Safe Redbirds vs Illinois
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Safe Redbirds
This app provides Illinois State University students, faculty, and guests with enhanced campus safety. It offers emergency alerts, direct access to safety resources, and tools for personal safety and reporting concerns.
- Emergency alerts and contacts
- Campus safety guides (text/video)
- Virtual Blue Light emergency feature
- Request campus escorts (Redbird Safe Walk)
- Friend Walk location sharing
- Tip reporting to campus police
- Interactive campus maps
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Safe Redbirds is the official safety app of Illinois State University. It is the only app that integrates with ISU's safety and security systems. ISU Police and Emergency Management worked together to develop a unique app that provides students, faculty, staff, and guests with added safety on the Illinois State University campus. The app will send you important safety alerts and provide instant access to campus safety resources. Safe Redbirds features include: - Emergency Numbers: Contact the correct services for the Illinois State University area in case of an emergency or a non-emergency concern. - Emergency Guides: Campus emergency documentation with instructions on what to do in different types of emergency situations. Guides are available in both plain text and short video clips. Text guides can be accessed even when users aren’t connected to Wi-Fi or cellular data, but video clips do require a data connection. - Virtual Blue Light: Similar to the blue light emergency phones located around campus, the Virtual Blue Light feature allows you to speak with an ISU Police dispatcher and simultaneously share your location with them in real time. This feature is only available on or near campus. - Redbird Safe Walk: Request ISU Police have a representative walk with you on campus. - Virtual Safe Walk: Allow an ISU Police dispatcher to monitor your walk. If you would like an added level of safety when walking on or near campus, you can request a Virtual Safe Walk and a dispatcher on the other end will monitor your journey until you reach your destination. - Friend Walk: The app sends your location to a friend through email or SMS from your device. Once the friend accepts the Friend Walk request, you pick your destination and your friend tracks your location in real time; they can keep an eye on you to make sure you make it safely to your destination. Your friend does not need the Safe Redbird app for this feature. - Tip Reporting: Multiple ways to report a safety/security concern directly to ISU Police and other key offices on campus. - Safety Toolbox: Enhance your safety with the set of tools provided in one convenient app. - Share Map with your Location: Send your location to a friend by sending them a map of your position. - I’m OK!: Send your location and a message indicating that “You’re OK” to a recipient of your choosing. - Campus Maps: - Campus Map: Navigate around ISU’s campus and see details about each campus building. - Where’s My Bus?: Track the Redbird Express or other Connect Transit lines in real time. - Campus Parking Map: See details of all parking lots on campus. - Campus AEDs: Interactive map with the locations of all AEDs on campus. - Evacuation Assembly Areas: Interactive map with pre-designated emergency evacuation assembly areas. - Blue Light Phones: Interactive map showing all physical blue light phones on campus. - Pawfficer Sage page: Pawfficer Sage now has her own page in the Safe Redbirds App, with details about her and a form to request Sage and the University Police Community Engagement Unit for your event. - Alerts, Crime Advisories, and Community Updates: Learn about the difference between ISU Emergency Alerts, Crime Advisories, and Community Updates, and see a history of notifications received through the app. Download today to ensure you’re prepared in the event of an emergency.
Illinois
Navigate the University of Illinois with this comprehensive digital companion. Access class schedules, your student ID, campus maps, and event information. Utilize an AI assistant for university-related questions and discover wellness resources.
- Customizable home screen
- Class schedules and locations
- Digital student ID and bus pass
- AI-powered university assistant
- Interactive campus maps with amenities
- Campus event listings
- Wellness resources
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Your digital companion to the University of Illinois, the Illinois app is for you, whether you’re a student, a Fighting Illini fan, an employee, or a first-time visitor. Features include: • A customizable home screen to make the app your own • Campus map with amenities like ADA entrances, all-gender restrooms, and lactation spaces • Class schedules, locations, and building floor plans • Illini ID, library card, and MTD bus pass • Digital business card • Wellness and safety resources, including SafeWalk requests and 24/7 crisis hotlines • Residence hall dining menus tailored to your food preferences • Groups: create or join one, or explore the official Illinois communities you’re already part of • University events, including Fighting Illini sports, Campus Recreation group fitness classes, arts, culture, and more Your quickest path to support is to report issues at https://go.illinois.edu/AppFeedback.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Safe Redbirds at 4.5 against Illinois's 2.7. Safe Redbirds also leads on review sentiment (50% vs 11%) and ads (none vs shown). Illinois's advantage is update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 11 months) and ratings volume (117 vs 8). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Safe Redbirds holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Illinois has 117 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Safe Redbirds's written reviews are positive against 11% of Illinois's.
Safe Redbirds ships an update every 11 months, Illinois every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on June 9, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Safe Redbirds | Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (8 ratings) — better | 2.7 (117 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews — better | 10.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 8 | 117 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | Every 5 weeks — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Ad-supported |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 24 MB | 124 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Illinois State University | University of Illinois |
Customer experience
Safe Redbirds
Illinois
In-app purchases
Safe Redbirds
No in-app purchases
Illinois
No in-app purchases









