How the Gauteng Panic Button app works – Hypertext

• The Gauteng provincial government launched the ePanic Button app this week.
• The app has been improved and simplified from when it was being tested in May 2023.
• It only requires your mobile number, name and location to function.

The provincial government of Gauteng province has officially launched its panic button app – Gauteng ePanic. The app has come a long way since it became available to download in May 2023, with several improvements and streamlining.

It is available right now on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store, is quick to download and the setup begins immediately with only a mobile number, your name, your email address and your location required for the app to work.

How the Gauteng Panic Button app works

Once downloaded and opened, you will be asked to provide your mobile number and then input an OTP.

Following the OTP, you will be asked to provide your name, surname, mobile number and email – with the Gauteng government saying that the email address is optional. You then accept the Ts and Cs and then allow the app to have full location access in the background.

This can be seen as controversial, so the choice is yours. The app requires location access at all times, even when the app is not being used. This means that Gauteng eGovernment is tracking your phone at all times.

If you believe you may need the panic button services of the app, then this decision should be a no brainer, but it is also possible to disable the location tracking within your phone’s settings while not using the app, and then enable again if you are planning to travel to a dangerous area, for example, or you are going on a night out.

The app itself is more simplified than the original iteration that was first available. There are three main options:

• Report a crime – Select from different types of crimes, upload an image as evidence and enter a brief description before reporting to the police,
• Medical Emergencies – Be careful of pressing this button, because it will immediately send a distress message to Gauteng eGovernment, which will call you back in a few minutes to ask what your emergency is,
• Panic Button – The third option is at the bottom of the screen, an icon with a red circle. If you hold onto the button for three seconds, private security or police will be aware of your location and send help.

You then have an icon to turn on notifications and an icon that will let you input more personal details about yourself, like who your dependents are. There is also an option to link “Panic devices.” Linked devices will alert your phone when a distress button is pressed on another’s phone.

For example, if you have linked a device with your child, and they press the panic button on their phone, you will receive a notification as well as a location.

What else do I need to know about the app?

The Gauteng ePanic Button app is a long time coming, first announced in 2022. Initially a brainchild of Premier Panyaza Lesufi and the Department of eGovernment, which oversees the rollout of the app and support. One of the premier’s platforms is a safer province for residents.

The app itself was built by Response24, a South African company that specialises in panic button-style apps, as well as live tracking and emergency medical services response.

“The Gauteng Panic Button is a testament to the progress made by the provincial government to create a safer environment for everyone in the province. By downloading and using this app, you can protect yourself and your loved ones in times of emergency,” eGovernment MEC Bonginkosi Dhlamini said in a statement on Monday, as the app was launched across the province.

“The Gauteng Panic Button is not just a tool; it’s a lifeline. It is an initiative by the Gauteng Provincial Government to ensure that all our residents are safe at all times,” he added.

Unfortunately, the app only works for locations within the province of Gauteng, and only alerts medical and emergency services within the province.