Stylecaster

No, Using a Personal Safety App Doesn’t Make You Paranoid.

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As a 25-year-old woman who regularly goes on spontaneous late-night runs, walks the two and a half miles home from work in the dark almost daily, and has headed out on first dates with virtual strangers on more than a few occasions, I’ve been in more than one situation that’s left me looking over my shoulder uncomfortably. I need to step up my safety game! Cue a few of my favorite personal safety apps that make me feel a thousand times less stressed when I’m just trying to live my life.

I’m not alone in feeling stressed about my daily safety: I bet if you ask any woman on the street if she’s ever felt anxious when out alone, she’d respond with a resounding “Yes!” And with good reason: One in five American women will be raped in her lifetime; a woman is assaulted or beaten every nine seconds in the U.S. and 19.3 million women and 5.1 million men in the United States have been stalked in their lifetime.

With all this in mind, it seemed like a no-brainer when a friend suggested I free up a little memory on my iPhone for a personal safety app. Right now I have bSafe downloaded onto my phone, but there are a ton of different free options—and a few handy devices—that act as alarms or send location updates and alerts to your selected contacts when you’re feeling unsafe. Some of the apps and devices on this list can even call 911 directly if needed.

Flare isn’t just an app. Rather, it’s a stylish bracelet that links to one! It comes equipped with a small button that triggers a number of different responses, should you ever find yourself in danger. You can send your location in a text to five friends, receive a call that acts as the perfect way out of a sketchy situation, or connect with 911 directly in seconds.