Mobile Personal Safety App Reviews
At a time when individuals feel increasingly unsafe in the world, many individuals seek comfort and reassurance through personal safety devices and apps that give them peace of mind. Such solutions might take the form of apps or small, discreet devices they can carry with them and activate quickly if they sense they're in danger. Unfortunately, with so many choices on the market it can be challenging identifying what device best meets a person's individual needs; whether working night shifts or running alone through darkened areas it could become necessary to use personal safety devices at some point - however.
Mobile personal safety refers to using a smartphone and app designed to enable emergency services or trusted contacts at the press of a button. Reviews indicate that individuals find such apps beneficial; however, studies show they can cause unintended harms due to significant flaws in their operation; without regulation and accreditation for quality assurance purposes, some individuals may rely on these tools in potentially risky circumstances.
Review of available apps was undertaken through an electronic search of Apple Store (iOS) and Google Play (Android) for UK apps labeled with "personal safety" or "violence prevention" as their description, including filtering for ones free to download and used in the UK. 323 apps were found suitable for further evaluation, with most requiring premium subscription to access functions intended to reduce vulnerability to violence or crime.
Most of the apps we found provided a range of features, such as location tracking, emergency contact functionality and the option to send alerts directly to nearby smartphones. A subset used crowd-sourced hot spot data to identify locations where there was increased risk of victimisation.
Apps such as SABRE make it simple and quick to activate a panic button or geofencing zone, sending immediate text messages with user GPS coordinates directly to predetermined emergency contacts and activating alarms on smartphones. A feature allows the user to record audio/video from within the app for later review by first responders.
However, the effectiveness of apps to increase personal safety depends on their ability to provide direct and seamless links between those in distress and emergency services. lone worker security devices Apps which promise to notify authorities rely on users being privy to information which demonstrates they are at risk and should be considered part of a comprehensive package of measures, which include behavioral modification, training and awareness efforts. Standalone personal safety devices that are more robust and durable than smartphones may be better suited to high risk environments, and may offer unique features not found on an app such as incident detection, fall sensors or the option to automatically call the police in case of a fall.