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Panic button in Greece: every option
In Greece the phrase "panic button" means three different things. Two of them are provided by the State and alert the police. The third covers private services, which alert people you trust. They are not alternatives to each other — they cover different needs.
The short answer
- The State Panic Button — for adult victims of domestic violence. It alerts the Hellenic Police directly. It is issued to you, not downloaded.
- Safe Youth — for minors aged 12 to 18. Run by the Hellenic Police, free from the app stores.
- Private services — apps, smartwatches, GPS trackers, physical buttons. They alert parents, chaperones or supervisors, not the authorities.
1. The State Panic Button
A digital app from the Ministry of Social Cohesion and Family, built specifically for victims of domestic violence as defined in Greek Law 3500/2006. Once triggered, it alerts the Hellenic Police directly.
It is not downloadable from an app store. It is issued by the police authorities or by a counselling centre in the network of the General Secretariat for Equality and Human Rights, free of charge.
If this is your situation, see our full guide on domestic violence: what to do first, which numbers to call, and how the app is issued.
2. Safe Youth — for minors aged 12 to 18
SAFE.YOUth is an app from the Hellenic Police and the Ministry of Citizen Protection, for minors aged 12 to 18. It is free on Google Play and the App Store, with an official site at safeyouth.gov.gr.
It offers four functions:
- A direct call to 10201, the Minors Protection Sub-Directorate line.
- Anonymous or named reports through a platform on gov.gr.
- A direct call to 100.
- An Emergency Button that silently alerts the police emergency response unit when the minor cannot speak on the phone.
Registration asks for the minor's details, so the police know who the call concerns and where to send help. For how it differs from AlarmBee, see Safe Youth and AlarmBee.
3. Private services
This is everything you buy yourself. What they share: none of them connects to any authority. They alert specific people you have chosen.
- An app on the phone — no extra device. AlarmBee sits here.
- A kids smartwatch — its own SIM, its own charging, a monthly fee.
- A GPS tracker — mostly tracking, with an SOS button as a secondary feature.
- A physical button — a pendant or wristband transmitter, limited to the house.
Which is worth it and where each one fails: the full comparison.
Who provides what, at a glance
| State Panic Button | Safe Youth | Private app | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | Ministry of Social Cohesion | Hellenic Police | Private company |
| Who it is for | Adult victims of domestic violence | Minors 12–18 | Anyone |
| Who it alerts | Hellenic Police | Police emergency response | Parents or supervisors you choose |
| How you get it | Issued by police or GSEHR | Free on Play Store / App Store | Sign up for the service |
| Cost | Free | Free | Subscription |
| Under 12 | No | No | Yes, a parent sets it up |
What none of them does
- None works on a dead battery or with no signal. No product solves that.
- None replaces 112 or 100. They are shortcuts, not substitutes.
- None helps if the child does not know when pressing it is allowed. That is the most common mistake, explained in what is a panic button.
Which one suits whom
If you are facing domestic violence, the right path is the police and the State Panic Button. If you have a teenager aged 12 or over, Safe Youth is free and connects straight to police emergency response. If you want the parents to know first — with location and a photo, so they can judge whether a call to 100 is needed — you need a private service.
They do not cancel each other out. A child can perfectly well have both on their phone.