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. 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 may potentially need them. The built-in safety features of the Apple Watch vary from model to model. 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. Over the past month 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. I asked WIRED staffers and friends what they do to protect themselves in dicey situations, and I got a wide range of responses-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. But 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, of course, tends to overlook 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. A lot of women have heard the same safety warnings from a young age: Don't go anywhere alone.

Best fake call app