By AppHub Editorial Team · Updated August 3, 2026
Citizen: Protect The World
Overview
News & Magazines
Sp0n Inc.
Free
Jan 16, 2017
0.1293.0
9
$4.99 - $399.99 per item
No
May 20, 2026
Features
Citizen is the essential safety app for today's world, providing real-time safety alerts, live incident videos, and 24/7 emergency assistance to keep you and your loved ones safe. Stay informed about nearby crimes, natural disasters, fires, protests, and more with instant alerts directly on your phone.
Whether you’re at home or on the go, Citizen’s location-based alerts instantly notify you of potentially dangerous situations like property crimes, vehicle pursuits, robberies, active shooter inc...
Citizen is the essential safety app for today's world, providing real-time safety alerts, live incident videos, and 24/7 emergency assistance to keep you and your loved ones safe. Stay informed about nearby crimes, natural disasters, fires, protests, and more with instant alerts directly on your phone. Whether you’re at home or on the go, Citizen’s location-based alerts instantly notify you of potentially dangerous situations like property crimes, vehicle pursuits, robberies, active shooter incidents, hurricanes, wildfires, and more. Find out why police helicopters or fire trucks are in your area and avoid danger before it strikes. Please note that Citizen may notify you of a crime in progress before the police respond. It's meant to protect you and your community — please use it responsibly. Key Features: Real-Time Alerts: Get notifications of crimes and emergencies first, and stay aware of what’s happening around you for free. Live Incident Video: Watch breaking incidents unfold from different angles, or broadcast live from the scene to help your own community. Registered Offenders: Access a nationwide map of registered sexual offenders, and get notified if an offender registers as living nearby. Crime Trends: Understand historical crime patterns in your area to make informed decisions about where to travel. Citizen News: Engage with the top news stories around your city, broadcasted directly from those on the ground. Missing Person Alerts: Help find missing pets or loved ones with the community’s help. NEW: Now you can upgrade to Citizen Plus or Citizen Premium for even more protection. Citizen Premium: Upgrade to Citizen Premium and access 24/7/365 Safety Agents who can help in emergencies via video, voice, or text. Access a Safety Agent whenever you feel unsafe. Whether you're meeting a stranger, walking home alone, or noticing something suspicious, a live agent can monitor the situation remotely with GPS and audio, and help dispatch first responders for help whenever needed. With Citizen Premium, no situation is too small or too large. Citizen Plus: Get the most detailed information possible by upgrading to Citizen Plus. Access police and fire scanner audio clips, view detailed incident archives, set up multiple alert zones, and customize your notification radius for even more safety. Citizen Plus lets you stay safe and informed about what’s happening near your home, workplace, or school. Download Citizen today to feel safer and more informed wherever you go!
Download Citizen: Protect The World
Get the official app from the trusted app stores. You will be redirected to the download page.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more
Ratings breakdown
106,000 reviewsDeveloper contact
Name
Sp0n Inc.
Address
197 Grand St Ste 3W New York, NY 10013 United States
Website
http://www.citizen.comPhone
+1 201-292-4049
Support
support@citizen.com
Privacy
View policyFrequently Asked Questions
Is the Citizen app free to use, or do I have to pay a subscription? high
Citizen has a free tier that provides real-time safety alerts. However, many sampled users report that the free version aggressively pushes the premium subscriptions (Citizen Plus and Citizen Premium). Some basic functions, like viewing detailed alert information or disabling notifications for minor alerts, are locked behind a paywall.
Source: user_reviews, app_metadata
How accurate are the location-based alerts in Citizen? medium
Based on recent user reviews, the location accuracy is a concern. Some users report receiving alerts for incidents far from their current location, and the in-app map has been criticized for using highway names instead of standard numbered highway markers, making it difficult to locate incidents.
Source: user_reviews
What are the main features of the premium subscriptions (Citizen Plus and Premium)? high
According to the app description, Citizen Plus offers detailed incident archives, police/fire scanner audio clips, custom alert zones and notification radius. Citizen Premium includes 24/7 live Safety Agents who can monitor your GPS and audio, assist in emergencies, and dispatch first responders. Prices range from $4.99 to $399.99 per item.
Source: app_metadata
How to Use
Citizen is a safety app that uses your location to send real-time alerts about nearby crimes, emergencies, and natural disasters, with optional premium features for enhanced protection. (app_description)
Getting Started
Source: app_description_and_user_feedback_noted
- Download the Citizen app from the Google Play Store.
- Grant the app location and notification permissions to receive real-time safety alerts.
- Allow the app to access your location in the background for continuous alert monitoring.
- Be aware that some users find the free version's mapping and notification filtering limited; consider if the premium subscription is necessary for your needs.
Key Features (from app listing)
Source: app_description
- Real-time alerts for crimes, natural disasters, fires, and protests.
- Live incident video feeds from multiple angles.
- Nationwide map of registered sexual offenders.
- Historical crime trend analysis for your area.
Derived from user review #2 which notes that disabling minor notifications like 'lost pets' is locked behind a premium paywall.
How this content was created
Content type: pattern_analysis_of_user_reviews_and_metadata
AI generated: Yes
- Google Play user reviews (5 per app), October 08, 2024 to January 03, 2026
- Google Play ratings distribution
- App Store listing metadata
- Extremely small sample size (5 reviews) from a single bucket.
- Sample heavily skewed negative with no positive or neutral reviews.
- Overall ratings distribution was not available.
- Claims labeled 'low confidence' are based on a single-review observation only.
- No real-world app testing was conducted.
- Feature availability and app behavior may vary by region, device, and app version.
Pros & Cons
Based on analysis of Google Play user reviews
Pros
- Citizen is available in the US, Canada and Mexico. Most features work everywhere; however, Citizen’s free safety alerts are best supported in the following cities: Atlanta, GAAustin, TXBaltimore, MDBoston, MACharlotte, NCChicago, ILCincinnati, OHCity of Los Angeles, CACleveland, OHColumbus, OHDallas, TXDetroit, MIHouston, TXIndianapolis, INKansas City, MOLos Angeles County, CAMemphis, TNMiami-Dade County, FLMilwaukee, WIMinneapolis – St Paul, MNNashville, TNNew York City, NYNewark, NJOklahoma City, OKOrange County, CAOrlando, FLPalm Springs, CAPhiladelphia, PAPhoenix, AZRichmond, VASacramento, CASan Antonio, TXSan Diego, CASan Francisco Bay Area, CASeattle, WASt. Louis, MOToledo, OHToronto, OntTucson, AZWashington, D. C. You can read Citizen’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy here: https://citizen. com/privacy medium
Extracted from app description
Cons
- Some users report issues: "I gave it two stars originally and find it even worse today. It is sorta okay to let you know if something going on around you. But good luck figuring" low
Identified from 3 low-rated user review(s)
Evidence (3)
“I gave it two stars originally and find it even worse today. It is sorta okay to let you know if something going on around you. But good luck figuring out where because their mapping is horrible. Who ”Rating: 1★ September 27, 2025 185 likes“Update 11.7.23: Not gonna lie... it's feeling more like next door the longer I use it: Lost pets are everywhere. and it locks you out of disabling notification for the minor stuff unless you go premiu”Rating: 2★ August 03, 2025 328 likes“App has gone downhill. Too much pressure to subscribe, and free features don't work reliably enough to instill confidence that premium would be any better. Location doesn't update consistently. Keeps ”Rating: 2★ October 08, 2024 1,064 likes
Recent Reviews
Chad Garner
1★I gave it two stars originally and find it even worse today. It is sorta okay to let you know if something going on around you. But good luck figuring out where because their mapping is horrible. Who uses highway names instead of their designated numbers? Also, notifications start to tell you something and get cut off. Touch to see more and it takes it away completely. I wouldn't pay two cents for this app much less the prices they want.
Mike K
2★Update 11.7.23: Not gonna lie... it's feeling more like next door the longer I use it: Lost pets are everywhere. and it locks you out of disabling notification for the minor stuff unless you go premium. Received a notification that I couldn't even find in the app, Go figure.. Pretty sure it was a come for the click. Original review: I totally get it.. Y'all got to make money. Public safety is one thing but greed is another. I keep it just for the historical aspect. Too bad live ain't worth it.
Christopher Huertas
2★App has gone downhill. Too much pressure to subscribe, and free features don't work reliably enough to instill confidence that premium would be any better. Location doesn't update consistently. Keeps giving alerts for things nowhere near where I am. When I open the app, I have to get through ads to subscribe and then can't find current, nearby incidents very easily.
Tara “Sweet T” Diaz
1★This app used to be completely free to use (aside from their optional upgrade packages that offered live operator assistance, etc.) and was very helpful in making me feel a little bit safer in my community. Now they've added a ridiculously overpriced subscription fee, and changed it so that you have to pay in order to even use basic features that were previously included for free. Super disappointing since the app's original concept was such a great idea... 👎🏻
Joseph Welsh
1★every time the app opens it's trying to get you to pay for it, when I was using the free to determine if it was worth it, since it's annoying without paying, displaying alerts but then not letting you see without displaying the subscribe page I wouldn't recommend unless you are planning on paying. For my area it also just kept displaying the same alerts everyday as if they were new things when it was old information.