It’s a brutal time for women, people of color, and all who endure marginalization. In an America reeling from a manosphere-powered presidential win, a trustworthy safety app feels more crucial than ever. We can’t promise we’ll be OK, but personal safety can make all the difference.
If there’s one takeaway from this guide, it’s this: Download the free Noonlight app, explore the built-in safety features on your devices, and familiarize yourself with these tools before you find yourself in an emergency. Below, is our tried-and-tested selection of top safety apps, ranging from emergency alerts to GPS tracking. We also have a guide for apps that help people with disabilities travel more easily.
What Safety Features Do iPhones Already Have?
Your iPhone comes equipped with a few safety features that work right out of the box—no extra downloads or purchases needed.
First, there’s location sharing, which lets you share your whereabouts directly with other iPhone users. Just open their contact card, tap Send My Current Location or Share My Location—and a time frame: indefinitely, until the end of the day, or for one hour.
The Emergency SOS feature is just as straightforward. When needed, just hold down the power button and one of the volume buttons, then slide the SOS slider to call 911. Or, keep holding both buttons, and it will automatically dial after a five-second countdown. You can also text 911.
With iOS 17, Apple introduced a Check In tool. It essentially lets you, well, check in, with someone you trust, right within your message thread. If you don’t update your selected contact once you arrive at your destination, it will prompt you for a response and share important data (location, battery life, network signal) with your emergency contact. Here’s how to use it.
The obvious downside is that your phone needs to be charged for these features to work. If you’re in a situation where your battery is running low, I recommend sending your current location to a loved one while you still have power. If GPS tracking isn’t for you, you could always snap a quick screenshot of your location or route on a map and share it with a friend. That way, if something unexpected happens, emergency responders will have a starting point to trace your steps.
What Safety Features Do Androids (and Most Phones) Already Have?
Most smartphones offer an SOS feature that lets you reach first responders without having to unlock your phone. Androids can vary based on the model, but if you have a relatively recent phone, it likely includes some form of emergency call system. It’s also worth noting that you should be able to reach emergency services even without a service plan or SIM card, as long as you’re within range of a cellular signal. You can also share your location using Google Maps, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp.
If you have a Samsung Galaxy, you can establish emergency contacts. If the alarm is triggered, this setting will send them SOS messages as well as optional video and audio recordings. Note: It doesn’t contact local authorities, so you’ll need to set up a contact for your local emergency services if you want your SOS to signal help immediately.
If you have a Pixel 4 or newer, a personal safety app is programmed into your phone. There, you’ll find Safety Check. You specify what you’re doing and how long it should take. After that time frame is up, you’ll get an alert to check in and say you’re OK within 60 seconds. If you don’t, your assigned contacts are notified. You can also immediately alert 911 or your contacts instead of waiting for the timer if you’re able to. There is also car crash detection and emergency SOS. For the latter, you don’t need to use the app, but instead, press the power button five times to trigger a call. If your phone is older, or you have another type of Android, you can download this app, but mileage may vary.
What Safety Features Do Smartwatches Already Have?
As on an iPhone, you can make an SOS call to local emergency services via your Apple Watch by pressing the side button until the SOS slider appears on the screen. From there, you can manually drag the slider or keep holding the button until the five-second countdown. Your designated emergency contacts are also notified via text message with your location.
Most Garmin Watch models have an Assistance setting that will send your location to your predetermined contacts if activated, similar to the Flare and InvisaWear jewelry. There is also an Incident Detection feature, which automatically sends your location to those contacts when the device detects a fall or other serious accident.
Editor Adrienne So has tried testing Incident Detection with several wearables and has yet to get it to activate after fake falls, so we can’t say for sure how well this would work during an actual incident. Still, So says she feels generally much safer on runs, thanks to Garmin’s location tracking. Like most of these wearables (except for the Apple Watch, which you can set up a separate cellular plan for), your phone will have to be with you for this to work. And of course, you’ll have to make sure you activate these safety features first.
In our search for the best safety apps, we put each option to the test. We set off panic buttons when possible and talked to responders. We engaged in training exercises provided by the companies themselves. What we found is that many of these apps empower users to signal for help discreetly, eliminating the need to speak or make a call when you might be in a precarious situation.
We approached this research with inclusivity at the forefront, recognizing that personal safety needs can vary widely among individuals. While women, people of color, and persons of the LGBTQIA+ community face heightened vulnerability, anyone can find themselves at risk of violence, regardless of their background. Our focus here primarily addresses one-on-one violence, yet we acknowledge that fears surrounding mass shootings persist in our society. These apps can help you reach assistance more quickly, but they haven’t been specifically tested for such scenarios.
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