SOS Ring
Make VIP calls and messages audible even in Silent/DND
New in version 2.22.0
Live map: shows session duration, distance travelled, average speed and speed over the last minute, with GPS jitter filtering. The latest position has an accuracy circle and the path start is marked. Following keeps your zoom level and pauses when you move the map; the recenter button resumes it. New button to open the latest position in your maps app.
SOS Ring makes calls and supported direct messages from VIP contacts audible even if your phone is in Silent, Vibrate, or Do Not Disturb mode.
Perfect for families where someone always keeps their phone on silent but needs to be reachable in emergencies.
HOW IT WORKS:
• Add your VIP contacts (family, partner, etc.)
• Enable the monitoring service
• When a VIP contact calls, SOS Ring overrides Silent/DND mode, plays the ringtone at your chosen volume (25-100%), and vibrates
• Optionally pair their direct WhatsApp, SMS/RCS, or Telegram conversation and choose a separate message volume (5-100%) and sound
• After the alert ends, your phone is restored to its original state — silent mode, DND, volumes, everything
WHY THIS APP EXISTS:
Android 14+ removed per-contact DND exceptions. No built-in way exists to let specific contacts bypass silent mode. Google restricts READ_CALL_LOG on the Play Store, so this type of app can't be published there. SOS Ring is free, open source, and works where others can't.
FEATURES:
• Pick VIP contacts from your phonebook or enter manually; select any or all numbers for contacts with multiple numbers
• Configurable call override volume (25-100%)
• Sound from the first VIP call or the second within 3, 5 or 10 minutes, with per-number exceptions
• Optional volume doubling between successive calls when the base volume is below 50%, capped at 100%
• Optional VIP message alerts for WhatsApp, Google Messages (SMS/RCS), and Telegram
• Separate message sound toggle, volume (5-100%), and Android default or VIP contact sound
• Works in Silent, Vibrate, AND Do Not Disturb mode
• Full state restore after call (including alarm volume)
• Quiet Hours and the temporary mute timer stop both call and message overrides
• Survives phone reboots (auto-start)
• Minimal battery usage (event-driven, no polling)
• Dark mode support
• No ads or tracking
REPEATED CALLS:
The default remains the first call. Choose the mode in Settings, Home or each VIP's menu. Only distinct cellular calls from the same number count; answering or pausing resets the sequence. The window does not slide. Messages do not count and stay silent during cellular calls. Pending counts use local hashed identifiers, expire within the window and are excluded from exports. See the README for details.
LOCATION SHARING (optional, peer-to-peer):
• No SOS Ring server required — you pick a UnifiedPush distributor app (e.g. ntfy on F-Droid); it relays only encrypted data
• End-to-end encrypted using Web Push encryption; the distributor never sees your location
• Each message is signed with a per-device key in the Android Keystore, so the recipient can verify the sender
• Pairing is explicit via QR code — no automatic connections
• Location sharing is off by default per contact; you control who can see your location
• Live tracking streams your position roughly every 10 seconds for a chosen duration, shown on an OpenStreetMap map in the app
• Tracked path is saved locally on the requester's device only — no data leaves without your explicit action
• No server, no analytics, no tracking
PERMISSIONS EXPLAINED:
• Phone State & Call Log: detect incoming calls and identify the caller
• Contacts: pick VIP contacts from your phonebook
• Notification access (optional): identify paired direct conversations; message text is never stored, and conversation identifiers are saved only as hashes
• Do Not Disturb access: override DND when a VIP calls
• Notifications: show a small persistent notification while monitoring
• Location (including background): used only to answer location requests from paired contacts you explicitly authorized, even while the app is not on screen; nothing is collected or sent otherwise
SOURCE CODE: https://github.com/JackRushante/SOSRing
Perfect for families where someone always keeps their phone on silent but needs to be reachable in emergencies.
HOW IT WORKS:
• Add your VIP contacts (family, partner, etc.)
• Enable the monitoring service
• When a VIP contact calls, SOS Ring overrides Silent/DND mode, plays the ringtone at your chosen volume (25-100%), and vibrates
• Optionally pair their direct WhatsApp, SMS/RCS, or Telegram conversation and choose a separate message volume (5-100%) and sound
• After the alert ends, your phone is restored to its original state — silent mode, DND, volumes, everything
WHY THIS APP EXISTS:
Android 14+ removed per-contact DND exceptions. No built-in way exists to let specific contacts bypass silent mode. Google restricts READ_CALL_LOG on the Play Store, so this type of app can't be published there. SOS Ring is free, open source, and works where others can't.
FEATURES:
• Pick VIP contacts from your phonebook or enter manually; select any or all numbers for contacts with multiple numbers
• Configurable call override volume (25-100%)
• Sound from the first VIP call or the second within 3, 5 or 10 minutes, with per-number exceptions
• Optional volume doubling between successive calls when the base volume is below 50%, capped at 100%
• Optional VIP message alerts for WhatsApp, Google Messages (SMS/RCS), and Telegram
• Separate message sound toggle, volume (5-100%), and Android default or VIP contact sound
• Works in Silent, Vibrate, AND Do Not Disturb mode
• Full state restore after call (including alarm volume)
• Quiet Hours and the temporary mute timer stop both call and message overrides
• Survives phone reboots (auto-start)
• Minimal battery usage (event-driven, no polling)
• Dark mode support
• No ads or tracking
REPEATED CALLS:
The default remains the first call. Choose the mode in Settings, Home or each VIP's menu. Only distinct cellular calls from the same number count; answering or pausing resets the sequence. The window does not slide. Messages do not count and stay silent during cellular calls. Pending counts use local hashed identifiers, expire within the window and are excluded from exports. See the README for details.
LOCATION SHARING (optional, peer-to-peer):
• No SOS Ring server required — you pick a UnifiedPush distributor app (e.g. ntfy on F-Droid); it relays only encrypted data
• End-to-end encrypted using Web Push encryption; the distributor never sees your location
• Each message is signed with a per-device key in the Android Keystore, so the recipient can verify the sender
• Pairing is explicit via QR code — no automatic connections
• Location sharing is off by default per contact; you control who can see your location
• Live tracking streams your position roughly every 10 seconds for a chosen duration, shown on an OpenStreetMap map in the app
• Tracked path is saved locally on the requester's device only — no data leaves without your explicit action
• No server, no analytics, no tracking
PERMISSIONS EXPLAINED:
• Phone State & Call Log: detect incoming calls and identify the caller
• Contacts: pick VIP contacts from your phonebook
• Notification access (optional): identify paired direct conversations; message text is never stored, and conversation identifiers are saved only as hashes
• Do Not Disturb access: override DND when a VIP calls
• Notifications: show a small persistent notification while monitoring
• Location (including background): used only to answer location requests from paired contacts you explicitly authorized, even while the app is not on screen; nothing is collected or sent otherwise
SOURCE CODE: https://github.com/JackRushante/SOSRing
- Author: Lorenzo Marci
- License: GNU General Public License v3.0 or later
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Versions
Although APK downloads are available below to give you the choice, you should be aware that by installing that way you will not receive update notifications and it's a less secure way to download. We recommend that you install the F-Droid client and use that.
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arm64-v8aThis version requires Android 10 or newer.
It is built and signed by the original developer, and guaranteed to correspond to this source tarball.
Download APK 30 MiB PGP Signature | Build Log
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arm64-v8aThis version requires Android 10 or newer.
It is built and signed by the original developer, and guaranteed to correspond to this source tarball.
Download APK 30 MiB PGP Signature | Build Log
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arm64-v8aThis version requires Android 10 or newer.
It is built and signed by the original developer, and guaranteed to correspond to this source tarball.
Download APK 30 MiB PGP Signature | Build Log
New in version 2.21.0
Choose to sound from the first VIP call or from the second within 3, 5 or 10 minutes, with per-number exceptions. Optional volume doubling on subsequent calls when the base volume is below 50%, capped at 100%. Answering resets the sequence; pauses and Quiet Hours block alerts and reset counts. Message sounds stay separate and are suppressed during cellular calls. Existing settings remain unchanged by default.
New in version 2.20.0
VIP message alerts are now available for WhatsApp, Google Messages (SMS/RCS), and Telegram, with separate sound, volume, Quiet Hours, and pause controls. Contact import now lets you select one, several, or all phone numbers for a contact; each chosen number becomes a separate labeled VIP entry.