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QUINCY, ILL. -- T-minus two days and counting until Halloween.

You know all the rules of sending your kids out trick or treating ... wear reflective clothing, go in a group, look both ways before you cross the street.

With technology advancing, another almost must is a cell phone.

Here are some great apps for your smart phone to help keep your kids safe this Halloween and all year round.

If you know what to look for, finding apps to keep your kids safe is a cinch. The first one is called Life 360. It's in the iTunes App Store and Google Play.

"What this does is it provides the location of family members. And with the touch of a button, it will actually show and send a notification that you need help. You can also speak to your family members through this application," Joyce Waterkotte with U.S. Cellular said.

Then using Google Maps, you can find your family member's exact location. Life 360 is a free download.

The next app is Panic Button. It's also a free download from the Google Play. It's just under three dollars in the App Store.

"You can load up a contact or a couple of contacts and when you push that button, it will notify those contacts where your exact location is in Google Maps," Waterkotte said.

Another app is the FBI Child ID app. It's more of a proactive application.

"We recommend you upload your child's latest photo and other vital information. That way, God forbid, it's all right there if you have to give it to authorities," Waterkotte said.

Besides the apps, it's a good idea to teach your kids how to dial 911, and how to talk to an operator. Being able to describe their surroundings could be a life saver if your child is ever in danger.

Joyce Waterkotte joined KHQA This Morning on Monday, October 29 to talk about the apps. Take a look at that video above.