Mapping the typologies of personal safety apps

It is important to note that personal safety apps do not have one universal function. There is an array of apps available to download, for different user groups, to be used in different contexts, for different purposes and with different functionalities. The following section outlines the typologies of apps available, who they are for, the contexts in which they are used, their purposes, features and functionality. Examples are given below of specific apps currently available at the time of writing. However, it is important to note that this landscape is dynamic, and the following should be understood as illustrating the characteristics of apps encountered during the study period.

Apps for specific users

Some apps are targeted for use by specific groups including lone workers, solo travellers, people who live alone, female runners, university students, families, specific marginalised groups etc. In 2014, Police Scotland, in conjunction with the charity I am Me Scotland, developed a personal safety app called Keep Safe (Police Scotland, 2021), which is designed for disabled people who may feel unsafe while out in the community. It works in conjunction with businesses, cafes, libraries, museums etc, which act as ‘safe places’ that are mapped out on the app. Users can enter a safe space if they feel threatened and can seek help from staff members.

Apps for use in specific contexts

Not all apps are for universal use in public spaces, some are geographically bound for use in specific contexts like on a university campus, or at a workplace etc. The SafeZone app has been adopted by 25% of universities across the UK (CriticalArc, 2019). The free app, when activated, allows students and staff members to alert campus security teams to an incident using GPS tracking. However, the functionality of the app is lost if students leave the university campus. It is important to note, however, that public space is a contested concept (Low, 2023). Some of this complexity is explained by the fact that public spaces incorporate physical spaces, which introduces questions around how spaces are financed, owned, governed and accessed (Low, 2023).

Apps for particular purposes

A systematic review (Eisenhut et al., 2019) of 171 personal safety apps across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas found that apps fell into five main categories: emergency, avoidance, reporting and evidence building, education and signposting. The study found that most apps were for use during an emergency and for preventative/avoidance purposes (Eisenhut et al., 2019).

Emergency

Emergency apps make up almost half of the apps available (Eisenhut et al., 2019) and their function is to raise an alarm in the event of an emergency. Ford et al., (2020) found that 72 personal safety apps in their study were for use during an emergency and a fifth of apps included an alarm system either in the form of a siren or flashing light to attract attention. The ‘DigiPolice’ app (Google Play, 2023) is an anti-groping app used in Japan. When activated it emits a voice message which shouts ‘Stop it!,’ while the message ‘There is a molester!’ appears on the smartphone screen to alert others in the vicinity.

Other emergency apps work by sending an emergency alert to designated contacts, sharing the user’s GPS location or by sharing a video/audio recording from the user’s phone. In 2011, the Office of the Vice President together with the Office of Science and Technology Policy and the US Department of Health and Human Services (Beaton, 2015) announced a competition called ‘Apps Against Abuse’ for software developers to develop an app to prevent dating violence and abuse. The winning app was ‘Circle of 6’ (Devpost.com, 2023), which is now one of the most popular apps in the UK. The app works with a trusted circle of six contacts who can be notified with two taps of a phone. GPS location is shared with emergency contacts and automated messages are sent to trusted contacts including: “I need to talk”, “Call and pretend you need me – I need an interruption” and “Come and get me – I need help getting home safely.”

Other apps include Soli (formerly SafeUp) (Wearsoli.co.uk, 2023), which connects women with trained volunteers known as ‘Super-Solis’ (formerly known as Guardians) in their area by video or audio call who will remain on the line until the user reaches their destination. The purpose of ‘Super-Solis’ is to give users a feeling of safety and company. According to the Soli website, volunteers must be over 18, female, and they have to go through an approval process. Before starting the role, volunteers complete training via the app, by watching several short videos and answering questions. Volunteers do not have access to user’s contact details, rather the conversation takes place through the app. According to the Soli website, if the assistance call does not solve the situation, the volunteer can go to the location of the user if it does not pose any danger. The website recommends that if women are in immediate danger that they contact police directly (Wearsoli.co.uk, 2023). Other emergency apps like UMAY (Apple Store, 2023) allow users to contact designated emergency contacts, as well as finding ‘safe spaces’ in the vicinity where they can seek refuge if they are feeling vulnerable.

Prevention/avoidance

Avoidance apps are for use before a crime happens and their function is to identify hotspots or potentially dangerous areas in order to prevent users finding themselves in unsafe places. Apps include Path Community (Pathcommunity.com, 2023) which encourage users to flag potentially unsafe and unlit sections of streets, underneath bridges. Other apps like Citizen (Citizen.com, 2023), alert users to incidents and allow real time reporting of incidents.

Reporting and evidence building

Reporting and evidence building apps are used to report and share incidents as they are in progress or after they have taken place via GPS tracking. The FollowItApp (Followitapp.org, 2023) was developed by Scottish Women’s Rights Centre and is tailored to Scots Law. It helps women to collect evidence and record a log of incidents of stalking. Righttobe (formerly Hollaback!) (Righttobe.org, 2022) allows users to share their stories of harassment, along with details, photos, and the location of the incident. The HarassMap website (Harassmap.org, 2023) originated in Egypt, encouraging women to anonymously report and geolocate incidents of harassment on public transport and in other public spaces. This information is used by authorities to identify hotspots and potentially problematic areas to avoid (Allen and Vanderschuren, 2016). As well as allowing women to report sexualised crimes, some apps like the Railway Guardian app (BtP, 2023) encourage bystanders to report incidents that they witness on public transport. This is following research that women are more likely to intervene if they witness sexual harassment (UK Government Equalities Office, 2020). 

Education

Education apps are used before incidents occur and give users tips relating to self-awareness, and offender behaviour. Examples include the ‘MyPlan’ app (Myplanapp.org, 2023) which is for university students in the US to devise a personal safety plan. The app provides information about sexual assault, sample scripts for supporting friends who are in potentially dangerous relationships, and it provides signposting to support organisations. The Women’s Safety Totem SOS app includes 10 safety tips, a 15-minute self-defence video, as well as listing the nearest police stations and hospitals (Doria et al., 2021). Maxwell et al (2020) looked at use of 67 personal safety apps available on iTunes and Google Play and found that only one of the apps had an educational focus.

Supporting/signposting

Supporting apps signpost and connect users with organisations including legal, psychological, or medical practitioners. These tend to be used more to target intimate partner violence. The Bright Sky app (Hestia.org, 2023) is available in different languages and is for anyone experiencing domestic abuse to find the nearest support centres.

App features

Personal safety apps have a multitude of features as outlined below. These features appear in different configurations, depending on the purpose of the app.

Incident assistance

This feature includes panic buttons and alerts which are sent to trusted contacts at various points. The Red Panic Button app (App Store, 2023), when activated, sends a message to emergency contacts with the user’s location. The app allows users to send a ‘panic tweet’ that shares their location and lets followers know they require assistance. Other apps like the SafeZone app (Safezoneapp.com, 2023) connect directly to security services on university campuses to alert security to an incident.

Evidence capture

This feature allows women to record and keep a secure record of incidents of harassment or stalking, using GPS to log locations and to capture video/audio evidence. Other apps like the Self Evident app (Witnessconfident.org, 2023) allow users to send photo and video evidence directly to police.

Journey features

Some apps provide real-time updates as users move though areas. The Safetipin app (Safetipin.com, 2023) uses GPS tracking to monitor the user’s location and provides a safety score based on factors such as lighting, visibility, and proximity to public transportation. Other apps like the SafeLand Personal Safety alarm in Sweden allow users to set a timer that will send an automated emergency message if users do not arrive home at a designated time.

Man down

This feature detects non-movement, falls, or any incidents where the user becomes immobile. This a common feature of lone working apps such as the Peoplesafe (Peoplesafe.co.uk, 2023), which connects to an ‘Alarm Receiving Centre’ of trained professionals who can help.

Geofencing

This feature allows users to select an area on the map where they intend to be, and emergency contacts are alerted if the user steps out of this area. An example includes Vismo (Vismo.com, 2023).

Tracking

A ‘tracking upon alert’ feature uses GPS to share the user’s location with designated contacts. The SafetiPin app (Safetipin.com, 2023) uses GPS to track users who have turned on the ‘Track Me’ button. Other apps have a constant tracking feature making the user’s location trackable in real-time.

Walk me home

This feature allows women to connect with other women by video/audio call who accompany users until they feel safe. The Soli app (formerly SafeUp) (Wearsoli.co.uk, 2023) was launched in Israel in 2021, allowing women to connect to trained ‘Super-Solis’ (formerly ‘Guardians’) who are available 24/7 on video/audio call or in person.

Heatmaps

The user is alerted when a particular area is deemed unsafe based on crowdsourced data. The HarassMap app (Harassmap.org, 2023) started in Egypt and allow users to record stories of sexual harassment online. These are collated and displayed in real time on an online map, warning women of potentially unsafe areas.

Information generation and dissemination

This feature gives users information about how to recognise, manage, or prevent gender-based violence and it provides signposting to relevant support organisations. The Bright Sky app (Hestia.org, 2023) signposts women who are experiencing domestic abuse to contact local support centres.

Functionality

Activation methods

Apps can be triggered via several different ways: shaking, screaming, pushing the power button, going off a planned route etc. Shake2Safety (Google Play, 2023) is activated by pressing the power button four times. Apps like Chilla (Google Play, 2023) are voice activated by screaming. Once activated, a text message, email, location, and audio recording are sent to predetermined contacts. Similarly, bSafe (Apple Store, 2023) is activated by voice activation including screaming which automatically starts live-streaming video/audio to designated contacts. Other personal safety apps like Hollie Guard (Hollieguard.com, 2023) are activated by shaking which send out a high-pitched alarm and a strobe to attract attention. Some apps like the Guardly app (Devpost, 2023) can make an emergency call when the screen is locked, so it is not obvious to others.

Where alerts go

Alerts can go to several different parties, including friends and family members, Facebook friends, volunteers, control rooms or to emergency services. Most apps send alerts to pre-determined contacts like friends or family. The Silent Beacon app (Silentbeacon.com, 2023) allows users to call, text or email their designated emergency contacts, as well as sending live GPS tracking information. Other apps like the SafeZone app (Safezoneapp.com, 2023) send alerts to university campus security services. Several transport-related apps send alerts to controls rooms or transport security. The Railway Guardian app (BtP, 2023) connects directly to the BtP control room, while the LA Metro Transit Watch app (Metro.net, 2023) allows passengers to anonymously contact metro security by text message or phone call. Other apps connect to a network of volunteers, who are not personally known to the user. The Soli app (Wearsoli.co.uk, 2023) allows users to request a virtual escort as they walk home who will stay on the line until the user feels safe. Some apps work with trusted contacts in the near vicinity, not necessarily pre-determined, using GPS via social media. The Cheeka app (Ananda Kanagaraj, 2013) has a panic button feature which sends an SMS to trusted contacts in the vicinity at various points. It uses GPS and connects to user’s Facebook friends who are nearby. Finally, several apps are in direct contact with emergency services, even if the user is unable to speak. The Noonlight app (Noonlight.com, 2023) alerts emergency services to the user’s location and works in conjunction with other apps such as Uber and Tinder.

Accessibility features

Apps include several accessibility features to account for the diversity of users. Several apps come with different language options to capture the linguistic diversity in the UK. The Bright Sky app (Hestia.org, 2023) has versions in English, Urdu, Punjabi, Polish and Welsh. For visually impaired users, some apps are compatible with screen readers, have large icons and use colours that are appropriate. Other accessibility features include icons that can be changed so as not to be recognisable and a quick exit function (Hestia.org, 2023), particularly if women are in danger of intimate partner violence.