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5 Best Personal Safety Apps

Everyone can benefit from having a personal safety app on their phone. Whether your family includes children who are just starting to go places by themselves, seniors who want a better sense of protection, or young adults who want their night out with friends to be worry free, a personal safety app can give you peace of mind.

Circle of 6

The app: Circle of 6.
Platforms: iOS & Android.
Cost: free.

The way Circle of 6 works is simple. First, you select up to six contacts to be your ‘circle’, i.e., the people you trust to help. Then, when you need help, you can select one of three icons. The pin icon will send a text to your circle that says “Come and get me. I need help getting home safely.” It will also send your GPS coordinates. The phone icon will send a text that says “Call and pretend you need me. I need an interruption.” Finally, the chat icon will send a text that says “I need to talk.”

Red Panic Button

The app: Red Panic Button.
Platforms: iOS & Android.
Cost: Free; $6.99 for full features.

Red Panic Button is like a simpler version of Circle of 6. You hit the panic button and the app sends texts and emails to your contacts with your whereabouts. The app is free but for $6.99 you get an ad-free experience, unlimited contacts, and the ability to use it on wearables.

Presence

The app: Presence.
Platforms: iOS & Android.
Cost: Free; in-app upgrades.

Have an old but working phone in a drawer somewhere? Well, why not repurpose it as a security device? That’s the cool thing about Presence. You install it on an old phone along with your current device, use the old phone as a camera with audio, and you can check up on it via your current device. It’s a pretty inexpensive way to get a security camera for your home. And if you decide you want more security cameras (and maybe entry sensors, water sensors, motion sensors . . .) know that Presence sells those too.

Find My Family, Friends, Phone

The app: Find My Family, Friends, Phone.
Platforms: iOS & Android.
Cost: Free with in-app purchases.

If you want an update on your family’s location as often as possible, this is the app for you. Find My Family, Friends, Phone lets you see the location of your family on a private map. If you want notifications, you can have the app notify you whenever your family arrives or departs from certain places like work, home, and school.

bSafe

The app: bSafe.
Platforms: iOS & Android.
Cost: Free.

bSafe is one of the most feature-rich personal safety apps out there. When you hit bSafe’s alarm, it sends your location to trusted friends and the app immediately starts recording audio and video to keep a record of what’s happening. You can also use the Follow Me feature to let friends see your location as you walk home. There’s a Timer feature that notifies your friends if you haven’t checked in within a certain amount of time. And finally, you can use bSafe to schedule a fake call to give you an excuse to get out of undesirable situations.