How it works
Emergency SOS on your phone: the setup, and the limits.
Ten minutes of setup almost nobody does, followed by an honest list of what this SOS still will not do for you.
How a personal alarm works. People hear you.
One gesture, three relays: from your pocket to your loved ones.
This is a test: nobody gets alerted.
6 s to push the loop back down
Tuesday 12 November22:47
Messages · nowCamilleEmergency SOS: Camille made an emergency call from this approximate location.
Your loved one’s phone
You pull the loop.
The SOS starts.
Six seconds to push the loop back down, if it was a mistake.
Emergency services are called.
By your linked phone, if its SOS is set up.
Your loved ones know where you are.
A message, with your location.
An alarm makes noise. OYA alerts.
Siren and light
Call to emergency services, phone linked
Location sent to loved ones
No app, no subscription
Usage illustrations · Retouched images
Set it once, and stop thinking about it.
The siren works on its own. These three steps add the emergency call and the message to your people.
- Pair it with your phone.Hold the side button until it beeps. On your phone it shows up as “SOS Personal Alarm”: that is yours.
- Choose who to alert.Your people stay in your phone, we never see them.
- Let the call go out on its own.One setting on your phone, and no need to unlock it.
What OYA does not do.
Said plainly, this is what makes the rest credible.
- Your phone makes the call. The siren and light work on their own. The call and your location go through your phone and its network.
- Keep your phone close. Within about ten metres, everything goes out. Further away the siren still sounds, but with no Bluetooth link, no call goes out.
- Keep it away from water. OYA is not waterproof. If it gets wet, dry it before charging it.
- Meets European standards. OYA carries the CE marking and meets the RoHS directive. The EU declaration of conformity is available on request. The tests were carried out in March 2026 by the Shenzhen HUAK Testing Technology laboratory.
Still have a question?
Short answers here. And if that is not enough, we will answer you.
Ask us a questionHow do I pair OYA with my phone?
Hold the side button until it beeps and the Bluetooth comes on. In your phone list the device is called “SOS Personal Alarm”, not OYA, which is normal. The setup guide walks through the iPhone and Android settings step by step.
How do I stop the alarm?
Push the loop back down and the siren stops. If your phone is paired, do it within 6 seconds and no call goes out; after that, the SOS has started and is handled on the phone. The loop stays attached to the device, so there is nothing to put back and nothing to lose.
Do I have to unlock my phone?
No. OYA talks to your phone over Bluetooth, so pulling the device raises the alert on the spot.
How loud is the alarm?
130 dB measured at 30 cm. Loud enough to turn heads, even from a distance.
Will it work in another country?
Yes. Your phone’s SOS dials the emergency number of the country you are standing in, as long as your phone and network allow it.
How far does the Bluetooth carry?
About ten metres as a rule, depending on what is around you.
See 16 more questions
Do personal alarms work?
They work by drawing attention: a very loud noise that people nearby hear and that makes the scene visible. No alarm can promise to scare someone off. Paired with your phone, OYA also gets it to call the emergency services and send your position to your people.
Does a personal alarm need Wi-Fi or mobile data?
OYA itself needs neither: the siren and the light work offline, on their own. The emergency call and the location message go through your paired phone, so they depend on its coverage. Emergency calls go through on any available network, while the location message needs data.
How do personal alarms work with a phone, with no app?
Over Bluetooth: once paired, a pull sends a signal to your phone, and the phone’s own Emergency SOS dials the local emergency number and alerts your emergency contacts. Those contacts and settings stay in your phone, not in an app of ours.
Is a personal safety alarm the same as a care alarm for older people?
No. A care alarm is a monitored service for the home: a pendant or wristband, a base unit and operators who answer, often with fall detection. A personal safety alarm like OYA is a siren you carry outside, with no subscription; paired with your phone, it triggers its native SOS.
What happens if my phone battery is dead when I pull OYA?
The siren and the light still go off: they run on OYA’s own battery, with no phone or network needed. The emergency call and the location message need a phone that is switched on, charged and in coverage, so keep it charged before heading out.
Which number does OYA call in Ireland?
Your phone’s SOS dials the local emergency number: OYA has no number of its own, it triggers the native SOS of your paired phone. In Ireland, as everywhere in the European Union, 112 reaches the police, ambulance and fire services.
Can I stop the emergency call if I pull OYA by mistake?
Push the loop back down within 6 seconds: the siren stops and no call goes out. After that, your phone’s SOS has started and pushing the loop no longer stops it; if the call connects, do not hang up: tell the operator it was accidental and that you do not need help.
What should I do after setting off OYA?
Call 112 as soon as you can: OYA makes you heard, it does not replace that call. If your phone is paired, its SOS calls the emergency services on its own after a few seconds and sends your position. Once you are safe, push the loop back down to stop the siren.
How do personal alarms get your location to the emergency services?
Through your phone, since OYA has no GPS: when the phone’s SOS calls 112, your position reaches the emergency services with the call, and your emergency contacts can receive it by message, depending on your settings.
Can I alert the emergency services without making a sound?
Yes: five quick presses on OYA’s side button start the paired phone’s emergency call, with no siren. The phone has to be paired over Bluetooth with its SOS set up; pulling the loop, on the other hand, sets off the siren and the SOS together.
Is it legal to use a personal alarm that calls emergency services?
Yes: a personal alarm only makes a sound, so neither Ireland nor any other European Union country treats it as a weapon, and there is no permit and no minimum age. The emergency call goes out through your paired phone’s own SOS, just as if you had started it yourself.
Does a personal alarm work like pepper spray?
No: pepper spray tries to stop someone and has to be reached and aimed, while a personal alarm draws attention with one pull, with nothing to aim. Pepper spray also counts as a firearm in Ireland; a personal alarm falls under no carrying rule.
Which personal alarm works best for a woman walking home alone?
No ranking can decide that for you: what counts is a volume stated with its measuring distance, a trigger you can find without looking and a weight light enough to stay on your keys every day. OYA states 130 dB measured at 30 cm, a loop to pull and 65 g.
Where can I buy the OYA personal alarm?
On this site, from ALTHIR GROUP, the French company behind OYA, which dispatches every order from France. You have 30 days to change your mind, more than the 14 days the law sets, and a 3-year warranty.
Does a personal alarm work for a child too?
Yes: the only movement, pulling the loop, needs neither strength nor precision, and nothing stops a minor from carrying a personal alarm, though a school can set its own rules. For the SOS to go out, a paired phone with its Emergency SOS set up has to be with them.
Is a personal alarm enough on its own, or what else helps?
It does one thing, loud noise with one pull, and works best alongside a charged phone with its Emergency SOS set up and live location sharing on journeys after dark. A self defence class adds what no alarm can: releases from a grip, keeping your distance and using your voice early.
that is €34.95 per device · 22% off
Choose yours, we handle the rest.
From €44.90, shipped from France, and 30 days to change your mind.
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In pictures: OYA day to day
Their words, as written.
Trop contente !
J’espère ne jamais avoir à l’utiliser mais c’est très rassurant de l’avoir sur moi en tant que femme dans la rue.
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