From a young age, women learn to be on defense. We repeat mantras to ourselves and each other: Try not to go places alone. Don’t leave drinks unattended. Check your car’s back seats and lock your doors after getting in. We’re told that such normal activities as living alone, jogging, going on dates, and leaving the house could put us in harm’s way.
To protect ourselves, our friends I spoke to mentioned the same few methods, like walking with keys held between their fingers, carrying pepper spray on their keychains, or talking on the phone with a friend until they felt safe. It’s not always a stranger lurking in the dark who poses the biggest threat; it’s often the ones we love and live with who perpetrate the most harm. We can’t make people be better, but as technology writers, we wondered if there was a better way, a way for all this tech we already carry with us—our phones, our smartwatches—to provide an assist. We don’t want to live our lives in fear, but we do want to be safe and prepared.
This guide is long, with options for different scenarios and budgets. The most important advice is this: download the free Noonlight app, see what safety features your phone and watch already offer, and learn to use whatever method you go with before you’re in an emergency. From there, we urge you to browse the rest of this guide for other options you might not have thought of.</p
Updated April 2024: We’ve included info about Apple’s new Check In feature and added the Silvertree Reach bracelet. We’ve also updated prices and links throughout.
Medea Giordano is the lead reviewer for this guide. Louryn Strampe and Adrienne So also tested some devices and shared advice on products they already use.
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The built-in safety features of the Apple Watch vary from model to model. Always get to know these features before you potentially need them.
Before you take the plunge and invest in one of these personal safety products or become entirely reliant on a piece of software, here are a few general guidelines to follow:
David Nield
Adrienne So
Jaina Grey
Reece Rogers
The apps that come preinstalled on your phone can be used to keep you safe.
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.
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The major issue with depending on your smartphone for safety is that, if it runs out of battery or turns off, you are unable to initiate any calls or share your location with a trusty contact. So, if your battery is running low, and you feel threatened, quickly send your current location, so your trusted contact has somewhere to start. Instead of continuous tracking, you could alternatively send a map picture to a friend you trust when you go out on a solo journey, like a hike; should you fail to reach your destination, your friends or the authorities can at least attempt to trace your trajectory.
To engage the inbuilt safety functions on your phone, adhere to these steps:
Chances are you always carry your phone with you. If you need something extra than these inbuilt tools, an application is the most comfortable way to seek help without clumsily handling a separate device. Most of our recommended options are also costless.
Noonlight is straightforward to use and has options for free as well as $5 and $10 per month.
The best safety apps are simple to use in a panicked situation, and Noonlight is as simple as it gets. All you have to do is press your finger on the onscreen button if you feel unsafe—I often use it while walking home but you can use it for any situation, like if someone knocks on your door. Once you’re safe, release your finger and enter your PIN within 10 seconds. If you don’t enter your PIN, Noonlight first attempts to contact you over the phone, and if you don’t answer the call, the company then contacts local authorities, directing them to your location. Help is on the way in the critical moments when you may not be able to dial 911 and talk to an operator. Every person should have this app downloaded; the free version is more than enough for most users.
Noonlight is available for both iOS and Android. The iOS version has two additional free features that I like: Timeline and Safety Network. Your Timeline can be filled out with details about your activities, like who you’re going on a date with and where; you can even add a photo of their dating profile. You can also indicate whether you’re doing anything different from your usual schedule, like house-sitting, working late, or traveling to a new location. If you activate the Noonlight button, your Timeline is sent to authorities along with your location.
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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. Your contacts don’t have to download the Noonlight app; they can access all of the relevant information on the company’s website.
If you subscribe for $5 or $10 a month, you can connect Noonlight to apps like Uber, Lyft, and Tinder (you’d be able to automatically add your date’s profile to the Timeline mentioned above), or connect a voice assistant. The $5 tier also gets you access to the Apple Watch app, though I personally think that should be a free feature. Noonlight partners with some of the other options on this list, too, and works with Wyze, one of our favorite smart-home brands.
Strava is predominantly utilised for documenting cycling and running workouts, although it also incorporates beneficial safety features.
Strava serves as a social platform for workouts, primarily used to chronicle extensive bike rides or runs. It may be an app you perhaps have on your hand. Strava boasts of an advantageous feature known as Beacon which discloses your current location in real time to anyone you select along with the information of your activity onset time, duration of your activity, and mobile’s battery life. If you designate a check-in time with your chosen acquaintance, they’ll be informed when they should begin worrying. They can then disseminate your GPS map with the police, if required. Beacon, hitherto a part of the mobile app subscription, is now free to use. However, for leveraging this feature on other linked devices such as your smartwatch, a subscription is mandatory.
One aspect to bear in mind is that if your profile is public, other Strava users might be able to determine your residential address. Strava provides instructions on how to modify your privacy settings, or you can initiate tracking your runs a few blocks away from your home.
Rescu empowers you to specific exactly the sort of help required and it retains addresses to enable help to reach your house even in your absence.
In addition to contacting police, Rescu includes options to get the fire department or an ambulance dispatched quickly so you don’t have to worry about talking through an incident with an operator before the right team is alerted. It has another nice feature: You can send help to up to four saved addresses even if you aren’t there—so if you’re out of town and your security camera spots someone lurking around or there’s an emergency at an elderly parent’s house outside your area, you don’t have to figure out exactly which department to call when you’re already panicked.
There’s no free tier here, but the brand has condensed its options into one $8.25 per month subscription. It includes your saves addresses plus the ability to send help to wherever you are, using GPS, and an unlimited amount of emergency contacts. And you can use calling, texting, or in-app chatting to talk to help if it’s needed.
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The app is automatically put in test mode for the first day after you download it, so you can get used to using all the features without actually calling anyone. If you want to refresh yourself or show someone else how to use it, you can put it back into test mode at any time from the main menu.
Sabre is best known for its paper spray and other safety devices. But the brand teaches safety, too, with certified instructors and programs available. It also has an app to get you help quickly if you need it.
The app is free for only alerting trusted contacts, or $5 a month for adding police access (Sabre partners with Noonlight for this). You just need to add your contact’s name and number in the app and they have to verify it using a link sent to them; app download is not necessary. Your location on a map and a red exclamation point should be visible on the homepage. Clicking on the exclamation point will take you to your panic button. On pressing it, your trusted contact will receive a link to your location. If you have purchased the subscription, it also alerts the authorities to the location. After this, you can mark yourself safe or declare a false alarm—both require a pin number for confirmation and your contact receives an alert of your status as well (they can however still view your location).
The Personal Safety app from Sabre works in standalone mode or can be used in combination with its smart pepper spray, which sends alerts to your contacts or local authorities when deployed. However, as mentioned before, laws are complex and pepper spray may not be the ideal choice for everyone or every situation. Pepper gel is generally preferable as it reduces the risk of it blowing back into your eyes. (We recommend practicing with the provided practice canister if you do choose to get it).
Mobile Justice can be employed to document your interactions with law enforcement or to record any police interactions that you’re witness to.
Reliance on apps that pledge to “contact the authorities” when you’re in danger assumes a certain amount of privilege: It implies that your experiences have led you to believe the authorities will safeguard you, not harm you. But it’s important to remember that this is not the case for everyone. For many Americans—especially Black Americans— there’s a substantial risk of harm from police, even if they’re the ones who call for help.
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 information, name of the police agency involved, 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 incident 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 witness.
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Author: Reece Rogers
We understand that capturing concrete video evidence doesn’t always ensure protection or justice. However, you retain the right to record interactions with law enforcement. As stated in the rights section of the app, officers cannot view or delete footage, or confiscate your phone without a warrant. Demanding that you stop recording infringes on your First Amendment rights. Moreover, third parties can legally record interactions between the police and another party, as long as they are not interfering or obstructing the officers.
The app provides additional useful information about your rights in various situations like when you’re stopped by the police or participating in a protest. It also includes alerts from your local ACLU.
The InvisaWear wearables work together with ADT. This home security company also has a separate app. The free tier of this app has an SOS button. If you activate this button and ADT can’t reach you by phone, they will send assistance and notify your chosen contacts. It also has an SOS chat option. Both these tools are discreet, for those moments you need help without drawing attention. Remember to turn your phone volume down if you’re in a situation where you need to conceal your actions. The free version also includes location tracking with trusted contacts, akin to some of our other suggested apps.
If you subscribe to the Plus plan at $4.17 per month, you’ll also get SOS video (this could be used as evidence, if it comes to that), a timed tracking feature for ADT and your contacts to track your location during a situation you feel could be dicey, and the option to trigger a silent alarm with a secret code phrase. A premium plan for $8.33 a month includes roadside assistance and crash detection.
There are tons of safety apps, including two additional ones we’ve looked into. We recommend trying a few to see what works best for you, and like everything else on this list, play around with the app so you know exactly how it works when you need it.
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There are times when you simply can’t, or don’t want to, have your phone open in your hands, and that’s where a panic button comes in handy. We’ve tried keychains and buttons hidden in jewelry.
Arlo’s Safe Buttons are small and mostly unassuming, adding little weight to your keys. You’ll need to connect it to the Arlo Safe app (available on the App Store or Google Play) but once set up you can use it without taking out your phone. If you’re in an uncomfortable situation and this is already in your hand, you can press the button without anyone knowing.
It works similarly to Noonlight. Hold down the button—or the onscreen button in the app—if you feel uneasy, releasing it when you’re either safe or need help. Enter your PIN within 10 seconds to deactivate or don’t to prompt a text and call within a few seconds of each other. Without a subscription, your chosen contacts will be alerted of your location via GPS tracking, but with a subscription you can contact police and unlock other services too, like tracking and check-ins. You can get two buttons bundles with one year of a family plan. After that, subscriptions cost $5 per month for an individual plan, $10 for a family plan, and $25 per month for the total Safe and Secure Plan which includes camera monitoring if you also use its security cams.
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There’s a clip to attach it to your clothes, and it seems pretty secure for walking, but runners may want more dependability. I recommend using the key ring to attach the button to a hair tie around your wrist, then use the clip to secure it so it doesn’t bounce around—I used to do this with my dorm key in college to avoid losing it or needing a bag. You’ll need to have Bluetooth turned on, and the device must be close to your phone for it to work, like the other devices here.
Photograph: Plegium
Plegium’s buttons are affordable and small little keychains, at just about an inch in diameter. The button part is actually two teeny blue buttons, one on each side of the circle. Hold them down for a few seconds, and once the green light flashes, a text and automated phone call are sent to your chosen contacts. If you don’t pay for a subscription, they’ll get the location where the button was activated. That gives them at least a place to start if something terrible happens. For live tracking and connection to authorities, you’ll need to pay for the $7.45-a-month subscription.
The brand also has two sizes of pepper spray that, when sprayed, alert your contacts the same way the button does. Like I mention in the Sabre section, I prefer the option to use pepper gel, because there’s less blowback on you.
I’ve tested around half a dozen or so safety-specific wearables over the past few years, and the Flare bracelet stood out. For one, it actually looks like a bracelet, not a tracking device. Flares come in beaded, leather, or cuffed designs, with a few options for metal finishes. Its design hides an SOS button that you’d really have to be searching for to find—whoever 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 (available on the App Store), 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 aforementioned feature is helpful if someone is simply being a nuisance, but when you’re in a dangerous situation where a fake call isn’t enough, hold down the button to send a message and your location to your selected contacts and/or police. 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 and want to cancel, the operator will ask for personal identifiers, like the spelling of your last name and phone number, so they know it’s really you.
The pricing and subscription models have changed a few times, but as of this writing the $149 fee includes a membership. The battery should last one year and it 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’ll be notified when it’s dying. After that, you’ll have to purchase an entirely new bracelet for another $98. Flare is currently only available for iPhone users. Like any other tracking device, it has to be connected to a phone, so you couldn’t put this on a child and send them to school, for example.
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Note: The company selects five individuals in need each month to receive a free bracelet. You can either nominate yourself or someone you know here.
If you find the concept of Flare appealing but own an Android phone, or simply don’t wear bracelets, you might want to look at InvisaWear products, supported by the home security firm ADT. The InvisaWear range includes a variety of products such as keychains, bracelets, and necklaces. Similar to Flare, these products are primarily designed to blend with your existing wardrobe. Like Flare, it uses Bluetooth to link to your device via its application (available on the App Store or Google Play).
I tried out the InvisaWear keychain, bracelet, and necklace, which are all designed around a beautiful circular charm. The back of the charm has a button that sends an alert and your location to emergency services and/or predefined contacts, depending on the settings you decide.
Initially, contacting 911 was free of charge when we tested it, but now a $20 monthly subscription is required for everything. This includes potentially useful features like in-app conversations for times when you can’t be on the phone, access to 24/7 calls with an ADT agent if you simply want to stay on the phone until you’re secure, a voice-activation function to raise an alarm if you’re unable to access the button, and even online self-defense classes. Similar to Flare, the battery is not rechargeable, so after a year or two, you will have to replace the button for a discounted $99—the app will notify you when it’s time for a replacement. The company sends an email once a month reminding you to make a test call to confirm the setup works properly. (To execute this, open the app’s menu then pick “Place Test Alert.”)
★ Something to consider: A friend of mine has an InvisaWear and she’s experienced problems with it not sending alerts when it needed to, and sending alerts when it didn’t need to, like when she put it on. We didn’t experience this in our limited testing, but it’s a problem to keep in mind. Test it often, replace it when it needs to be replaced, and if you experience this issue, contact the company right away.
Note: There’s a 5 percent discount for students.
The Silvertree Reach is a bracelet with an easy-to-use button to activate an SOS, as well as fall detection. It’s a similar idea to Life Alert, probably best reserved for an elderly family member or anyone without a smartphone. Someone needs to use the app (available on the App Store and Google Play) to set it up, but once that is done it works without being near a phone. You have to pay a subscription of either $25 a month or $240 annually.
Pressing the button notifies your “Care Team” who have the chance to intervene before emergency services are called. Your Care Team must have a phone in order to get alerts. One press activates an SOS and another press is supposed to cancel it, but I had a few test runs that I couldn’t cancel without using the app. If you’re giving it to someone without a smartphone, test it out a few times with them to make sure it’s working properly.
If you already own a wrist wearable like an Apple Watch or Garmin fitness tracker, you might not want to spend your money on yet another gadget. Or maybe you’d prefer something that’s more multi-use than a wearable SOS button. The good news is that some popular smartwatch models have safety features built in.
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WIRED senior associate editor Adrienne So tried testing the incident detection feature with her Garmin Venu 2S and couldn’t get it to activate after a fake fall, 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 her Garmin’s location tracking. Like most of these wearables (except for 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.
Spot
If you’re a frequent camper or hiker, or are otherwise away from cell service often, most of the products here aren’t going to help you in an emergency. That’s where a satellite messenger comes in.
We have a guide with a few picks for different situations. The Spot X is old-school and doesn’t work if you’re crossing the ocean. But its two-way texting, mapping, and tracking work independently, so if your phone is dead, broken, or MIA, this thing will work. We really love the Garmin inReach Mini, but it’s now discontinued and only available used.
I’ve talked to several self-defense teachers over the years who always recommend flashlights as personal safety devices—yes, more than mace or a pocket knife. A flashlight obviously lights your way while you walk in the dark, which might help you see someone otherwise cloaked by darkness, but there are two other reasons why these work. Putting a flashlight up to someone’s eyes will disorient them, hopefully long enough to let you get away. I’m nearly blinded by an iPhone’s camera flash, so imagine thousands of lumens directly to your eyeballs. If it was truly a kind stranger asking for directions and not a threat, you didn’t actually harm them, and you’ll be far away before you know any different. (Sorry, stranger.)
If that fails, you can use it to, frankly, hit them. A hunk of metal to the face will hurt worse than your fist, and won’t hurt you in the process. Get a good swing and run. Of course, though, like any weapon, it can be taken from you and used against you, so keep that in mind.
Infinity X1 flashlights are bright. I tried the 4,000-lumen one that lit up the room brighter than my actual lights do. That one is out of stock as of this writing, but an even brighter 5,000-lumen light is also available. Both have two cores, one that holds the batteries and one that’s rechargeable. It can also charge your phone, so it’s not bad to keep on hand for emergencies anyway. It’s heavy and long, which is good if you need to swing it, but it won’t be easy to stow in your purse.
★ Cheaper options: Any flashlight with some heft will do, and there are a few others we really like. WIRED writer Matt Jancer recommends the 350-lumen Fenix E20 V2 ($45) in his Guide to Creating a Home Emergency Kit. It’s compact, so it shouldn’t be too annoying to throw in your bag, but it’s still constructed of tough metal. For even less, writer Louryn Strampe recommends the 900-lumen Anker Rechargeable Bolder ($34), which even has a strobe function. It’s a lot smaller, but it will still pack a harder punch than a lone fist.
We tested built-in smartphone functions, third-party apps, internet-connected jewelry, and other personal safety devices designed to get you in contact with help when you need it. We set off panic buttons where applicable and talked to responders, or went through training exercises provided by the companies. Most of the products are capable of signaling your need for help without requiring 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.
None of these products provides a comprehensive solution for every scenario, but they each offer some form of protection. In some localities, it’s illegal to carry a concealed weapon like a knife or even pepper spray, and using those things can put you in further danger. So the methods we highlight here are an alternative to brandishing a weapon.
We approached our testing with inclusivity in mind, acknowledging that different groups may have different personal safety needs or feel vulnerable in situations where others don’t. While we think women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community would benefit from some of these products the most, cisgender straight men are also at risk of violence, even if they don’t hear the same warnings we do. Most of this advice focuses on one-on-one violence, but mass shootings are also a fear that Americans are constantly battling. These things might help get you in contact with help quicker, but they haven’t been tested for that sort of chaos.
