With homicides and street violence on the rise across the United States, personal safety remains a topical theme.
Recent studies indicate that Americans are increasingly growing wary of venturing into the dark alone, while every doorbell is answered with a heightened degree of caution. According to one such survey, a whopping 40% of Americans won’t walk alone at night within their home’s general vicinity.
The reality is that you’ll inevitably have to venture out at night once in a while. But when it comes down to it, you can ward off danger by investing in certain safety applications.
Below are the five safety apps you should download straight away.
- UrSafe
UrSafe was designed for people who feel cautious about meeting strangers for the first time. The mobile application enhances your safety by keeping your loved ones in the loop about your whereabouts.
Simply tell UrSafe to check on you every half an hour within a fixed timeframe. The app will send you a pop-up notification every 30 minutes, followed automatically by an SOS alert to your pre-fed contacts if you don’t dismiss the notifications within 10 seconds.
UrSafe developers understand that instigating a fake call is one of the best tips to keep you safe when you feel threatened outside. As such, they incorporated a fake call feature that calls you to confirm your safety status using a realistic human voice.
For more dire emergency situations, press and hold the SOS button for three seconds. UrSafe will use its geo-mapping features to contact local authorities and activate speedy rescue.
Other noteworthy UrSafe features include a safeword trigger, fall detection, crash detection, tracking feature, and Bluetooth connectivity.
- BSafe
If you’re strolling along a deserted street and are worried that the person behind is following too close for comfort, you deserve a safety app that can activate emergency alerts before the worst happens. That’s what BSafe guarantees.
With BSafe’s voice activation, you can quickly trigger the SOS alarm to start recording audio and video.
Like UrSafe, BSafe has a fake call function for more threatening situations. There’s also a ‘follow me’ feature to invite your friends and family to virtually access your location through a GPS tracker.
Besides, BSafe has live streaming capabilities that give your followers a more realistic experience of your present situation, and a timer alarm lets you determine how you want the app to follow you.
- Noonlight
Noonlight stands out for its ease of use. If you ever feel threatened, simply open the app and hold the button.
When the threat goes away, release the button and input your 4-digit PIN. But if the danger persists, release the button, but don’t enter your PIN. This will automatically notify law enforcement of your location for emergency rescue.
But Noonlight doesn’t just point first responders to your location. The app also shares your vital information, including your age, photo ID, and medical condition. This ensures you get prompt and appropriate help.
Noonlight has a ‘safety network’ feature where you can invite your family and friends and have them request a check-in if your whereabouts cannot be accounted for. Failure to respond to check-in requests is a cue for your loved ones to notify the authorities straight away.
- Red Panic Button
Like most safety apps, the Red Panic Button was designed to whisk users to safety whenever danger looms. Using the app requires no learning curve.
When you’re in distress, just remember to push the red panic button on the phone screen. The software will immediately send out SMS and email alerts containing your GPS coordinates to the pre-fed emergency contacts.
Red Panic Button integrates with your smartwatch, providing unlimited protection. The app is also compatible with both Android and iOS devices.
Moreover, a remote access feature sends your phone’s last known location to your emergency contacts.
If you’re in a rapidly evolving security situation and can’t recall your emergency contacts, simply press the overall emergency dial to call any other memorized number.
Circle of 6
Most safety apps let you save emergency contacts to quickly alert you when distressed. But what makes the Circle of 6 unique is that you get to choose up to six trusted friends and relatives.
Circle of 6 will alert the pre-fed contacts with your exact GPS coordinates when you're in danger. The app sends elaborate text messages detailing your location and the nature of your distress.
By pressing the car icon, your contacts will receive a message requesting them to come pick you up and drive you home.
Hitting the phone icon will ask your contacts to call and pretend they need you urgently, so you can tactfully evade an uncomfortable person or situation.
Finally, there’s a chat icon that requests essential safety advice.
Summary
No two safety applications are identical. Each software has its defining pros and glaring drawbacks. Therefore, the trick is to test-drive every program before downloading it.
Insist on a safety app that’s easy to use and comes with high-end voice activation features. Besides, the tool should preferably have a handy SOS button and support seamless integration with other personal utility apps. Compatibility with different operating systems - including Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android - is an add-on.
More importantly, remember to practice other personal safety tips rather than rely solely on a safety app. Trust your instincts, avoid known security hotspots, and use your best judgment to weave your way from potentially dangerous situations.
