© Help'us
Help’US App, the Guardian Angel of Runners in France
Running is about freedom and pushing your limits. But that joy sometimes comes with a sense of fear. In France, more than 12.4 million people run regularly, and just under half of them are women. Many don’t always feel safe. This concern can be a real barrier to participation—something the Help’US app aims to change.
92% of women say they worry about their safety when they run. That’s the finding of a 2023 study conducted by adidas among 9,000 runners. And women aren’t the only ones affected—many younger runners, and even some men, share this feeling. This sense of insecurity often leads people to avoid certain areas or times of day, and sometimes to give up running altogether. As the days grow shorter, the issue becomes even more pressing.
| Help’US, a French App Making Running Safer
Three private security experts launched the emergency alert app Help’US in March 2025 to provide a quick and simple response in cases such as assault, medical distress, accidents, or threats. With real-time geolocation, standby mode, and an SOS alert feature, Help’US can dispatch assistance within seconds. In situations of danger or concern, a trained operator from the app’s dedicated assistance center is available around the clock to coordinate emergency response, alert rescue services, and guide the entire chain of intervention.
Over 5,000 people have already downloaded the app, with a noticeable surge at the start of the school year. Designed for everyone—but especially useful for runners—Help’US is officially approved by the French Ministry of the Interior. The concept is simple: users can discreetly call for help quickly and effectively via the SOS button. “For instance, if a female runner feels she’s being followed, she can activate the service to request help without needing to hold the phone to her ear, speak, or even explain her location,” explained one of the app’s creators, David Amsellen.
| Getting Help in Emergency Situations
One of the app’s greatest strengths lies in its real-time geolocation, which provides far greater speed and accuracy than a traditional emergency call. “It’s hard to communicate with the authorities when you’re facing an aggressor, for example. With Help’US, you just open the platform, and in two clicks—three seconds—you can reach our private assistance center, which is officially approved by the French Ministry of the Interior, thanks to the SOS button.” There’s no need to waste time explaining where you are or what’s happening—the app does it for you. Runners can report not only abnormal situations but also falls, fainting spells, or injuries requiring quick intervention.
Operators are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to contact emergency services. The app provides instant geolocation and continuous live tracking as long as the user remains in alert mode. Staff members can access the phone’s microphone and front camera to better assess the situation. This allows, for instance, a runner to describe what’s happening while still moving—by shouting “stop following me,” for example. David Amsellen explains, “She isn’t speaking directly into her phone, which avoids drawing attention.”
| Assistance in Under 90 Seconds
Once the issue is identified, the operator’s mission is to alert emergency responders—firefighters, police, or gendarmes—depending on the nature of the situation. “With all the visual, audio, and location data, our service can send the right people to the right place faster than if the user tried to do it themselves, which can be intimidating in a moment of fear,” explains one of the founders.
Unlike a regular emergency call, Help’US operators bypass local police stations and contact the nearest regional command centers directly—those in charge of dispatching emergency units. This streamlines the response process. Operators describe the situation to authorities and share a temporary link allowing them to track the victim in real time.
All audio and video elements are recorded as soon as the SOS button is activated. Since Help’US is an officially certified service, these recordings can be used as admissible evidence in legal proceedings.
The alert functions like a text message, requiring only minimal network coverage. According to David Amsellen, 95% of the French territory is already covered, and engineers are working to close the remaining gap. Location sharing operates via satellite, so the user’s position can be transmitted from virtually anywhere. “Even if the voice connection cuts out in low-signal areas, law enforcement is still dispatched to verify the situation using the live GPS location,” adds the co-founder.
| The Watch Mode: A Runner’s Best Ally
Another feature runners particularly appreciate is the location-sharing system, which lets users share their position with up to five trusted contacts. More accurate than standard tracking tools, this feature allows designated “watchers” to follow the runner’s route in real time. They can check in at any moment to make sure everything’s fine. The runner can respond with a single tap — a thumbs-up or thumbs-down — without typing a word. “The thumbs-down option is useful,” explains David Amsellen, “because the watcher can trigger the SOS remotely and even listen in or see what’s happening. From there, our operators take over the device and handle the situation if needed.”
Unsurprisingly, a large portion of Help’US users are women, as they’re often more exposed to safety concerns during solo runs. The company also collaborates with associations fighting violence against women, such as “125 et après” and “Krav Women Protect.” Teenagers between 12 and 18 years old make up another significant share of downloads.
The app itself is free, but access to the private, government-certified emergency center costs €3.99 per month or €27.99 per year (a 20% discount for annual subscribers). The watcher mode is free, while access to the SOS button or the “witness of a violent act” feature requires a paid plan. As the founders like to say, it’s “cheaper than a Netflix subscription.”
| A Community-Driven Project
Help’US aims to expand its reach in the coming months and years, with the primary goal of building a true community around its platform—much like Waze did for drivers. “We want to create a system where people can warn each other whenever a potential threat arises somewhere. Whether on foot, by bike, or in a car, users could flag different types of risks, such as the presence of pickpockets,” explains David Amsellen.
The founders are already in discussions with the French Ministry of the Interior to explore ways of alerting users about potential dangers in real time, based on their location. The idea is to strengthen this community-driven safety network. “An individual could report an incident that would automatically notify others entering a sensitive area. That’s one of the next features we’re working on,” adds David Amsellen.
| User Testimonial
Marion Villalard, a runner and long-time Help’US user, has relied on the app for nearly six months. The Paris native works nights as a luxury concierge while also pursuing an international modeling career — a lifestyle that often leads her to run between midnight and three in the morning.
“I don’t really feel safe in Paris anymore. Since downloading Help’US, I feel much calmer. This app could one day save my life, or simply help me — it could be useful at any moment,” says the athlete, who has not yet had to use the SOS button prominently displayed on her phone’s home screen.
The model keeps her phone close at hand during her night runs and knows the service “by heart,” sitting right next to Instagram on her screen. She uses the live location feature to share her route with a “watcher” — her best friend. “I’ve been followed before, insulted, and put in frightening situations. I wish I’d had Help’US back then. I value my freedom to go where I want, when I want. I think the app’s concept is brilliant. With Help’US, I know someone is watching over me — it’s comforting.”
| In Brief
For €3.99 per month, Help’US offers:
➜ Real-time tracking that allows relatives and emergency responders to pinpoint the exact location of the person in danger.
➜ A discreet alert feature that can be activated in case of danger.
➜ An “on-the-fly monitoring” mode that records ambient sound and alerts designated contacts if something seems wrong or if there’s no response.
➜ Rapid deployment of emergency services or law enforcement, triggered in under 90 seconds.
➜ It also allows users to set up preventive alerts when planning potentially risky journeys.
Because fear should never hold runners back, Help’US offers a simple and effective way to make running feel safer. With more than 5,000 users already on board, the platform looks set for a bright future.
✔ All the information about Help’US.
Emma BERT
Journaliste
