Equipment · Phone
Recommended apps
What belongs on your phone before things get serious: warnings, emergency calls, maps, communication without internet and reference knowledge. All free; Bereitsein is not affiliated with any of them.
Warnings
Know in good time what is going on. At least one warning app plus Cell Broadcast.
Cell Broadcast (wireless emergency alerts)
Warnings from the authorities straight to your phone – no app and no internet needed, as long as there is a mobile network. Check in the settings under “Wireless emergency alerts” that everything is switched on.
NINA
The German government's official warning app: civil protection, severe weather, floods – for your location and saved places (e.g. where your parents live). Available in English.
KATWARN
Warnings from authorities and control centres, used in many German districts and cities.
WarnWetter
Official severe weather warnings, radar and forecast.
Meine Pegel
Water levels and flood information for gauges near you, with notifications.
Emergency calls & first aid
Get help, even when you cannot make a phone call.
Emergency SOS
Press the power button 5 times quickly: the phone calls the emergency number and can send your location and emergency info to your contacts. Set it up under Settings → Safety & emergency.
nora – emergency call app
Official emergency call app: alert the fire brigade, ambulance or police via the app – even without speaking, with your location. Register beforehand.
DRK App für Unterwegs
First aid instructions and information from the German Red Cross for when you are out and about (in German).
Maps & navigation
Navigation when Google Maps no longer loads anything without a network.
Organic Maps
Offline maps and navigation on foot, by bike and by car, based on OpenStreetMap. Bereitsein passes meeting points straight to it. With contour lines in the outdoor map style – so it also works for hiking and terrain.
Communication without internet
When the mobile network and internet go down.
Briar
Encrypted messages directly from phone to phone via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi – no internet at all. Add contacts beforehand.
Meshtastic
Text messages and location via LoRa radio with a range of several kilometres. Needs a small, inexpensive radio per person.
Zello
Walkie-talkie via voice messages – handy for groups, but it needs mobile data or Wi-Fi. If the network is down, it does not work. For real emergency radio: PMR446 radios.
Devices without a network
When mobile networks and the internet fail, only devices that transmit or receive by themselves still help. They belong in the emergency bag – with spare batteries.
PMR446 radios
Licence-free in the EU, range about 1 to a few kilometres depending on terrain. One pair per family; agree on a channel beforehand and note it in the family plan.
Battery or crank radio (FM)
The most important source of information during a power cut. Phones do not help here: Google Pixel phones have no FM receiver – not even with headphones. Internet radio needs a network.
Knowledge offline
Look things up without a network.
Kiwix
Wikipedia and other reference works (e.g. the medical encyclopaedia WikiMed) completely offline – download them beforehand.
Survival Manual
A complete survival handbook (based on the US Army field manual) – water, fire, shelter, navigation, first aid. Works fully offline.
Pl@ntNet
Identifies plants from a photo – this needs internet. Important: never eat wild plants based on an app result alone; confusion with poisonous plants is common.
F-Droid
App store for free apps without a Google account – many of the apps listed here are available there.