1. SafeTrek ($0.99)
"When you're alone and scared it [SafeTrek] turns your phone into a personal body guard", Huffington Post. I have put my precious life in this app's hands and have been fully satisfied. If you are walking home alone or from a parking lot somewhere this app is the thing for you. While you're walking you hold your finger discretely on a button on the screen in the app. If you let your finger off the button the app will prompt you to enter a four digit password you made up when you created your profile on the app, kind of like the password on your phone. If you don't enter this pin within 10 seconds a ping of your location is sent to the local police and they will call you and if you don't answer a police officer is rushed to your location. It is .99 but trust me, it works.
2. Watch Over Me (free)
This app is a different approach and not traditionally a self triggered response so you have to be careful with this one. When you download the app you choose people in your contacts to be your "watchers". If you are walking somewhere you set the destination in the app and you're "watchers" are notified. If you don't reach the destination at the time projected by yourself at the beginning of the trip an alert is sent to your watchers and then they have your location. My FAVORITE part about this app is that if you are walking to your destination and you have the app open and you get into a situation then you can shake your phone and it will pull up your camera and will automatically start recording. You can also insert crimes into the app so other users can beware.Click here to read a testimonial from the creator of the app who was abducted and got away
3. Gaurdly (free)
This app is by far the coolest. Especially for those of us who experienced a shooting at our school, this app brings some comfort. What happens is you download this app and there are five options in the menu: "See Something Say Something" which is reporting a crime in your area that notifies other users, "Active Shooter" which allows you to text an emergency representative whats going on if you are in some hostage situation and they send your indoor location(where you are in the building) immediately to the police so even if someone has already called the police Gaurdly can help them find you in the building, Travel security which is notifications of strange weather, active shooters, or dicey political situations for our global travelers, "Lone Worker Saftey" allows a user to non nonchalantly send messages to police in a situation they are uncomfortable in (maybe if you're involved in home-health care or are a social worker) and the last case the app can be used in is "Work Place Violence" the cool thing about this part is you can send a notification through text to fellow employees with your location so they are aware and also can discreetly inform authorities. You need to sign up for Gaurdly on a computer and then download the app.
4. Bsafe (free)
This app is almost like each and every app I have told you about but there are some features I find helpful and amusing. The features include an SOS alarm which alerts your friends on the app that you are in trouble and they will have your location and also having friends "walk you home" virtually if the alarm is triggered the camera automatically opens and starts recording. However, what is different about this app is there is an option for a "fake call". The app says the fake call feature can be used on bad dates but I think it can be utilized as a preventative, if you are in a situation that might go south real fast, the fake call button gives you a "legitimate" reason to get out before you need to use one of the other apps I have informed you of. PS the bsafe app was featured on CNN because the creator of this app is a mother. (wait until the 10 second mark for the video to begin)
Stay safe out there friends, and remember: you are never alone there will always be help.
