The major apps have converged on a pretty solid safety toolkit, and it is worth actually setting it up rather than just knowing it exists. Standard features across Uber, Grab, Bolt, DiDi, and most regional apps include live trip sharing with a contact, driver name, photo, plate number, and rating shown before pickup, an in-app emergency button that in some countries connects to local police or the app's safety line, GPS-recorded routes, and anonymized phone numbers so the driver never sees your real number.
Some apps add extras in certain markets: audio recording of trips, route deviation alerts that ping you if the car strays from the expected path, a PIN you give the driver to confirm the match, and women-driver options in a few countries.
Habits matter more than features. Match the plate before getting in, never confirm your name to the driver first but ask who they are picking up, share the trip on longer or late-night rides, and sit in the back. If anything feels off, end the ride in a public, lit place. The tools are good, but the two-second plate check prevents most problems.