Apple Watch: Your watch now reliably gets your sign-in from your iPhone – even if you install the watch app later. If the watch shows “Open Ping! on your iPhone once”, that’s all it takes. New versions: When a new version of Ping! is available, the app now lets you know sooner.

More than one group: you can now be in several groups – family and neighbours, for example. In Settings, tap “Add another group”: enter a code, scan a QR code or start a new group. Under “Your groups” you switch with a single tap. You don't pick a group when you press: your button calls all the groups your Ping goes to. For each group you decide: “Your Ping goes to this group” and/or “You help in this group”. When can you help? You don't have to be on call around the clock. You can now choose on which weekdays your phone may ring out loud. On the other days the Ping still arrives at once – just quietly. For a holiday or a hospital stay there's “I'm taking a break”: then Pings arrive quietly every day. Either way, if nobody else can, or nobody answers within about two minutes, it rings out loud after all. Under your button it then says “Helping is muted.”, and a small 1 on the app icon reminds you of it. To start with, every day is on – if you change nothing, you won't notice a difference. Your own button works as always. Rename the group: whoever manages the group changes its name in Settings under “Group name”. Everybody in the group sees the new name. And when you join, the preview now shows what the group is called. Withdraw request: while your request is still waiting, you can withdraw it yourself. You can ask again later with the same code. Not accepted? If your request isn't accepted, the app now tells you – with a note you close with OK. The code still works; best to ask them about it. Small improvements: when you invite someone, the app now says which group the invitation is for. If you're in several groups, after sending you see in which group the Ping has already been ended. And when you move to a new phone, all your groups move with you in one go.

Hand over group: whoever manages the group can now hand it over to another member – in Settings, or when you leave the group or delete your account. You choose who takes over, and that person gets a notification. I can't right now: anyone who can't come says so with one tap. The others are then asked whether they can come. If nobody can, the app clearly points you to the emergency number – with a button that starts the call. “I'm coming” is now green and bigger. And when you join a group, it now says what to do with a new phone: type in the same name as before. If you are no longer in your group – because the group was closed or someone removed you – you now see that as soon as you open the app, together with what to do: just ask for a new code. Small improvements: Ping! reliably tells you when a new version is ready.

"My button" is easier to read – emoji and text have their own fields, and the note below says how long the text may be. The terms of use are now right in Settings. And when you set Ping! up, it says clearly what it is and what it is not: neither an emergency app nor a medical alert service. Plus polish for large text sizes.

The watch app now installs on watchOS 10 or later — that is, any Apple Watch Series 4 or later. And in Settings, the green colour on the last ping now shows you that someone has ended it.

The invitation code is now checked as you type it: spaces from a copied message no longer get in the way, and an empty field tells you what is missing.

NEW IN 1.5 • When you send a ping discreetly, your family now sees it and knows: please don't call. • Anyone who wants to help sees straight away whether somebody is already on the way. The first reply arrives with a short tone. • If you are still alone in your group, Ping! reminds you to invite somebody. • If a ping reached nobody, Ping! tells you so instead of reporting success. • Settings now show when the last ping was and who ended it. Plus smaller improvements and bug fixes.

NEW IN 1.4 • To join a group, you can now simply scan the QR code in the app. • If you mix up a 0 and an O in the invitation code, Ping! still finds the group. • Ping! now runs on iOS 16 and later – iPhone 8, 8 Plus and X are back. • You can now email us directly from the Help section. Plus minor improvements and bug fixes.

NEW IN 1.3 • A ping now reaches you even when your iPhone is muted – just allow "Critical Alerts" once, the app will ask you • Ping! lets you know when a new version is in the App Store – one tap and you have the latest one • Invitations now explain what Ping! is and who they're from • New guided setup – step by step, with an explanation before every permission • The home screen shows what your button can do – design it now under "My button" • Minor improvements and bug fixes

NEW IN 1.2 • Whoever helps can also end the ping – handy when the person who sent it has no phone • If several ping at once, you see them all at a glance and answer each one • Notifications now say who ended the ping • New notifications for join requests and new group members • The notice at the bottom shows the emergency number of your country • No more duplicate pings when the watch triggers more than once • Minor improvements and bug fixes

• Ping! now also speaks French, Spanish and Italian • Invite links open the app directly – with a join dialog showing group and code • New feedback form in Settings – write to us right from the app • Settings now list all members of your group • Text scales with your system font size – easier to read for everyone • "Waiting for approval" no longer blocks the app • Minor improvements and bug fixes