Half Staff App vs Bryx Mobile
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Half Staff App
This app sends push notifications to your iOS device, reminding you to set the American flag to half staff. It tracks presidential proclamations and pre-determined remembrance days. Users can request state-specific notifications.
- Push notifications for half staff days
- Tracks presidential proclamations
- Includes pre-determined remembrance days
- Reminders for Patriot Day, Memorial Day, etc.
- State-specific notification requests
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Never forget to set your flag to half staff again with the Half Staff App! Receive a push notification to your iOS device the night before the American flag needs to be at Half Staff. This simple app tracks when the President issues a half staff proclamation, as well as on pre-determined days such as Patriot Day, Memorial Day, Peace Officers Memorial Day and Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. Do you want notifications by state? Leave a review with your state, and we'll add states based on the most reviews!
Bryx Mobile
This app enhances communication and situational awareness for first responders. It delivers critical alerts with scene details, routing, and navigation, while also offering features like hydrant information, past call data, and real-time messaging.
- Real-time alerts from CAD
- Routing and navigation tools
- Hydrant information
- Past call data
- Site survey data attachment
- Live location updates
- Internet dispatch radio streams
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Bryx Mobile is a free mobile alerting and messaging app that provides enhanced communications and situational awareness for first responders. Receiving data directly from the CAD, Bryx Mobile sends alerts to mobile devices, providing priority information about the scene along with routing and navigation tools. The app boasts industry-leading speed, content, and ease of use, and is completely free for first responders serving communities around the world. Bryx Mobile is packed with features that empower you and your team, before and at the scene. • View hydrants around the job, color-coded for flow rate and condition. • Quickly view job information for prior calls to the same address. • Attach site survey data to include entry access and hazardous materials information. • Enhance team communication through real-time messaging and live location updates for users. • View the exact job location within your district and a highlighted route from your station to the scene. • Enable dispatching by agency or unit and view supplemental updates from CAD in real time - all without creating any extra work for dispatchers. • Configure internet dispatch radio streams and play them directly from Bryx Mobile. Some hardware required. • Bryx Mobile’s first-in-class engineering is backed by dedicated, round-the-clock support from the same engineers who built the system. This app is only intended to be used by first responders, and your station chief must add users to the approved access list. Note: This app may use background audio streaming. Continued use of audio streaming running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. Bryx, Inc.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Bryx Mobile at Free against Half Staff App's $0.99. Bryx Mobile also leads on rating (4.3 vs 3.4) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 22 months). Half Staff App's advantage is chart position (#86 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (7.1 vs 18.2). On review sentiment, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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
Bryx Mobile is free to download; Half Staff App costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Bryx Mobile holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 96 and 261 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 63% of Half Staff App's written reviews are positive against 61% of Bryx Mobile's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Half Staff App ships an update every 22 months, Bryx Mobile every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on September 28, 2026.
| Parameter | Half Staff App | Bryx Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 3.4 (96 ratings) | 4.3 (261 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 63.0% of reviews — better | 60.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 96 | 261 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 22 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #86 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 7.1 — better | 18.2 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 73 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | The Jed Mahonis Group | Bryx |
Customer experience
Half Staff App
Bryx Mobile
Bugs and requests
Half Staff App
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Bryx Mobile
Reported bugs
6 issues- Scanner feature only works when app is left open
- App mutes phone when open, pausing audio
- App crashes when opened, then fine after restart
- Removed from Apple CarPlay in newest update
- Stopped getting alerts and notifications on iPhone
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- Map doesn't always work or is not accurate
Requested features
10 requests- Navigation options for apps to use
- Notes with time stamps and updates for call to see while enroute
- Apple Watch integration
- Easy in and out of duty feature (long press, shortcut, action button, widget)
- Settings stored in iCloud
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- Set alert tone by unit rather than call type
- Ability to upload custom alert tones
- Toggle critical alerts inside the app
- Filter calls by unit, especially at night
- CarPlay functionality improvements
In-app purchases
Half Staff App
No in-app purchases
Bryx Mobile
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Half Staff App free?
Is Bryx Mobile free?
Which has better reviews, Half Staff App or Bryx Mobile?
Do Half Staff App or Bryx Mobile have ads?
Which is updated more often, Half Staff App or Bryx Mobile?
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