Tech Savvy Mama

Parenting in the Digital Age

RedRover App Review: Smart Easy to Use App Facilitates Spontaneous Playdates

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In the world of parenting, sometimes plans are made well in advance but other times they are spur of the moment and need to be shared quickly and easily. Welcome the new RedRover app, a robust free app serves tool to facilitate spontaneous additions to your social calendar.

 
Gone are the days of texting each one of your friends with the details of where you are, how long you’ll be there, and the endless back and forth. RedRover for Andriod and iPhone allows users send a short note to the friends you want to invite to join you and hit send. Simple, easy, no back and forth. Totally genius!



One thing that I really love about RedRover is the easy to use interface. It takes less than 5 minutes to get started including the time it takes to download the app! 

The main Share screen as seen on the right is easy to navigate and requires only 3 taps:

  • Tap 1– Choose friends. One single tap brings you to a screen where you can contact those you want to include in your plans. If friends don’t have the RedRover app, they can receive an email instead and you can also use the integrated social networking features and post to Twitter and Facebook if you choose. Note: If you have a public Twitter account, you may not want to broadcast your whereabouts when out with your kids.
  • Tap 2– Enter the text detailing your plans and there’s an option to add a photo which could be helpful for those obscure places where your friends may need a photo of the outside of the building or a landmark in order to locate you.
  • Tap 3– Tap the big rectangular send button at the bottom and everyone you’ve selected will get a message about your meetup.
The simple interface carries through to the rest of the app. All of the different features- Timeline, Meet, Share, Friends, Emergency– are located on the bottom of the screen and a tap away.

 

One of my favorites screens is the Emergency one. Using the phone’s internal GPS, the app is able to pinpoint nearby hospitals in the event that disaster strikes. RedRover tells you how far away each hospital is in miles (I’ve replaced miles with the rectangular box for privacy reasons), provides the number in case you need to call ahead, and a map. 

The buttons at the top of the Emergency screen allow users to call 911, poison control, or text emergency contacts with a one tap. The simplicity of this screen means no more fumbling through your address book while you try to take care of a sick or injured child and panic starts to set in. Hallelujah!

 
Summary: The thoughtfully designed RedRover app makes it easy to use anywhere. Whether inviting friends to join impromptu park playdates, hosting spontaneous cooling off sessions at the pool during the hottest of summer days, getting everyone together for dinner nights where no one feels like cooking, sharing the best back to school deals while you’re out and about to help your friends save some cash too, and evening happy hours for moms after a long day of being with kids, it’s an app that I see making parents’ lives easier. 

I also love that RedRover is donating $1 up to $20,000 for every download to Christy Turlington’s charity, EveryMotherCounts.org until Tuesday, July 26.
 
RedRover is a free download available through iTunes or the Android marketplace.
 
I am a RedRover Roving Mom and am being compensated for my time involved in evaluating and reviewing the app. All opinions are my own.

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Original post by Tech Savvy Mama
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Comments

  2. Sassy Mom in the City says

    OMG! I just found this app over the weekend and downloaded it too. I was so excited to find it and thought it was an amazing idea, especially for urban mamas. So happy you are a Red Rover mom! I can’t wait to share with my sassy moms in the city readers.

    See you in a few weeks at BlogHer! Hugs from Chicago!