The best personal safety app for most Canadians is the one already on their phone: built-in emergency SOS and location sharing on Android and iPhone are free and work anywhere with signal. Paid apps add extras: family locators such as Life360 (from C$9.99 a month in Canada), crime-alert apps such as Citizen (mainly Toronto in Canada), and Safety App Canada, our own app, which is coming soon. Whichever you use, no app replaces calling 911 in an emergency.
Disclosure: Safety App Canada is made by the operator of this website. Third-party prices are as listed at the time of writing (October 2026) and may change; always check the app store listing before subscribing. Crime figures: Statistics Canada, police-reported crime statistics for 2025 (released 22 July 2026). Updated 5 October 2026.
What types of personal safety apps are there?
Safety apps fall into a few broad groups. They solve different problems, so it helps to know what you actually want before you compare names:
- Built-in phone safety features for calling for help quickly and sharing your location.
- Family location apps for keeping track of where household members are.
- Crime-alert apps for hearing about incidents reported nearby.
- Crime-map and route apps for understanding which areas record more crime and planning how to get around.
How do the main options compare?
| Option | Type | Main purpose | Canadian coverage | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Built-in emergency SOS (Android and iPhone) | Phone feature | Fast emergency call, alert to emergency contacts, location sharing | Anywhere with service | Free |
| Life360 | Family location app | Location sharing within a family or group | Available in Canada | Silver C$9.99, Gold C$15.99, Platinum C$24.99 per month; 7-day trial |
| Citizen | Crime-alert app | Alerts about nearby reported incidents | Mainly Toronto | Citizen Plus US$5.99 per month |
| Safety App Canada | Crime map, routes and SOS | Official crime data map, safer walking routes, one-tap SOS to trusted contacts | Canada-wide (planned) | Planned about C$4.99 per month with 7-day trial; coming soon |
Paid plans, trial terms and features change, and what is included at each tier differs. Read the current store listing for any app before you subscribe.
What can my phone already do for free?
Both Android phones and iPhones include emergency features that many people never set up. Names and steps vary by model and software version, but they generally let you:
- Call emergency services quickly using a button combination or repeated button presses, even from a locked screen.
- Notify emergency contacts automatically after an emergency call, often with your location.
- Share your live location with chosen people for a set time.
- Show medical information on the lock screen for first responders.
Spend ten minutes in your phone’s safety or emergency settings: add emergency contacts, fill in your medical details if you wish, and practise the steps (without completing a call) so you know them under stress. This costs nothing and is the most useful step for most people.
Are family location apps like Life360 worth it?
Family location apps are built around sharing locations within a group, such as parents and teenagers or adult children checking on older relatives. In Canada, Life360 lists paid tiers at C$9.99 (Silver), C$15.99 (Gold) and C$24.99 (Platinum) per month, with a 7-day trial. Features differ by tier, so compare the tiers in the app store listing against what you actually need.
Things to consider:
- Everyone in the group needs to agree to share their location; talk about it openly.
- Check the privacy policy and how location history is stored.
- Location apps use battery and data in the background.
- If you only need to share your location occasionally, your phone’s built-in sharing may be enough.
Do crime-alert apps like Citizen work in Canada?
Citizen sends alerts about incidents reported nearby. In Canada its coverage is mainly in Toronto, so it is of limited use elsewhere. A paid tier, Citizen Plus, is listed at US$5.99 per month.
Real-time alerts can be useful if you want to know about road closures or police activity nearby. They can also make a city feel more dangerous than the data suggests, because you see every incident and not the context. For example, the Toronto metro area’s Crime Severity Index fell 7% in 2025 to 55.0, below the national 75.0. If alerts make you more anxious without changing what you do, they may not be the right tool for you.
What will Safety App Canada do?
Safety App Canada is our own app, and it is not yet released. It is planned for Android and iPhone with three core features:
- Crime map built from official data, such as Statistics Canada and police open data.
- Safer walking routes that take recorded crime into account.
- One-tap SOS that alerts the people you trust.
The planned price is about C$4.99 a month with a 7-day trial. Because it is not out yet, we cannot point you to reviews, and you should judge it on its own merits when it launches. It does not replace calling 911 or your phone’s built-in emergency features.
Which safety app should I choose?
- Everyone: set up your phone’s built-in emergency SOS and emergency contacts first. It is free.
- Families wanting ongoing location sharing: consider a family location app, and compare its plans against what you need.
- Toronto residents who want live incident alerts: a crime-alert app may suit you; elsewhere coverage is limited.
- People checking areas or walking routes: use your local police service’s official crime map, our Canada crime map, and look out for Safety App Canada.
Whatever you choose, check app permissions, privacy settings and battery use, and remember that apps depend on signal and charge.
Want official crime data on your phone?
Safety App Canada puts official crime data on a live map, plans walking routes that avoid high-risk areas and sends one-tap SOS alerts to the people you trust. Coming soon to Android and iPhone.
Personal safety apps FAQ
Can a safety app call 911 for me?
Your phone’s built-in emergency SOS can place an emergency call quickly. Third-party apps vary; check exactly what an app does before relying on it, and call 911 directly if you can.
How much does Life360 cost in Canada?
Life360 lists Silver at C$9.99, Gold at C$15.99 and Platinum at C$24.99 per month, with a 7-day trial. Prices may change, so check the store listing.
Does Citizen work outside Toronto?
In Canada, Citizen’s coverage is mainly in Toronto. Outside it, you are likely to see few or no alerts.
When will Safety App Canada be available?
It is coming soon to Android and iPhone. The planned price is about C$4.99 a month with a 7-day trial. Visit the Safety App Canada page for updates.
Are free safety features enough?
For many people, yes. Built-in emergency SOS, emergency contacts and live location sharing cover the most important needs at no cost.