Even though women are more empowered today, being a woman can sometimes feel unsafe or inconvenient. Research suggests that over 85% of women experience harassment before age of 18, making their safety one of the most controversial issues in the country. It feels like the crimes against women are rising steadily, making it difficult for them to step out even in broad daylight. Despite the challenges, women don’t stop attending to chores and going to schools, colleges, tuitions, or workspaces.
This is when a smartphone and the multitude of apps downloaded in it can help enhance security and provide backup during dangerous situations. In fact, modern phones already come with safety features. For example, on iPhone, you can make an emergency call by simultaneously holding the volume and side button, popping up the Emergency SOS screen.
So, whether you’re going out for a simple jog or traveling late at night, keep your phone fully charged and install these top 12 safety apps. Also, if you’re in the process of hiring a mobile app development company to develop an innovative safety app, these can serve as ideas to approach and implement.
Top 12 safety apps for women in 2023 and beyond
Here is a compiled list of top safety apps for women.
#1: My Safetipin
Top rated on Google Play Store and App Store; My Safetipin is considered one of the best safety apps for women. It comes loaded with features such as GPS location tracking, automatically calling emergency contact numbers, providing you with a list of safe places near you, and so on. Users can even share their inputs about a safe place by rating them based on nine parameters and adding pictures and comments. This allows other users to review the safety scores of the place. Subsequently, it will enable users to mark unsafe areas to ensure complete protection. Since it is available in multiple languages, women worldwide can download this app.
#2: BSafe
One of the most downloaded safety apps, BSafe allows you to provide your live location to friends and guardians. Moreover, the app will record audio/video messages sent to your guardians to preserve all information. The app is present in 125 counties, has amassed millions of downloads, and has already been covered by particular media houses such as ABC, CNN, NBC, BBC, Fox News, and Forbes, owing to its most advanced and reliable personal safety solutions.
#3: Nirbhayam
An initiative by the Kerala Police, the app is designed as an emergency police safety app for women who encounter an emergency or life-threatening situation. Women can access the app by clicking on the help button and holding it for 5 seconds. By then, the request will be sent to the nearest police control room, and immediate help will be on the way. You can also customize the activation and alert to suit their needs. However, you will require a strong internet connection to access its features.
#4: WanderSafe Beacon
It is common for women to travel alone for business or leisure. WanderSafe is an ideal app for women traveling solo, allowing you to navigate your surroundings better. Its interactive and dynamic location-based maps provide relevant safety advice and alerts if you’re about to enter an unsafe area. With JENI, your personal safety concierge, explore location, identify areas that must be avoided, and receive tips from WanderSafe-verified local heroes. The app also includes safety features like SOS push with three emergency contacts to send your information in case you feel unsafe.
#5: Sister
This is a personal safety app for women that protects and provides you with immediate help. With Sister, you can:
- Share your live location with family members or friends
- Avoid dangerous neighborhoods
- Walk the safest routes
- Activate a deterrent alarm
- Call emergency services
- Register the evidence of assault in the form of recorded audio, take images, and store it on its confidential cloud
#6: Zich
It is a personal safety app for women with features that come in handy during disturbing situations. Its powerful features include sending SOS alerts by only using voice commands or a single tap or getting a fake call when you need to escape some uncomfortable situations. During emergencies, your SOS alert will be shared with pre-selected contacts, your live location, and other critical details. Once safe, you can close the app, which immediately stops sharing your live location and further information.
#7: UrSafe
This is a hands-free safety app for women integrated with emergency contacts to alert authorities in case of a life-threatening situation. It employs innovative technology that allows users to set personal safe words as triggers depending on the severity of the situation. You can activate emergency SOS with your voice if you’re in a condition where you cannot use your hands. Once you start an SOS, your friends and family can view your location in real-time. Owing to its easy-to-use and feature-driven interface, UrSafe has been mentioned on ABC, CNN, CBS, USA Today, Stars and Stripes.
#8: Himmat Plus
Launched by Delhi Police, Himmat Plus is a free application where women can send SOS alerts to the Police Control Room in case they feel unsafe. The details include location, audio, and video transmitted to the Delhi Police, who will immediately send the nearest person to help you. However, if you’re a new user, you need to register on the app via the OTP and enter all the details to configure the app for usage.
#9: Shakti Button
An initiative by the Himachal Pradesh Police and the National Informatics Centre, the Shakti Button is meant to help women in distress anywhere across the state. In an unsafe situation, you can shake the phone, throw it, or press the Red Shakti button on the main screen to send an alert. The app provides an option to set up to three emergency contacts from the contact list. The app will send the message along with your GPS coordinates to the police control room and send help immediately. The app will also commence audio and video recordings on the device.
#10: Guardians from Truecaller
This safety app allows you to explore new places, walk home alone, and meet a random person while ensuring maximum safety and protection. You can make your friends and family as Guardians on the app, share with them your GPS location privately, notify them when you’re feeling unsafe, and set up forever sharing where you can choose to share your location with trusted people permanently.
Building the best safety app for women
As women’s safety is an issue being addressed by all countries, developing a safety app can be the need of the hour. However, with so much competition, it is imperative that you create an innovative solution that is active 24/7, supports even a minuscule of actions like shaking the phone vigorously, and can work offline too. But when it comes to technical aspects, that can be easily handled by a leading iOS, Android, or hybrid mobile app development company. However, for that to happen, you need to check for the right technology partner that fulfills your business goals and helps you gain maximum user traction.