SOS Button: A Panic Alarm That Reaches Your Contacts Instantly
An SOS button in a safety app is a manual panic alarm: you press it yourself, the moment you need help, and your chosen contacts are notified right away. In Still OK, you hold the SOS button for three seconds — long enough that it can't trigger by accident — and the app immediately alerts all your emergency contacts via email, then WhatsApp, then SMS, with your last GPS location on request. It's the active counterpart to Still OK's automatic check-in alarm: that one fires when you go silent, the SOS button fires when you act. The SOS button is a Premium feature; it does not replace calling 112 or 911.
SOS button vs. automatic check-in alarm
Still OK has two ways to reach your contacts, and they work in opposite directions. Understanding the difference is the key to using the app well.
| sosBtn_t_h0 | Automatic check-in alarm | SOS button |
|---|---|---|
| What triggers it | Your silence — a missed check-in | Your action — you press the button |
| When it fires | When you can't respond at all | When you're conscious and need help now |
| How fast | After your check-in deadline passes | Immediately — within seconds |
| Who is notified | Your emergency contacts | Your emergency contacts |
| Tier | Free (email) | Premium |
Both reach the same people you trust, and neither contacts a professional dispatch centre. The check-in alarm is the safety net for when something happens and no one would otherwise notice. The SOS button is for the moments you're awake, aware, and want help on its way without waiting for the next deadline.
When to use the SOS button
The SOS button is for situations where you're conscious but something is wrong and you'd rather not be alone with it. You don't need a reason that sounds dramatic — a bad feeling is enough.
- A situation that frightens you — someone at the door, a noise, a person following you on the way home.
- Sudden illness or pain where you can still act, but want someone to know and check on you.
- A fall where you're conscious but can't get up and want help reaching you quickly.
- Any moment you'd normally text a friend “something's not right” — except this sends your location too, to everyone at once.
If your life is in immediate danger, call your local emergency number first. The SOS button reaches the people who know you and can come to you — it works alongside the emergency services, not instead of them.
What happens when you press it
In Still OK, the SOS button is deliberately not a single tap. You hold it for three seconds, so it can't fire from a pocket or a stray touch. A short countdown follows that you can cancel — or a double-tap sends the alarm immediately if you can't wait.
Once it's out, Still OK reaches every contact across all active channels in the same fixed order as a normal alert: email first, then WhatsApp, then SMS. Each contact's message names you, says you triggered an SOS and may need help right away, and — if you enabled it — carries your last known location. A confirmation screen shows you, per contact and per channel, that the message went through, so you're not left wondering whether anyone knows.
Your contacts don't install anything. The alert lands as an ordinary email, WhatsApp message or text. And if it was a false alarm, you can send an all-clear afterwards so everyone knows you're fine.
What it's really about
Annika, 29, lives alone in Bremen. Walking home one night she notices the same person behind her for three streets. She isn't sure it's anything — but she doesn't want to find out alone. Instead of pulling up a contact and typing, she holds the SOS button on her phone. Within seconds her flatmate and her father both get a message: Annika triggered an SOS, here's her location. Her father stays on the phone with her until she's inside and the door is locked. Nothing happened that night. The point is that she didn't have to face the maybe alone.
It's not about expecting the worst. It's about having a safety net you can reach for the instant you want it — one press, everyone who matters knows.
How to trigger an SOS in an emergency
- Open Still OK and hold the SOS button for three seconds (or use the long-press shortcut on the app icon).
- Let the short countdown run, or double-tap to send the alarm instantly.
- Watch the confirmation screen — it shows, per contact, that your alert went out via email, WhatsApp and SMS.
Frequently asked questions
Does the SOS button replace calling 112 or 911?
No. The Still OK SOS button alerts the private contacts you chose — not a professional emergency dispatch centre. It does not call an ambulance, the police or the fire service. In an acute, life-threatening situation, always call your local emergency number first. The SOS button works alongside it: it reaches the people who know you and can come to you or get help on the way.
Who does my SOS alarm reach?
Only the emergency contacts you added in Still OK. When you trigger an SOS, every one of them is notified across all active channels — email first, then WhatsApp, then SMS as a fallback — with your last known location if you enabled it. No stranger and no monitoring centre is involved; it's the people you trust, all at once.
What's the difference between the SOS button and the check-in alarm?
The check-in alarm is automatic and passive: it fires when you don't check in by your deadline — for the situations where you can't respond at all. The SOS button is manual and active: you press it yourself, and your contacts are notified within seconds — for the situations where you're conscious and want help right now. Both reach the same trusted contacts.
Can I cancel an accidental SOS?
The button is built to avoid accidents: it needs a three-second hold, then a short countdown you can cancel before anything is sent. If an alert did go out by mistake, you can send an all-clear afterwards, so your contacts get a message that you're okay. That's why it helps to choose contacts who'll understand a false alarm without panic.
Does the SOS button work without Premium?
The SOS button itself is a Premium feature (€4.99/month or €34.99/year), as are the WhatsApp and SMS channels. The free version of Still OK focuses on the automatic check-in alarm by email. So if you want a manual, instant panic alarm that reaches contacts across all channels, you'll need Premium.
Does the SOS button send my location?
Only if you turned that on. Still OK never tracks your location continuously. When you trigger an SOS, your last known GPS location can be included in the alert so your contacts know where to come — but it's captured at that moment, not collected in the background. You stay in control of whether your location is shared at all.