From texting your housemate because you've got no money for a taxi to calling 999 if you are in serious trouble, having a mobile phone to hand in case of emergencies has become fundamental to feeling safe.
But, until now, this piece of technology hasn't helped much in the interim -- until now.
Design company Spraytect has designed an iPhone case with a built-in pepper spray, which allows its owners to squirt the toxic mist into their assailant's eyes, causing temporary blindness and the chance to run away.
CEO and Spraytect creator Scott McPherson began working on the product after an "exhaustive" but fruitless search to find a suitable personal protection device for his daughter, who was due to leave for University.
“Each component of our Spraytect pepper spray and case is made with the consumer in mind,” he said in a statement.
“Within our busy lives, we integrate smartphone functions like talking, texting, taking pictures, listening to music, surfing or playing games, which means the phone is always in our hands."
The spray includes the hottest, habanero pepper as an ingredient and emits a fine consistent mist to a wide area around the phone.
The Spraytect product in action
McPherson added: "The pepper spray cartridge is properly placed on the case so it doesn’t interrupt phone use. We’ve made the pepper spray cartridge detachable so the consumer can choose when to add the extra protective feature. We were meticulous with design and manufacturing using only high quality materials and processes assuring an excellent product and user experience.”