Customer Ratings & Reviews

I live alone in Chicago, and while the media likes to make it sound like the city is a war zone 24/7 when it really isn't, I figured it wouldn't hurt to have an extra layer of security in case I find myself in a precarious position. Enter this Swann personal safety alarm. Or, at least I thought so. The idea of the alarm is awesome - it is small, easy enough to use, and very portable (it comes with a carabiner to attach it to your backpack or key ring!) - however there were several flaws that I found. First, the alarm itself: I set it off in the living room, and it couldn't even be heard in the next room. It was very weak, and the only one whose attention was grabbed by it was my dog. Second, I had some issues syncing it with my iPhone 15 Pro Max, and then once I finally got it connected, I was getting connection/disconnection push notifications back to back to back every couple of seconds, even with the alarm right next to my phone. It got to the point where I just hard closed the app to stop the notifications, thus rendering the alert feature useless. Third, the text alert was very delayed - like several minutes after I tested it I finally got the text message. Seems a little pointless in an actual emergency to not have your alert be sent/received immediately. All in all, I think the execution of a great idea missed the mark with this one. I'll stick with the emergency feature on my iPhone and Apple Watch.

This SWANN ActiveResponse PERSONAL ALARM purports to add another layer of indoor and/or outdoor security. Many times, I hike, bike, and jog in both familiar and unfamiliar urban and somewhat remote areas. Though I carry several pepper spray canisters in various locations on my person as well as a high decibel alarm to disable an attack, having another device that connects with others in event of an accident or other unforeseen crisis would increase confidence when alone, not only on a trail but also while downtown or at home. (The ad: "I've fallen, and I can't get up" is no longer viewed as an issue for ONLY the fragile elderly.) My head is on a constant swivel due to car jackings, home invasions, boundary violations, accidents, and calamities tied to extreme weather events and other potentials increasing in all communities. In event of an emergency, the SWANN Personal Alarm offers an APP controlled Bluetooth connection to Text Message an alert to a designated receiver. The Text is sent by pressing the red button on top of a light weight, battery-driven ~ 3”x 1” canister to be worn on a lanyard or clipped to a key ring, (attachments for each included). Lots of time was lost wondering why I couldn't receive the two beeps indicating the unit's activation. Learned via my first call to Tech Support that the product was packaged with a dead battery. I was not offered a replacement battery. But for this reason among others, I find devices that are NOT battery-dependent are more convenient, less hassle, less time and money consuming, especially since the lithium CR2-3 volt is so pricey. The SWANN R&D team might consider designing a next generation model that is rechargeable via a USB or USB-C cable +/or battery. The APP displays the battery level to not only the owner but also in the text msg to the designated contact. Displays of the battery level helps prevent failure of the device when needed. Battery maintenance might be easily overlooked otherwise. During Test Mode, a battery related continuity glitch appeared. The display of the battery level on my device was 63% remaining while the battery level was read at 93% at the designated receiver's end...a thread to be resolved by R&D. As instructed, I installed the contact information of ONE contact to receive the Google Map longitude and latitude of my location in distress and engaged commitment from that person to make an emergency call on my behalf when prompted by my alert. As well, I promised to immediately inform if the alert was an inadvertent activation. Allotting only ONE designated emergency contact person in the APP begs the question if the ONE person is not monitoring incoming texts when an alarm is activated by the unit's owner, then the Alarm Sender may become a victim. On the other hand, maybe a paid subscription affords more contacts to be engaged allowing the owner to switch between designees according to known availabilities, but that potential is not articulated in the APP or the manual. Another obstacle that undermines emergency response veracity is that my local police station's automated OGM deflects callers with emergencies to 911. Bear in mind that 911 only serves local districts and is NOT a national network. So, a designated emergency contact would have to live within the locale served by 911, limiting designated contact options. Subsequently, while travelling to a new location, I must remember to designate another emergency contact in the APP to ensure coverage. If on a camper van trip to unfamiliar regions without a network of friends and family then the unit becomes inoperable. Protocols are outlined in the manual for locking and unlocking the device as well as for handling inadvertent alarm activation. So, one must be mindful enough to recognize an inadvertent activation then alert the designated contact to ignore the distress signal. The unit's lock and unlock cap ties into the battery chamber so the owner can inadvertently release the battery thereby disconnecting the device from its Bluetooth connection to the App. So, coverage is lost until device-to-App Bluetooth pairing is reconnected. Seems as well that fumbling with the cap might create inadvertent activations of alert messages. Moreover, repeated audible notifications of App-to-Device disconnections are tortuous, so I disconnect Bluetooth until ready to boot up. This also reduces electromagnetic field emissions when devices attempt connection. Though I have Faraday add-ons to block and/or drain additional EMF loads on my human biology, consumers should demand that material scientists for this and similar electronics mitigate this challenge to our already overloaded immune systems during the design phase. So far, newbies to this device must have enough bandwidth in time and patience to work through start-up and related glitchy APP related connectivity issues. The User Interface (UI) for start-up required a second call to SWANN's Tech Support to work through Bluetooth pairing obstacles. Start-up instructions do not inform the user that a Bluetooth phone-to-unit connection can only be executed from within the SWANN APP. Also, though not hindrances in my case but NOT indicated in start-up instructions, the phone's Location Setting must be activated, and any VPN services disabled. Every individual must evaluate their own ratio of time-to-technology toleray required to maintain self-care and balance in the daily spectrum of responsibilities. Building a moat of security on every front is top priority and this device should be designed with a more seamless UI. Whether at home, off-grid, or in traffic, attacks by muggers, bears, zombies, sasquatch, aliens, predatory microbes like COVID may require police or EMS intervention so this device's trajectory is on course. Though the APP's sales page requires an update to display the SWANN Personal Alarm alongside of their extensive video surveillance technologies, a Free Subscription level is an opportunity to offer consumers a more generous list of services as an introduction to other SWANN video security options, available internationally. Though hoping NOT to have to put this PERSONAL ALARM to work under duress, I will continue to explore its Test Mode in spite of listed shortcomings. Currently, adding another subscription to an already toxic load on my monthly auto-pay obligations is not attractive. On the other hand, a SWANN upgrade might be a Satellite GPS Personal Tracker with a very small per usage rate and/or a far more reasonable subscription rate for high users than currently promoted by competitors. Warrantied for one year. Aussie originated, now with Chinese-American ties.

Upon receiving the Swann -ActiveResponse Personal Safety Alarm Keychain with 110dB Emergency Siren and reading the instructions, I have to admit that I found the overall set up somewhat confusing. As an example, the instructions mention to be sure to have your network password available, but nowhere during the installation of the smartphone app or device configuration was I asked for that information. The app seems more geared for Swann’s camera systems than for setting up this personal alarm. In the end, set up was all done using Bluetooth and it does require Bluetooth to be always “on”. I’m not sure how that will affect battery life on my wife’s phone as I got the alarm for her to use. The alarm can be turned off and on with a series of long button presses to save battery life when not in use for extended periods. The smartphone app also provides info on the status of the battery. Also, the app can send a notification if Bluetooth disconnects from the device, in which case the location feature would not work. The implication of this is that the device must always be within Bluetooth range of the smartphone to work. We did test the “silent alarm” several times, which when activated, it notifies a contact in her phone list (me). It sends a notification to both of our phones and it provides her exact location. It’s kind of strange that it says I am the one who triggered the alarm, even though the device is named after my wife. I guess it must have to do with who sets up the account with Swann security. To feel more confident, the user should always check the app and make sure it’s connected before use, at least it provides a last known location in the event assistance is needed. As far as the actual siren goes, I was expecting an ear-piercing head-penetrating sound and only found it to be mildly annoying. My wife tested the loudness with an app on her smartphone and it did register 107dB within a few inches of the alarm and close to the advertised 110dB, but it certainly didn’t seem loud enough to deter anyone within earshot, and I have had home smoke alarms that emit a much louder sound than what this puts out. We have two dogs, and it didn’t seem to bother them. It takes a fair amount of force to activate the siren, but it did seem to loosen up a bit after some use. Without the included neck cord or the carabiner style key ring, it would be almost impossible to activate. Hopefully situational awareness will help with being prepared to activate the alarm when necessary. Undoubtedly for the price, it does offer some sense of security as a first line of defense in the unfortunate event someone feels threatened and needs to take quick action. If you only have seconds to respond, I think my first choice would be to have pepper spray at the ready and know how to use it. It certainly couldn’t hurt to have both!

Have been a fan of Swann Security Systems for years, providing security and protection for our home and businesses. Now they have introduced the Mobile Personal Safety Alarm, which when I first saw the release info the first thought was family members. First takes, the safety fob is an exceptionally solid constructed hardened metal case accessory that is well designed for swift ease of use. All of which are primary attributes you should have in a security device for personal use. Setup is a quick and easy with the Swann Security App, drop the battery in and proceed to pair with your mobile device. There are two modes you may use the device in, one is with subscription to 24/7 full on monitoring by Swann. You may also select to have the device simply send a text to a contact. Hands down if you are looking for personal safety the subscription plan offers a strong suite of emergency support at $4.99 a month, approximately seventeen cents per day. Notes: - 110dB Siren Alarm - “… seniors to call for help when falling, feeling unsafe, physical threats, medical emergencies, accidents, or allergic reactions. A great gift for parents, students and anyone who works at night. A defense siren keychain for women.” - CR2 Battery Life up to one year - Backpack/key/handbag clip - Lanyard – can wear about neck, etc. My home and surrounding land areas are under full surveillance 24/7, the Swann Mobile Personal Safety Alarm extends the reach of safety for my family.

The Swann personal security alarm offers a reliable safety feature with its text notification and loud alarm upon button press. While the alarm could be louder for enhanced effectiveness, the form factor and sturdy build are commendable. Setting up the accompanying app was a hassle-free experience, contributing to the overall user-friendly design. However, the subscription model for multiple emergency text recipients might be a drawback for some users, questioning its necessity for broader alert distribution. Overall, a solid choice for personal security with room for volume improvement and subscription reconsideration A notable consideration is the power source – the CR123 battery. While not difficult to find, it deviates from the more common battery sizes, potentially posing a challenge if a replacement is needed urgently. Additionally, CR123 batteries tend to be more expensive than standard sizes, impacting the overall cost of ownership over time. All in, the Swann personal security alarm offers a reliable safety solution with user-friendly attributes. Its design and build quality stand out, although there's room for improvement in the alarm volume. The choice of CR123 batteries, while not a dealbreaker, may impact convenience and cost considerations. Prospective buyers should carefully assess the subscription model's relevance to their needs before making a purchase.

As a woman, I was interested in this alarm because I go solo hiking and walking a lot and was looking for something to feel a little more safer with. I perviously owned a safety alarm that I kept on my keychain, but it kept getting triggered by accident. Overall, my first impressions of this product are mixed. I love the text message feature and the fact that it's very compact, but the overall design could use some adjusting I think and the app isn't anything to write home about. Install and setup were pretty easy. You put the battery into the alarm by unscrewing the top and after doing so you'll hear 2-3 beeps indicating that it's on. Once you do that, you'll need to download the Swann Security app and go through the processes of signing up and registering/pairing the alarm. And that's pretty much it. In the app, you can add your emergency contact, who will get the text messages if you trigger the alarm. And of course like everything else, there's a paid and free version of the app. With the free version, you're able to have only one contact so you better make sure it's someone who has their phone near them. With the paid version, you are able to add up to 5 contacts and opt in for professional monitoring. Like I mentioned, the app isn't much to write home about. It's designed to set up more Swann products and to sell you on upgraded memberships. It's intuitive enough. Using the actual alarm was a little confusing at first. I was under the impression that if I pressed the red button on the alarm that after 3 seconds it would sound AND alert my contact. Instead, it just sent my contact my coordinates and told them to get help. I was a little disappointed it didn't also make a sound, but my contact did receive a text message very fast and the coordinates were accurate to my location. Now comes my biggest complaint. The actual sounding of the alarm. To sound the alarm, you have to pull the ring up to pop the button out and boy is it hard. I actually thought my device was broken as first because I couldn't get it to pull up. If I were in a real emergency situation and nervous or trying to deploy it in a hurry, I'd be afraid I couldn't in time. After some trial and error and using the carabiner, I finally got the alarm to sound, and honestly it's not that impressive. The alarm isn't ear-piercing or loud at all. My other alarm was much louder and frightening. All in all, the best feature of this product is the text messaging feature. I guess the true test is actually needing to use this thing when i'm out hiking alone, which I hope to never have to do. If I fall and get hurt, this would be great to alert my contact to get help. But if someone were about to attack me...well I'll still keep my pepper spray within arms reach.

This Swann Personal Alarm is great. It's small - fits easily in my front pocket along with my pocket knife. It also comes with a keychain and a cord to use as a necklace if desired. Installation and pairing the device with the app was quick and had no issues. It did seem to connect and disconnect with my Wi-Fi a few times - but that was probably due to my network issues and did not seem to interfere with the functionality of the alarm. There are two ways to use this safety device - one is to sound a siren by unlocking and pulling up on the button. You have to pull quite firmly, which is good so that you don't accidently set it off. I do think the siren could be much louder or a little scarier sounding, but it would probably startle a perpetrator for a few seconds. The second way to use the device is to send an emergency alert to a contact person of your choice. It is simple to activate by unlocking and pressing down on the button (instead of up for siren). It can be used discreetly, which is a great feature in some situations where you wouldn't want the bad guy to know you alerted someone. We tested the emergency button both at home and about 10 miles away - it worked perfectly every time and there did not seem to be a delay which is good considering we can have sketchy phone coverage. Overall, this device does provide an additional layer of protection and feeling of safety and I'll carry it with me on a daily basis. You can also subscribe to various paid plans for monitoring, emergency response and video services.

Love this little device! I wanted to try one of these to see how well they worked as I am thinking about getting them for our adult children. The setup is super easy and straightforward. The app is user friendly and even shows the battery level of the included battery. In the beginning the pin is a bit hard to pull but once you attach the keychain it is a lot easier. I really like that you have the option of lanyard or keychain use. We tried pulling the pin to notify my emergency contact while we were a few rooms apart and it worked fairly well though it did take a few. My husband was shocked to see that it not only gave my location but offered directions as well as images of the location. I was a bit curious how it would do on a longer distance test so when I went to work which is about 75 miles away I again triggered the alarm. It gave him my exact work address and took about the same amount of time to notify him. We don't plan on subscribing to the monthly service so will only have the ability to use this feature as well as just the personal alarm feature which is perfect for us. My daughter lives about 3 hours away in the sierra foothills and an hour from the nearest "big" city so after all this testing I really want her to have one now too! Needless to say I know what Santa is bring to all the kids as I will be ordering more of them!

The Swann Active Response is roughly the size of a battery, so it’s still fairly discrete. The alarm comes with two carry options: a neck lanyard and a metal keyring. Setup: you’ll be prompted (required) to install the Swann app in order to set up your device. The instructions insert has a handy QR code you can scan to lead you directly to the app, or they also provide the physical name with the instructions to download. Via the app, you’ll set your emergency contact(s) that will be notified when you push your alarm button. You also have the option to upgrade your plan to a paid version which adds contacting the police when you push your button. Very simple and intuitive process all run through the app with clear instructions. Operation: the red button on top is the only activator for the mechanisms. It has a lock and unlock position to help prevent accidentally contacting your emergency contact(s) +/- the authorities depending on whether you opt to upgrade to your plan. The silver loop serves as the attachment point for the lanyard or keyring, but also is used to help twist the button to lock/unlock, as well as to pull the button up to initiate the loud alarm. The lock/unlock is definitely necessary to prevent accidentally calling the police if you have the upgraded plan, but my wife had a pretty hard time pulling the button to set off the alarm. When I attached the metal keyring, she as able to use that to have a better grip and activate the device much easier. With the state of the world, this acts as an additional layer of protection to give us peace of mind when she goes out for a run or whatnot, but should not take the place of good old common sense.

This is a device that definitely tells you exactly what it is, no question. To test it we took it to the middle of nowhere and did a test run. My ears were ringing for 15 to 20 minutes afterwards. This thing is LOUD. Which is a great thing. Means you or your loved one has a few seconds of a disoriented adversary to beat a hasty retreat. Very small size and has been confused for pepper spray at a few venues. Setup and registration was a simple process. My wife is so impressed that we are going to get a few more for the other women in our family. With the growing opioid addiction problem and all the psychos running amok even in Smalltown USA, you can’t be too safe. This will definitely attract attention as well as disorient an attacker. It’s a great non-lethal device. The monthly plan seems interesting, but we are sticking with the freebie default plan for now. We might upgrade later. It’s definitely given this old man piece of mind. I definitely highly recommend this. I could literally save a life.

The Swann Active Response Personal Safety alarm is small enough to fit into a pocket. Following the directions on the enclosed pamphlet. Remove the top of the alarm and put in the CR2 Three-volt battery and replace the top. These batteries currently sell for around $5.00 each. You would think that this alarm would be marketed to the older generation, but apparently it is marketed to the younger generation as the print on the pamphlet is so small that we need to magnify it to try to read it. The label on the alarm is also printed so tiny that I also needed to magnify it to read it. The instructions have you scan the QR code on the bottom of the alarm to synchronize it to the phone. Once the alarm is synchronized to the phone you can complete the testing of the device. You should have installed the lanyard first. To pull the switch out you need to have the leverage provided by the lanyard. To sound off the alarm and send notifications you pull the switch out. To just send the notifications you press the switch. Upon pressing the switch my designated person received a text message within seconds, and I received the same message on my phone. In order to protect against an accidental notification, the top of the alarms D-ring twists to a locked position.

I am commenting as a 60 plus year old who acquired this in hopes of having something that would provide a sense of security should I encounter a difficult situation whether at home or away. My comments are from this perspective as someone who also wears eye glasses. This point became important when I was setting up with the device. SETUP The box has the typical clear plastic circle that is apparently used to show tampering with the device inside. Once the plastic circle is removed, you'll need something to jam into the cardboard locking tab at the top. Inside you'll find a white fiber board container that you'll slide out and an envelope will appear covering the device, a battery, a lanyard, and hook. I'm not sure why there was an envelope as this seemed to be useless and added production costs. The instructions are not user friendly to people wearing glasses as the print is far too small and this was also an issue later on the "lock" and "unlk" print at the top of the device. It would seem to me that colored symbols like a triangle or box would have been more effective to denote locking or unlocking position. Setting up the app was as irritating as most times - trying to type in text on a phone screen. In this day and age, this is not a ding against this product, but a continuation of the trend of gathering information. It took a surprisingly long amount of time for the device to be recognized via bluetooth - much faster than normal despite the phone being right near by. I almost gave up but the connection was finally made. I could not figure how to lock and unlock this - not intuitive - finally was able to get device to work. Of course you'll be prompted to an upsell account to get more features. OPERATION I thought this was going to be loud. Well, aside from being startled, I'd hate to think this will alert anyone nearby. I have heard alarms that shriek at work and this is nothing like that. Not sure how effective this will be. The most useful part of this is that you can set up emergency contacts and this is where this device will shine if people know you have this and hopefully they will pay attention to this. I would have liked the ability to turn up the volume of the alarm. 20 feet away and you'd barely be able to notice this was alerting anyone to you. Overall given its ability to alert others through your contacts, I'd recommend this. I'm not so sure how well this would do alerting others if you figured out how to activate it with that lock and unlock tiny text.

Being in California, there aren't many options when it comes to self-defense or protection. If you are looking for a safety tool for yourself, or a loved one, the Swann safety alarm keychain might be a good option. This safety alarm is compact and easy to handle. Hang it from your keys, or on a lanyard, but just make sure that it is easily accessible. With the Swann alarm keychain, not only do you have an alarm that will go off when you press the button, but you will be able to instantly notify a loved one of any dangers you encounter. I know many of you think that this won't prevent anybody from robbing you, but it will give them a good scare and bring immediate attention towards you, which can definitely thwart a robbery. Plus, you have the ability to send an immediate notification to someone. FYI you will be required to setup a subscription service with Swann for the notification feature. Overall, I think that the Swann safety alarm is a good start towards keeping a loved one, or yourself, safe.

The Swann Personal Safety Alarm is a nice device if you're worried about your personal security as you're out and about in public areas. I'm not one of those people. I don't know what I was expecting when I ordered this device, but I will rarely, if ever, use it. I live in a private, gated community and rarely get "out", especially by myself, which is when I would be most-concerned with my security. I'm always with my husband. The Swann device is small and compact. It has an expected "weight" to it, showing how durable this device will be. The app was easy to download and setup, and get the device communicating with my Samsung phone successfully. I opted to not subscribe to Swann's monitoring service, since I will rarely use it. The alarm is loud enough to be heard, but not obnoxiously so. It also didn't scare the dogs, and one of them is really sensitive to noises. In this day and age with all the rampant crime in our cities, this device will definitely come in handy to those folks that are having to travel into the cities or crime areas. I'm not one of those folks.

I was interested in this product as I work in a deeper area of Dallas with a parking garage and sometimes leave my office later at night. I sometimes feel scared walking alone to my garage in late hours of the night and like the idea of having a self defense mechanism/way for others around me to have my location. I thought this would be a good device to keep on my keychain and share my location with my it has seemed to be more counterproductive than anything honestly. When I set it up, I assumed it would have some sort of trigger function to set off an alarm, but that’s not quite the case. Once you connect the app on your phone to the device, you can share your location. You can set it to on or off and it does share the location of your keys but that’s about it. When it’s set to on and you get to far away from your keys, it constantly beeps like your smoke alarm would if the batteries were dead. I found this annoying as it only stops in the off function, meaning you need to constantly turn it off or on. It doesn’t have any alarm function and feels a little useless besides the fact that I can easily find my keys if lost.

I am unable to provide a performance review of the Swann ActiveReponse Personal Safety Alarm. because I have not been able to pair the device with my iPhone. I downloaded the Swann app onto my iPhone, then I went through all of the onscreen prompts until I reached "Pair Device." That is where everything stopped. The screen said the app was “looking for devices” for over 30 minutes, but it never got beyond that point. Before reaching that stage of things, I had installed the Swann app, initiated and activated my Swann account, verified my email address, and enabled location services on my iPhone, and the phone and the device were sitting next to each other and within five feet of my wi-fi modem – so neither access nor proximity should have been a problem. I am quite disappointed. I think I am the target customer for the Swann Active Response Personal Safety Alarm, because five or six days a week I go for 2-hour walks by myself on rough terrain. I would like to have such a device ready for use if I ever need it.

I got this Swann personal alarm as a gift for my daughter and may get one for myself also. Thankfully my daughter has not had to use the alarm but I sure feel better that she has it with her. She attached it to her key ring which she carries in her had when in parking lots or on walks. Included in the box are the alarm, a keyring, a lanyard, a battery and instructions. The alarm can be used in multiple ways-you can push the button to discreetly send a SMS message to an emergency contact or you can pull the ring to have a loud siren turn on to attract attention when you are in need of help. You can also chose to subscribe to the Swann ActiveResponse Plan and receive 24/7 monitoring and response as well as send alerts to your emergency contact. The App also allows you to find you alarm should you misplace it. The set up is easy and the instructions on how to use the device are very simple to follow. This device is a great way to protect yourself and a great gift for those you love you want protected!