112 Suomi becomes most downloaded free app in Finland

YLE — The 112 Suomi emergency app has become the most downloaded free application in both Apple’s App Store and Google Play in Finland, according to the Finnish news site Yle. Google Play alone reports over one million downloads.

The app’s surge in downloads comes after a drone alert in the Uusimaa region last Friday caused widespread confusion. Authorities issued a danger warning advising 1.8 million people to stay indoors, but many users did not receive the notification on time — or at all. The Emergency Response Centre Agency (Hätäkeskuslaitos) later said a technical glitch in the app’s backend service, caused by heavy load, delayed delivery of the “all clear” message. The problem was resolved the same morning.

Officials also gave contradictory information during the incident and later confirmed that no drones had entered Finnish airspace.

The agency now urges all users to update the 112 Suomi app. Users who had not updated the app or had not granted it continuous location permission may not have received the emergency alert.

The app allows users to call emergency services while automatically transmitting their location data to the dispatch centre.