BOULDER, Colorado – Hooot is a new app aimed at improving safety on college campuses. It is the first app of its kind using voice and gesture activation to alert an unlimited number of emergency contacts that the user needs help.
App developer, Max Young, a junior at the University of Colorado Boulder, said his efforts began after speaking with several friends and classmates and learning that a top concern among college-goers was their desire to feel safer and more confident going out when meeting new people at school.
Young noted that while most college students carry a mobile phone, they are not always able to access it.
Most pre-existing safety apps rely on the user to physically unlock their phone and open the app. Hooot was created to discreetly signal for help without the user having to unlock their phone.
Hooot users are encouraged to launch the app before going out, allowing it to run in the background. The app will only jump into action once activated by gesture or code word, sending a text message and a pin-dropped GPS location to select emergency contacts.
Hooot, which launched on February 1, is available for unlimited use at no cost.
“I realized that asking our users to pay for safety wasn’t truly in line with our mission, so we scrapped that plan and made Hooot free,” Young said. “The demand for this type of service is high, and everyone should be able to access the help that they need, whenever and wherever they may need it.”
A 2020 study showed that 13% of all students experience some form of physical assault during their time at college. Among undergraduate students, 26.4% of females and 6.8% of males have experienced some form of physical assault or harassment, while 5.8% of students have experienced stalking since entering college.
The app is also working to partner with college students and sororities through their Brand Ambassador Program. Those who participate in the program are given a promotional code that they can use to recruit peers and earn rewards.
Young is optimistic for the future of Hooot and says that the app will have a positive effect empowering several communities, not just college students.
“There’s no limit to what can be defined as a ‘dangerous situation,’ the term means different things for different people,” he said. “From college students jogging back to their dorm from class at night to their grandparents going for a stroll in the morning and everyone in between, we could all benefit from having what is essentially a personal mobile bodyguard in our pockets.”
Hooot is offered exclusively to iOS users. An Android version is currently under development and is slated to launch later this year.
About Hooot:
Hooot is an app aimed at empowering individuals with the gift of safety. We’ve made it our mission to not only make college campuses safer, but to bring peace of mind to students, parents, and university staff alike. Hooot works to lower the statistics of sexual assault by putting the next generation of personal safety directly into your pocket. Just say the word, and Hooot instantly and discreetly jumps into action, alerting an unlimited number of emergency contacts with a text message and pin-dropped GPS location.
For more information and to download Hooot, visit www.gethooot.com or follow Hooot on social media at @gethooot
For additional information, media, or to schedule an interview, please contact Candice Ouellette at the email address above.
Media Contact
Company Name: Hooot
Contact Person: Candice Ouellette
Email: Send Email
Phone: 201-961-4952
Address:1905 15th St., #4334
City: Boulder
State: CO 80306
Country: United States
Website: www.gethooot.com
