A Hong Kong police mobile app that has helped in the rescue of 272 people since its launch last year will soon be upgraded to include live location sharing for groups while the number of emergency contacts will also be increased to enhance users’ safety.
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Senior Superintendent Swalikh Mohammed of the digital policing services bureau told the Post in an exclusive interview that the force would roll out an upgrade for its “HKSOS” app in December. The app has been downloaded 150,000 times since its introduction in January 2024.
“All our searches have been successful. There have been no prolonged rescues under [the use of] ‘HKSOS’,” Mohammed said.
The current version of the app allows users to alert police if they encounter danger during outdoor activities such as hiking, paragliding and canoeing.
But a new tracking function of the app’s patented “Signal Radar” technology will allow rescue personnel to accurately detect the location of a person in distress, even if their device has no signal. Rescuers can carry the radar to detect a distressed individual’s location on helicopter flights or fly a drone that has it on searches.
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In the new version, users can form a group with up to nine others and monitor one another’s locations throughout their journey.