The 7 Best Safety Apps for Runners

Sharing your route with a loved one before heading out is a long-standing tradition among runners. Now, apps can track your run in real-time and share it with anyone you like, making every run feel safer. Plus, many apps provide additional services like bright lights and alarms for security as well.

Here’s a roundup of apps that help monitor and support your personal safety so that you can focus on what really matters: the run.

1. ShareMyRun

The free ShareMyRun app provides a live broadcast of your run to friends and family. Contacts receive alert notifications for the start and completion of your workout, and more importantly, you can list a planned distance as well.

Followers also receive a map with real-time location tracking, so they know right where you are at all times.

You can track friends’ workouts in real-time through the app, making it a good choice for running clubs or teams. Plus, seeing your friends’ runs pop up can act as a motivator for your own workouts.

Related: The Best Social Fitness Apps to Work Out With Friends

Other activities, including walks and bike rides, are supported as well.

Download: ShareMyRun for iOS (free)

2. ROAD iD: GPS + Accident Alerts

Up to three different contacts can monitor your real-time progress on the ROAD iD app, which sends them a link to your route on a map. The active tracking feature makes it easy to follow your progress along the way at any time.

A unique feature of this app is its patented Stationary Alert notification. If you stop moving for over 5 minutes, it will alert your contacts. This is an invaluable feature in case of an accident, such as a fall or getting hit by a car.

Lastly, the app includes an SOS button you can hit to message your emergency contacts immediately. It can also dial 911 in an instant.

With real-time location sharing, the Stationary Alert tech, and the SOS button, the ROAD iD running safety app has nearly everything you would want from a safety-oriented running app.

Download: ROAD iD: GPS + Accident Alerts for Android | iOS ($2.99/month; $29.99 annual)

3. RunBuddy

The RunBuddy app allows up to five contacts to see your run in real-time, and it sends alerts for situations that may indicate trouble. There’s also a panic button that will immediately alert your contacts in case of an emergency.

Speed alerts are also a part of the app. The app sends these alerts when you’re moving too slowly (and maybe in need of medical attention) or too quickly (indicating you may be traveling by car unexpectedly).

Related: The Best Fitness Trackers With Heart Rate Monitoring

You do need to be comfortable sharing your location information with the app all the time. Also, your selected buddies or contacts will need to accept an invitation to join the app.

Download: RunBuddy for Android | iOS ($0.99/month, $9.99 annual)

4. Beacon Free

Image Gallery (2 Images)

Sometimes the simplest apps are the most useful, and this flashing light app is no exception. The Beacon Free app creates a cyclic light and sound, which can help light up a nighttime run, making yourself visible to drivers, other pedestrians, and anyone else in your path. If you run with an armband, place the phone’s light facing outward, and boom: you have an instant running light.

The app can also emit a sound with every revolution, making it easy to show your location. This would also be a great way to help find friends if you’re meeting up for an early-morning run in the dark.

Photos really don’t do it justice, but playing around with the app for a few minutes will immediately give you a sense of what it’s all about.

Download: Beacon Free for iOS (Free)

5. Unplugged Adventurer

Unlike the other location-tracking apps, Unplugged Adventurer will alert safety contacts if you have not completed your activity by a specific time. This means you can go on a run without your phone and still have a safety plan in place.

You don’t even have to be in an area with network connectivity because the app will send the message from its backend servers. It’s a solid choice for anyone who likes to run without a phone or trail runners who venture way out into nature.

Download: Unplugged Adventurer for Android | iOS (Free)

6. Noonlight

Although not specifically designed for runners, this app is another solid choice for personal safety. Suppose you’re in a situation where you feel threatened, open Noonlight and hold the app’s button. Enter your phone’s PIN whenever you’re in a place where you feel safe.

As a precaution, the Noonlight app will alert sítio police with your location if you don’t enter your PIN within a set amount of time. You can communicate with the Noonlight team via phone call or text at any time.

Although the basic app is free to download, you can upgrade to Instant Access ($5/month) and Totalidade Protection ($10/month) versions as well. Instant Access provides you with additional discreet safety features, such as the ability to connect with an Apple Watch. This allows you to get immediate help through the wearable without opening your phone.

Lastly, the Totalidade Protection version allows you to connect to Alexa or Google Home for hands-free communication. Although the free app has plenty of features, the Instant Access version could be a wise addition if you already use workout apps for your Apple Watch.

Download: Noonlight for Android | iOS (Free to download with in-app upgrades)

7. jS Run Pro

A solid run-tracking app on its own, jS Run Pro also offers a suite of safety features. There’s an alarm you can trigger by unplugging your headphones or double-tapping the running screen. In addition, you can arrange to send an SOS call to a pre-selected contact or make the screen flash to increase your visibility.

Download: jS Run Pro for iOS ($1.99)

Download These Safety Apps to Run With Confidence

The vast majority of runs go smoothly, leaving you with nothing worse than some sore muscles. But in the off chance that an unexpected accident or other issue occurs during your run, these apps can offer some serious peace of mind.

There’s no shortage of self-defense apps for personal safety, but specific ones for runners/joggers may be worth your time. As long as you feel comfortable sharing your location and contact information with the tracking apps, you can focus on your run with an extra sense of security.

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