Comparison

Half Staff App vs Bryx Mobile

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

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!

About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

Half Staff App2 screens
Bryx Mobile4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Half Staff App ships an update every 22 months, Bryx Mobile every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on September 28, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Half Staff App versus Bryx Mobile: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHalf Staff AppBryx Mobile
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating3.4 (96 ratings)4.3 (261 ratings) — better
Positive reviews63.0% of reviews — better60.7% of reviews
Number of ratings96261 — better
Update frequencyEvery 22 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank#86 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS7.1 — better18.2
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB73 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperThe Jed Mahonis GroupBryx

Customer experience

Half Staff App

All ratings96 ratings
Positive60.4%
Neutral11.5%
Negative28.1%
Written reviews81 reviews
Positive63.0%
Neutral12.3%
Negative24.7%

Bryx Mobile

All ratings261 ratings
Positive81.6%
Neutral6.9%
Negative11.5%
Written reviews28 reviews
Positive60.7%
Neutral17.9%
Negative21.4%

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
Show 1 more
  • 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 more
  • 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

None

Half Staff App

No in-app purchases

None

Bryx Mobile

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Half Staff App free?
Half Staff App costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Bryx Mobile free?
Bryx Mobile is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Half Staff App or Bryx Mobile?
Bryx Mobile is rated higher. Half Staff App averages 3.4 out of 5 from 96 ratings, while Bryx Mobile averages 4.3 from 261 ratings.
Do Half Staff App or Bryx Mobile have ads?
Neither Half Staff App nor Bryx Mobile shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Half Staff App or Bryx Mobile?
Half Staff App ships an update every 22 months, and Bryx Mobile every 3 weeks. Most recently, Half Staff App was updated on September 28, 2026 and Bryx Mobile on September 28, 2026.

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