin venturing out into the night on their own.

Luckily, there are plenty of safety apps that can help. We dug through the App and Google Play stores in search of safe trick-or-treating apps for Halloween. Here are the three best. (You can also check out our round-up of the best Halloween apps for games, parties, and more!)

Best Trick-or-Treating Apps

Find My—Best for iOS users

• Price: Free
• Devices: iOS

If you’ve ever left your phone in an Uber, you know this app can be a lifesaver. Find My allows you to track the devices attached to your Apple ID, which means it can also be used to protect the trick-or-treaters in your life.

We’re not suggesting you buy your child the latest iPhone–instead, you can attach AirTags to their costumes or candy bags. If you’re concerned about your little monster wandering into a dangerous area, you can also enable notifications for changes in location. Want to get even more granular? You can establish a radius for their trick-or-treating route and receive notifications if they venture outside it.

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Life360—Best for Android users

• Price: Free
• Devices: Android

Life360 is a safety tracking app designed for families, offering a number of plans that include sophisticated services (like driver reports, roadside assistance, and stolen phone protection) for a monthly fee.

For trick or treating, though, we like the free version of Life360, which provides location tracking, including geofencing. Like Find My, you don’t need a smartphone to be found in Life360: you can link a Tile with Life360 by following a few basic steps.

Life360 can also recognize AirTags (and can be found in the Apple App Store) but we recommend using the Apple-native Find My if you’re an iOS user.

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Nextdoor—Best for safe planning

• Price: Free
• Devices: iOS, Android

Nextdoor is a social media app for your specific neighborhood. While we’re not crazy about the inane posts that tend to clog up the newsfeed, we love the Treat Map, a handy feature the app rolls out every year for Halloween.

The Treat Map acts as an interactive guide to the neighborhood. Users who plan on handing out candy can mark their accounts with a candy icon; those who have turned their homes into spooky sideshows will feature a haunted decor icon.

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The best phones for kids

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If you’re looking to take additional precautions to ensure your kids’ safety, you’re likely on the hunt for an age-appropriate cell phone. With a little research, you’ll quickly realize grabbing the latest iPhone or Pixel isn’t the answer. Access to such sophisticated smartphones increase screentime, something over 60% of Americans believe contributes to children’s anxiety and depression. A cell phone intended to keep your kid safe only needs basic functionality, one that keeps them connected without offering another attention-sucking screen.

We think feature phones, also known as “dumb phones,” are the best phones for kids. For one thing, a feature phone is relatively cheap, meaning you won’t have to take out a second mortgage to buy one. More importantly, they’re reliable and limited to talk and text. Your kid won’t be able to access Tik Tok, YouTube, or the latest battery-draining game. If they want to play a game, they can play Snake. It builds character!

We’re especially fond of the ZTE Cymbal 2, which offers a 2.8” display, a modest 2MP rear camera, and 4G LTE connectivity. The tiny flip phone will easily fit into your kid’s pocket or backpack.

Another solid dumb phone (it’s a term of endearment!) is the TCL Flip. In many ways, the Flip is similar to the ZTE Cymbal: it’s got a 2.8” display, a 2MP rear camera, and 4G capability. But it’s a more recent phone and, as a result, features the universal USB-C connection, ensuring your kid will always be able to find a charger. 

Want to see other feature phones for kids? We’ve got the most popular dumb phones below.