A LOT OF women have to face the same safety warnings from a young age: Don't go anywhere alone. Never leave a drink unattended. Check your car's back seats and lock your doors instantly after getting in. This focus on personal priority, of course, tends to overlook the priority of those who do the violence, and it supposes that others nearby might not be ready (or willing) to help—which is also a necessary part of the discussion about personal safety. But many of us still feel the need to put up our guard or have come up with hacks to protect ourselves in potentially threatening situations.
We’ve learned about built-in smartphone functions, third-party apps, internet-connected jewelry, and other wearables designed to get you in contact with help when you need it. None of these products provides a comprehensive solution for every situation, but they each offer some form of protection. In some localities, it's illegal to carry a concealed weapon like a knife or pepper spray, and using those things can put you in more danger. So the methods we highlight here are alternatives to dangerous weapons. And most of the products are suited to signaling your need for help without forcing you to speak to anyone, so you don't have to dial a number or voice your concern aloud when it would be unsafe for you to do so.
Those different Products may have different personal safety needs or feel unsafe in situations where others don’t.
List of Product for Personal Safety
- Safety Features Your Phone
- An App for Recording the Police
- A Great General Safety App
- A Bracelet That Triggers a Fake Phone Call
- A Personal Alarm for Your Keychain
Safety Features Your Phone
Your smartphone has at least two built-in safety features that work without requiring you to download or buy anything extra: location sharing and emergency calling. To use these built-in safety features on your phone, follow these instructions:
iPhone: If you have an iPhone, you can share your location with other iPhone users by going to their contact card and selecting Send My Current Location or Share My Location. With the latter, you can choose a time frame: frequently, until the end of the day, or for one hour. iPhones also have an emergency call feature that is activated by holding down the power button and one of the volume buttons. You can slide the SOS slider for an urgent call, or keep holding down the buttons to automatically place a call to 911, which will happen after a five-second countdown.
Android (most other phones): You can use Google Maps to share your location with friends by choosing Location Sharing under your account icon in the top right (on the iPhone app, you’ll find this in the menu in the top left). Unlike the fairly uniform iPhone, Android phones, including Samsung Galaxy devices, come in varying sizes and shapes and receive Android software updates at different times, but if you have an Android phone from the last few years it should have some form of an emergency call system. Check for it now, before you need it.
Pretty much all smartphones now offer an emergency call feature from the lock screen, so you can call 911 without having to unlock your phone. Calls to 911 should also work on most smartphones if you don't have service or a SIM card, as long as you're close enough to a cellular signal, be it your own wireless carrier or another. It’s similar to how you can use a payphone to call 911 without feeding it any quarters.
The obvious downside to relying on your smartphone is that if it dies or is shut off, you can’t make any phone calls or share your location with a trusted contact. So if you notice your battery is low and you sense you might be in danger, you should quickly send your current location, so your trusted contact has a starting point. If you’d rather not use continuous tracking, you could text a trusted friend a photo of the map you’re using, like if you’re going out for a solo hike; that way, if you don’t arrive at your destination, friends or authorities can at least try to trace your steps.
An App for Recording the Police
App Name: Mobile Justice
The killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Daunte Wright, Ma'Khia Bryant, and many others have only underscored that for many Americans—particularly Black Americans—there’s the very real risk of being harmed by the use of force by police. So even defaulting to apps that promise to “contact the authorities” when you’re in danger assumes a certain amount of privilege: It means your experience is such that you believe the authorities will protect you, not hurt you. But as we know, that is not everyone’s experience.
That’s where an app like Mobile Justice may be helpful. The app records your interaction with police, streaming the video to your chosen contacts and your local ACLU chapter. If you feel your rights have been violated during the interaction, you can then fill out an incident report for the ACLU with the location detail, name of the police agency elaborate, and a detailed explanation of what happened. You’ll need cell service or Wi-Fi for the app to work, but you can record on your phone and send an adventure report later if needed. The Mobile Justice app isn’t just for people who are being pulled over or treated with unnecessary force; others can use the app to record incidents they’re witness to.
We know this isn't a perfect solution, and that even capturing concrete video evidence doesn’t necessarily mean a citizen is protected or that justice will be served if harm is done. But it is well within your rights to record interactions with law enforcement. As is outlined in the suitable section of the app, officers cannot view or delete footage or confiscate your phone without a warrant; and demanding that you stop recording is against your First reformation rights. Third parties can legally record interaction with police and someone else, as long as they are not interfering with what’s happening or obstructing officers’ movements.
There's more helpful detail within the app about your rights in different situations, whether you’re being stopped by the police or participating in a protest, as well as alerts from your local ACLU.
Download Mobile Justice on the App Store or Google Play.
A Great General Safety App
App Name: Noonlight
It's super simple to use, downloads are available for iOS and Android, and the free versions include more than enough features for most users. All you have to do is press your finger on the on-screen button if you feel unsafe. After taking off your finger, the app will wait 10 seconds for you to enter a PIN number, in case it was a false alarm. If you don’t enter your PIN, Noonlight will first attempt to contact you over the phone, and if you don’t reply the call, the company will then contact local authorities and direct them to your location.
The iOS version of Noonlight includes two additional free features that I like: Timeline and Safety Network. Your Timeline can be filled out with information about your activities, like whom you're going on a Tinder date with and where; you can even add a photo of their profile. You can also hint if you’re doing anything out of the ordinary from your normal schedule, like house-sitting, working late, or traveling to a new location. If you activate the Noonlight button, your Timeline will be sent to authorities, along with your location.
When you add contacts to the app’s Safety Network, these people can check in on you and send local help to your last known location. And your contacts won't have to download the Noonlight app; they can access all of the relevant information on the company’s website.
Download Noonlight on the App Store or Google Play.
A Bracelet That Triggers a Fake Phone Call
Product Name: Flare Bracelet
The Flare bracelet stood out. For one, it actually looks like a bracelet, not a tracking device. The Flare comes in a beaded or cuffed design, with some different options for metal finishes. Its design hides an SOS button that you'd really have to be searching for to find—whomever you're trying to get away from won't know you've set anything off. Press the button once if you’d like to receive a fake phone call, the type of which you determine in the app, like a roommate who needs you or a partner checking in. It comes from a real number that the app prompts you to save in your contacts, adding a fake name that gets displayed when the phone rings.
That’s helpful if someone is simply being trouble. But when you’re in a dangerous scenario where a fake call isn’t enough, you can hold down the Flare button to send a message and your location to your selected contacts. Flare has also established a partnership with Noonlight, so you can set up the Flare device (through the app) to call 911 when you hold the button down. You'll get a text and call immediately, and if you can't answer, your location is shared with first responders in your area. If you set it off accidentally, the operator will ask for personal identifiers like the spelling of your last name and phone number, so they know it's really you.
Flare is currently available only for iPhone users; an Android version is in the works, but the company hasn’t said when it will be available. The battery isn't rechargeable, which the company says was an intentional design choice to avoid any frustration with having to constantly recharge the thing. But the bracelet is guaranteed to last one year, and depending on usage could last as long as two years.
You can Buy From Flare Website
A Personal Alarm for Your Keychain
Product Name: Custom Music Safety Keychain
A personal alarm won't notify your distant friends or let the police know that you're in Danger, but a super loud alarm can still probably alert other humans around you. More importantly, it might scare off a potential attacker. If you've been grabbed and can still get to the alarm, putting it right to the person's ear could force them to loosen their grip on you. Just try to protect your own ears, and run away as fast as you can.
You Can Buy Custom Music Safety Keychain From Amazon
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