Alarm gaget install#

If you find yourself on a solo jog, walking home alone at night, or navigating a dark parking lot, have your device in hand. Whatever type of product you're using, it will only work if it's quickly accessible. Just be sure to complete the call and communicate to the service that you're OK.) And if you list certain friends as emergency contacts within an app, give your friends a heads-up and make sure they also know what to do when they're alerted. To that last point, if the product you’re using promises to connect you to emergency services, give this a dry run.

Alarm gaget install#

As soon as you unbox the product or install the app, you should go through test runs of setting off alarms, sending your location to a friend, or activating any kind of SOS feature in the product. A complicated new device won’t do you any good if the first time you use it is during a tense or panicked situation. Photograph: Appleīefore you take the plunge and invest in one of these personal safety products or become entirely reliant on a piece of software, here are a few general guidelines to follow: Always get to know these features before you potentially need them. The built-in safety features of the Apple Watch vary from model to model. While we think women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQ+ community would benefit from some of these products the most, cisgender straight men are also at risk of violence, even if they don’t hear the same warnings we do. We approached our testing with inclusivity in mind, acknowledging that different groups may have different personal safety needs or feel vulnerable in situations where others don’t. And most of the products are capable of signaling your need for help without requiring you to speak to anyone, so you don't have to dial a number or voice your concern aloud when it would be unsafe for you to do so. So the methods we highlight here are an alternative to brandishing a weapon. In some localities, it's illegal to carry a concealed weapon like a knife or pepper spray, and using those things can put you in further danger. None of these products provides a comprehensive solution for every scenario, but they each offer some form of protection. We’ve tested built-in smartphone functions, third-party apps, internet-connected jewelry, and other wearables designed to get you in contact with help when you need it. But as technology writers, the Gear team wondered if there was something better, a way for all this tech we already carry with us-our phones, our smartwatches-to provide an assist.

People recommended everything from walking with keys held between their fingers in case they need to fight someone off to carrying pocket knives and pepper spray to simply talking on the phone with a friend until they’re safe. I asked WIRED staffers and friends what they do to protect themselves in dicey situations, and I got a wide range of responses. Many of us still feel the need to put up our guard or have come up with hacks to protect ourselves in potentially threatening situations. This focus on personal responsibility overlooks the responsibility of those who do the harm, and it assumes that others nearby might not be able (or willing) to help-which is also an important part of the conversation about personal safety. Check your car's back seats and lock your doors immediately after getting in. Now you can, kind of, with the help of apps and speciality wearables.įrom a young age, a lot of women base their lives around staying safe from the big bad world. As a woman in a constant state of fear, I've always wondered why you couldn't just text 911 when you need to be discrete.