The recent rise in antisemitism has Jews around the world on edge.
Many visibly Jewish people are wondering what they can do to protect themselves on the streets. Some have invested in pepper spray. Others signed up for self-defense lessons. Still others are taking extra precautions with regards to the locations they visit and the events they attend to ensure their safety is paramount.
What else can you do to protect yourself? Here are six apps to make the journey to and from your home in this precarious time feel a little safer:
Red Panic Button: With a push of a button, Red Panic Button sends a text message and an email with your location and a map to a designated set of emergency contacts, enabling your emergency contacts to easily find you.
It’s an uncomplicated yet effective app to make you feel more secure, especially when you’re walking alone.
Noonlight: Noonlight is designed for emergencies when police involvement is necessary. In case of an emergency, you simply open the Noonlight app, and hold down the blue button. When you let go, the blue light will turn red, and you will be asked for your pin number.
If you don’t type your pin number fast enough, Noonlight dispatchers will immediately call the police, providing them with your exact location, name and medical information, should you choose to provide it.
Noonlight has a free trial, although a monthly subscription is required.
Shake2Safety: Shake2Safety allows you to text, share your location, and take and send pictures or audio to your emergency contacts. Simply shake your phone or press the power button four times, and voila.
The difference between Shake4Safety and other safety apps is that Shake4Safety takes into account that you may not be able to discreetly access your phone during precarious situations. Therefore, Shake2Safety was designed to work even on a lock screen, or when you have no Internet connection, and is triggered by merely shaking the phone, as opposed to opening the app.
One Scream: You’re walking home. An incident occurs. You scream. One Scream automatically detects the scream, even if your phone is at the bottom of your bag. It calls your emergency contacts for you, and it also sends them your location. If you have an Android, the app will stay on the line with your emergency contacts, thus enabling them to listen in and determine if you need help.
One Scream allows you to add up to three emergency contacts. You have twenty seconds to cancel the alarm, in case you mistakenly screamed and don’t want to worry your emergency contacts.
One Scream, unlike other apps, is triggered by your scream, and can therefore come in handy when you don’t have the time or ability to get to your phone.
BSafe: By activating the SOS button by touch or voice (in the premium version), your emergency contacts will get an alert with your location. They’ll also be able to see and hear everything occurring on the ground in real-time, recorded with video and audio, which will enable them to take the appropriate measures, such as calling the police.
You can also arrange a fake phone call to get out of uncomfortable situations, and you can notify friends once you’ve checked in to inform them that you’ve arrived home safely. BSafe also has a Follow Me function which allows your emergency contacts to access your current location at all times.
SOS Stay Safe: SOS Stay Safe sends a text message or email with your location to your emergency contacts at regular intervals. It also enables your emergency contacts to know when you’re on the move.
SOS Stay Safe has some unique features. For example, it lets your emergency contacts know how much battery life remains on your phone. It can also send a recorded audio clip to your emergency contacts, with just the shaking of your phone, ensuring the perpetuators are unable to see you recording them.
These are just a few of the safety apps available in the App Store or Google Play. They are designed to make the journey home feel a little bit safer, and to immediately alert your friends or family of dangerous interactions, thus providing them with the opportunity to take action. That being said, these apps access your location, and therefore, they may not be the right fit for everyone, especially those who are sticklers for privacy.