Smartphones, Self-Defense, and You

Smartphones are one of the most ubiquitous pieces of technology we own. Most people have one and use it relatively commonly for more than phone calls, such as tracking others on social media and playing games. However, the smartphone has numerous utility apps that can be used for more practical purposes, and it's not that hard to set your phone up to take advantage of those apps for your personal self-defense.

Check Your Plan

The obvious first step is to look at your plan. For most people, a basic smartphone with a simple plan is usually enough; however, even unlimited plans are cheap enough for most people. Make sure that you have a spare charger in your purse, backpack, or car and you're good to go. For those who find themselves visiting areas without service somewhat frequently, you may want to invest in a satellite phone; while these are a lot more expensive, they work even in areas without cell towers.

Downloading For Emergencies

There are several apps that make dealing with emergencies easier. FEMA has an app to help deal with large-scale emergencies while there are numerous first aid apps. There are also books and apps that can be downloaded to deal with more specific situations like the SAS Survival Guide, mushroom identification guides, Boy Scout manuals, and all sorts of US Army field manuals. The Red Cross even has an app for finding shelter and you can be notified if there's a large-scale emergency in your area.

You should also download the map of any area you are visiting; you never know when you won't have service, thus making GPS virtually useless.

You can also input your medical information into your phone and make it available for emergency workers using the Health app (or something similar). This also means that your emergency contacts will be notified if something happens to you and you can have any needed medication, medical problems, and allergies listed and ready for medical personnel without them needing to unlock your phone.

Set Your Buttons For Action 

With most smartphones you can call emergency numbers even if the phone is locked; if this is not your default, then you should set it that way (this allows you to pull it out and summon cops or other emergency help without unlocking it or hand off your locked phone to someone else so they can call for help). Smartphones also have a camera; you should set your buttons so that you can film so you can use them without unlocking the phone.

[Using a locked phone has three advantages: 

1. You can use the phone in an emergency without needing to unlock it. This can save you vital seconds and it's one less thing you need to worry about in an emergency.
2. You can hand the phone off to someone without worrying about things you're trying to keep safe. This allows you to deal with the emergency and ensure someone else is on the phone to emergency services.
3. You can also put your emergency medical information in your phone and then enable its access from the lock screen.]

Be Ready to Record 

The smartphone's ability to record is probably its best use when it comes to self-defense. At the very least, some people will back off if they think that someone is recording them, giving them a chance to escape, pull out a weapon, or even scream. The recording of the situation is probably used best after the fact as evidence, but it gives you valuable evidence and can change a "he said/she said" situation (where it's your word against someone else') into something with a little more teeth, i.e., something that a prosecutor can use.

If you don't have a dashcam, this can also be used to record the aftermath of accidents (you can even go around the vehicle to record damage on both vehicles and even get insurance information). It can record situations when you're in danger of evidence later and harassment (if it happens regularly, or at least predictably, then you or someone else can record the incident). If you get pulled over, you can record the incident; if the officer in charge tells you to turn off the camera, do so; however, as most jurisdictions allow filming of police officers, this would not look good in court even if the officer is giving you a legitimate ticket or arresting you for just cause.

[You should have a dashcam in your vehicle. They record what happens in an accident and can be used to film anything within their view. This means that you don't need to worry about activating them if you get into an accident and they can be flipped on and adjusted easily enough to record an encounter with law enforcement.]

The microphone can also be useful when you're dealing with people you don't trust (to eliminate disagreements later) or those you are acquiring evidence on. You should try to get their permission beforehand (if possible) or at least make sure the local law allows you to record without the other party known (better known as one-party permission). While the former works to both parties' advantage, there are going to be times when you're dealing with workplace drama, harassment, or other situations where you want to record what is being said. Combined with downloading your emails and other documents, you can build a decent case. Make sure that the recording is legal and you should do okay.

Link to Others

Smartphones can also be linked together, directly or otherwise. Their use in contacting emergency services is obvious, as well as other sorts of assistance. Texting can accomplish the same. You can also use various apps to keep family and friends appraised of your location; besides being able to give people better ideas of your expected arrival time, they can also let people know where you are (if they haven't heard from you in a while they can figure out where you are). This also means that they can notify emergency services for you and tell them where you are.

This means that you can call someone if someone is following you, either to calm your nerves, get a ride, or to arrange other assistance. Communication is a powerful tool, especially if you're in trouble.

By taking advantage of the capabilities of your smartphone you can create a powerful tool for self-defense. In fact, most of these tricks take advantage of the built-in capabilities of the phone itself so it's not that hard to set up and it's something that you almost always have somewhere close. It's also one of the few pieces of technology that if you lose it, there are ways to track it down relatively easily. Thus, if you're looking for something that will have your back, you could do a lot worse than your smartphone.