# Citizen: Safety & Live Video — Crime Map & Breaking News

> Real-time safety alerts, live incident video, and crime data for community awareness. (iPhone/iPad app by sp0n, Inc..)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/citizen-safety-and-live-video/id1039889567 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [sp0n, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1025059472)
- Category: News, Utilities
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.70/5 from 514,474 App Store ratings · 979 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 17+
- Requires: iOS 18.0 · 201 MB
- Released: 2016-02-24
- Data updated: 2026-08-27
- Monetization: freemium
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/citizen-safety-and-live-video/id1039889567/reviews.md

## What is Citizen?

Protect the World and Stay Safe with Citizen: Real-Time Alerts & Live Video

Citizen is the essential safety app for today's world. Live crime map, police & fire alerts, and breaking local news, all in one place. Citizen gives you real-time awareness of emergencies, crimes, and incidents happening near you before it hits the news. Watch live video from the scene, track active incidents on the map, and get instant 911 alerts for your neighborhood, workplace, or school.


What's happening near you right now: Know about crimes, vehicle pursuits, protests, robberies, wildfires, natural disasters, active shooters, hurricanes, and more the moment they're reported with instant alerts directly on your phone. Find out why police helicopters or fire trucks are in your area before anyone else does.


NEW: Incident Resolution
See how incidents end. Citizen now shows you real-time updates and resolution status on active events so you're not left wondering what happened. Follow an incident from first report to close.


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:
* Live Incident Video: Watch breaking events unfold from multiple angles, or go live yourself to alert your community and get rewarded.
* Crime Map: See every nearby incident pinned on a live map, updated in real time and color coated to see what’s an active threat versus something that is resolved.
* Real-Time Safety Alerts: Get instant notifications for crimes and emergencies near you and your loved ones, for free.
* Incident Resolution: Track how events unfold and see when incidents are closed: full picture, start to finish.
* Alert Zones: Set areas you wish to get alerted on that you may not be near like your office, school, or family member’s home.
* Registered Offenders: View a nationwide map of registered sex offenders near your home, school, or workplace.
* Missing Pet and Persons: Help locate missing pets and loved ones with your community's help.
* Police Radio: Listen to live police scanners and radio clips directly on the incidents they correspond to. 


Now you can upgrade to Citizen Premium to get the full picture.


Citizen Premium: Get the most detailed information possible by upgrading to Citizen Premium. 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 Premium 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!


*Citizen is available in the US and Canada. Most features work everywhere; however, Citizen’s free safety alerts are best supported in the following cities:


New York City, NY
Los Angeles (LA MSA), CA
Chicago, IL
Dallas, TX
Houston, TX
Toronto, ON
Washington, DC
Miami-Dade County, FL
Philadelphia, PA
Atlanta, GA
Boston, MA
Phoenix/Metro Area, AZ
San Francisco Bay Area, CA
Palm Springs, CA
Detroit, MI
Seattle, WA
Minneapolis – St. Paul, MN
Tampa / Clearwater, FL
San Diego, CA
Denver Metro Area, CO
Baltimore, MD
Orlando, FL
St. Louis, MO
Charlotte, NC
San Antonio, TX
Portland, OR
Pittsburgh, PA
Austin, TX
Las Vegas, NV
Sacramento, CA
Orange County, CA
Cincinnati, OH
Kansas City, MO
Columbus, OH
Indianapolis, IN
Cleveland, OH
Nashville, TN
San Jose, CA
Providence, RI
Milwaukee, WI
Raleigh, NC
Oklahoma City, OK
Richmond, VA
Memphis, TN
Buffalo, NY
Salt Lake City, UT
Rochester, NY
Grand Rapids / Kent County, MI
Tucson, AZ
Honolulu, HI
Tulsa, OK
Newark, NJ
Worcester, MA
Fresno, CA
Sarasota, FL
Albany, NY
Santa Fe, NM
New Haven, CT
Columbia, SC
Bakersfield, CA
Boise City, ID
El Paso, TX
Dayton, OH
Ventura County (Oxnard), CA
Little Rock / Conway, AR
Madison, WI
Toledo, OH
and more


Terms of Service: https://citizen.com/privacy/tos
Privacy Policy: https://citizen.com/privacy/policy

## Key features

- Real-time safety alerts
- Live incident video streaming
- Registered offender map
- Crime trend analysis
- Missing person alerts
- Police and fire scanner audio (Premium)

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Protect Personal Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| Protect Personal Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| Protect Personal Monthly | $49.99 | per month |
| Plus | $4.99 | per month |
| Premium | $19.99 | per month |
| Citizen Premium | $19.99 | per month |
| Citizen Plus | $39.99 | per year |
| Citizen Plus | $24.99 | per 6 months |
| Protect Personal Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| Citizen Premium | $19.99 | per month |
| Citizen Premium | $19.99 | per month |
| Citizen Plus | $5.99 | per month |
| Citizen Premium | $5.99 | per month |
| Citizen Premium | $14.99 | per month |
| Citizen Premium | $19.99 | per month |
| Protect Personal Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| Citizen Plus | $5.99 | per month |
| Citizen Premium | $11.99 | per month |


## Chart rankings

- #10 in Top Free · News (US App Store)
- #4 in Top Grossing · News (US App Store)

## What do users think of Citizen?

Overall sentiment: negative

**Pros**

- 🚀 Convenient real-time alerts
- 🗺️ Helpful for staying informed about local incidents
- 👍 Useful community-based safety tool
- 📹 Ability to view user-generated videos

**Cons**

- 💰 Excessive paywalls and subscription requirements
- 🔔 Too many irrelevant notifications
- 🗣️ Lack of moderation for toxic comments
- 🗺️ Inaccurate location data and incident reporting
- 🔒 Privacy concerns around location tracking

**Commonly reported bugs**

- App crashes and bugs after recent updates
- Issues with accepting user phone numbers
- Inconsistent and unreliable incident mapping

**Most requested features**

- Customizable notification radius and settings
- Chronological sorting and timestamps for incident reports
- Better moderation tools for user comments
- Option to report incidents without video
- Integration with other emergency services

## Recent user reviews (10 of 979)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/citizen-safety-and-live-video/id1039889567/reviews.md

### 1/5 — Make it make sense

*2026-08-25, version 0.1306.0*

Pay for life saving alerts??? Cmon

### 1/5 — Please not the commodifying harm and sexual assault in order to upgrade for more news

*2026-08-24, version 0.1306.0*

What kind of sick person asks for more money to get further bad info? Absolutely not

### 1/5 — too many paywalls now

*2026-08-24, version 0.1300.0*

seems like you need the subscription to use most features

### 2/5 — Why an account/phone  ?

*2026-08-23, version 0.1306.0*

:(

### 5/5 — Notice

*2026-08-23, version 0.1305.1*

I notice the app no longer has the Live Helicopter live view. I wonder why. Is it maybe because cops do more that they shouldn’t be doing? Lawsuits are always open here in USA!!!!!!!! USA!!!!USA!!!!

### 3/5 — Good but

*2026-08-22, version 0.1305.1*

To many vital blocked features.

### 1/5 — Search function useless

*2026-08-22, version 0.1305.1*

This app used to have full functionality. One of the most powerful features that used to work was the search field, using keywords to return results that are current and from the past.  Now it is useless, populating searches with irrelevant results from thousands of miles away, meanwhile if I scan around the map I find a multitude of reports that obviously should have been included in search results. On going for over a year now. I’ve been a paid subscriber for years, I’ve since cancelled my subscription.

### 2/5 — So annoying

*2026-08-22, version 0.1305.1*

Hate hate hate the new update to send a morning update every day at 8 AM. Who wants to wake up to ‘Morning Briefing: 10 shot dead, 14 critically injured, 3,000 people missing in earthquake’. Dumping the app until this gets fixed.

### 1/5 — Used to be better

*2026-08-21, version 0.1305.1*

Before their focus was on how to monetize the app (charging for FREE Megan’s law info on nearby sex offenders, really?) it was far more useful. The comments back then were related to the reports and not just bigoted comments, politics, etc.     I sometimes get minor reports from nowhere near me but don’t get reports on serious things near me.  It does occasionally let us know of things we do want/need to know.        I find myself wanting to delete it more and more. Wish there was a better alternative.    *edit* I did delete it, the bigotry was too much and the app became less and less useful. Haven’t found a good alternative, but this app is so gross now.

### 3/5 — Good idea Bad execution

*2026-08-21, version 0.1305.1*

Annoyingly this app used to alert you to things in your neighborhood. Now it’s just trying to sell you upgrades. It is really no longer worth it.

## Frequently asked questions about Citizen

### What does the Citizen app do?

Citizen provides real-time safety alerts for crimes, natural disasters, fires, and protests happening in your vicinity. It also allows you to watch live videos of incidents and access historical crime data to understand local patterns. The app aims to keep you informed and help you avoid dangerous situations.

### What are the key features of Citizen?

Key features include instant, free real-time alerts for emergencies, the ability to watch live incident videos, access to a nationwide map of registered sexual offenders, crime trend analysis, and missing person alerts. A premium subscription unlocks additional features like police and fire scanner audio.

### Is Citizen free to use?

The core features of Citizen, including real-time safety alerts and live incident videos, are available for free. There is an optional premium subscription called Citizen Premium that offers enhanced features such as police and fire scanner audio, detailed incident archives, and customizable alert zones.

### What devices is Citizen compatible with?

Citizen is available for download in the US and Canada. While most features work across these regions, the free safety alerts are best supported in a specific list of major cities within the US and Canada. The app is designed for mobile devices.

### How can Citizen help me stay safe?

Citizen helps you stay safe by providing immediate notifications about potential dangers like crimes, fires, or natural disasters before official responses may occur. By understanding what's happening around you through live video and crime trends, you can make informed decisions to protect yourself and your loved ones.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 0.1307.0 — 2026-08-26

The Citizen widget has a new spotlight design. See a featured incident at a glance, follow nearby updates, and catch Top Stories across Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets. This release also includes bug fixes and performance improvements.

### 0.1306.0 — 2026-08-23

Bug fixes and performance improvements.

### 0.1305.1 — 2026-08-17

Bug fixes and performance improvements.

### 0.1305.0 — 2026-08-13

Bug fixes and performance improvements.

### 0.1303.0 — 2026-07-29

Bug fixes and performance improvements.

## Apps similar to Citizen

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
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| [Police Scanner Radio & Fire](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/police-scanner-radio-and-fire/id498405045) | 4.6 (529,907) | Free | News |
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| [Police Scanner: Fire Radio](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/police-scanner-fire-radio/id1477440076) | 4.7 (164,163) | Free | News |
| [CNN: Live & Breaking News](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cnn-live-and-breaking-news/id331786748) | 4.8 (1,664,114) | Free | News |
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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-27.*