Sri Lanka Police have released a mobile application with an SOS emergency feature that transmits a user’s location to the nearest police station, the Daily Mirror reported on Saturday.
Police Media Spokesperson Assistant Superintendent F. U. Wootler said the app, listed as “Sri Lanka Police”, is available on the Google Play Store and can be used by any Sri Lankan citizen holding a National Identity Card.
Pressing and holding the SOS button for 10 seconds during an emergency sends the user’s location details to the nearest station so officers can respond more quickly, ASP Wootler said.
A pilot in Colombo first
The SOS service is being introduced as a pilot project in the Colombo District, not nationwide.
The app sits alongside the existing 119 emergency hotline rather than replacing it. Police said it can also be used to report emergencies involving a child in danger or distress.
Beyond the SOS button, the home screen offers Police News, the Emergency Hotline, a Station Finder and E-Services.
Conditions and warnings
Location sharing is mandatory when the SOS function is activated. Police advised users to enable location permissions in advance so the feature works when it is needed.
Police warned that the SOS function must not be used for testing, pranks or false reports, noting that legal action was taken against more than 91 people in 2025 for misusing the 119 hotline.
Users activating an SOS request were advised to prioritise their own safety and, where possible, move away from danger to a safe location while waiting for officers.
Context
The app is the latest in a run of police service-delivery changes. Police opened a WhatsApp video channel on 119 for deaf and hard-of-hearing callers earlier this month, part of a broader accessibility push that also produced voice guidance and Braille keyboards at ATMs.
Not reported
The Daily Mirror does not say when the Colombo pilot began or how long it runs before a decision on wider rollout, nor which unit handles incoming SOS alerts or what response-time target applies. It does not say whether an iOS version is planned — the report names only the Google Play Store — or how the NIC registration requirement affects people without a smartphone or an identity card.
The report does not address how long location data is retained or who may access it, beyond noting that location information may be used in line with the app’s data-safety disclosure on Google Play.
Ada Derana also carried the announcement, but its site returned a CloudFront block when fetched, so its report could not be verified or dated and is not cited here.
