Is Citizen: Safety & Live Video safe for kids?

Worth watching

Real-time crime and emergency alerts—useful for aware teens and adults, but can amplify fear and misinformation if misused.

How we rate →

How that verdict changes by age

Not recommended · Below the app's own minimum age (13+)
- Is Citizen safe for a 6–9-year-old?
Handle with care
· Below the app's own minimum age (13+)
- Is Citizen safe for a 10–12-year-old?
· Strangers can message your child
- Is Citizen safe for a 13–15-year-old?
- Is Citizen safe for a 16+-year-old?

Quick facts
Minimum age	13
Strangers can contact	Yes
Location sharing	Yes
Disappearing messages	No
Parental visibility	Limited

What to do

Not recommended for under 13. Ages 13–15: use only with parent oversight; the graphic violence and constant negative news can cause anxiety. Fine for 16+ with awareness that the app can spread unverified information and may encourage risky behavior (posting video at dangerous scenes).

Check Citizen: Safety & Live Video against your kid’s other appsTakes about a minute →

What it actually is

Citizen is a location-based safety app that broadcasts real-time alerts about crimes, fires, accidents, and emergencies in your neighborhood. Users can watch live video from incidents, track events on a map, and monitor police scanner audio. The app rewards users for posting their own video from emergencies.

Alert Zones: Set specific areas (home, school, workplace) to receive notifications rather than blanket coverage of your entire neighborhood.
Notification Radius: Customize how far from your location you receive alerts.
Notification Settings: Disable video notifications or limit alert frequency if real-time updates feel overwhelming.
Screen Time & Parental Controls: Use device-level screen time limits to prevent compulsive checking; consider restricting app access to specific times of day.
Premium vs. Free: The free version is less detailed; Premium adds police audio and archives. Neither includes true parental controls, so oversight is manual.

Next: check Citizen: Safety & Live Video against your kid's other apps →