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I downloaded “Hey Siri, I’m getting pulled over” app. Should You?

Published

4 years ago

June 20, 2020

As Black Lives Matters protests continue, a new iPhone feature has come to surface. Apple has developed a new shortcut for users to record interaction with police.

Tell Siri, “Hey Siri, I’m getting pulled over..” and the shortcut will pause your music if playing, turn down your brightness, turn on the do not disturb feature to block any incoming calls, turn on your location, open your face camera and begin recording.

You can add contacts to this shortcut so that once Siri is done recording she will automatically send the video and your current location to them. The app was created in 2018 by Robert Petersen and is just now coming to surface in June 2020. He states on his twitter that he has a newer version currently available for download.

Being a 23-year-old black woman during this time in America of traffic stops, police brutality and injustice, I think this new shortcut to document evidence is genius. I can attest that myself and many other African Americans get a chill of fear when being pulled over. My thought is always “ Hurry up and grab your registration so they don’t mistake you to be grabbing something else..” This races through my mind every single time. So to have a hands free way of providing protection/evidence for myself is amazing!

https://twitter.com/J_realbidness/status/1272720567695745024

So how do I get this on my phone?

Download the “Shortcuts” app onto your iPhone from the Apple Store. Then you have to run another shortcut within the Shortcuts app. Next, go to settings and select “Shortcuts” and then press “Allow untrusted shortcuts”. Then proceed with adding your contacts you would like to receive your location and copy of the video. A simple short action that could help you in the future and potentially save your life.

This app is bittersweet because, Yes! We now have a way to first hand document unjust situations, but it also makes me immensely sad that in today’s society, we have to come to this extent of precautions. So many citizens do not trust the police, the people who we are taught are supposed to protect us.

There have been numerous times during my years of college where the police would be out just trolling cars filled with black kids, and I and my friends were pulled over.

Police brutality can happen anywhere and to anyone. My siblings and I immediately downloaded the shortcut and added each other as the contacts. It literally takes two minutes. There’s a number of YouTube videos showing and explaining how to get the app and set it up.

This app is a game changer and a MUST download for all people and ages because this is just a different world.