Cyprus Upgrades SafeCY App With Real-Time Emergency Alerts After Iranian Drone Strike

By Bosphorus News Geopolitics Desk

Cyprus upgraded its SafeCY civil defence application on March 11 to include a push notification system that allows authorities to send emergency alerts simultaneously to all users or to residents in a specific geographic area under threat. The update was announced jointly by the Ministry of Interior and Civil Defence and the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy.

Deputy Minister Nicodemos Damianou said the alerts would operate independently from the SMS warnings sent to telephony subscribers, allowing more targeted communication during incidents. All users, including those outside the affected area, will be able to see alerts sent through the app for general awareness purposes. In the event of an alert, users are instructed to follow Civil Defence guidance, move to a basement where available, or remain indoors away from windows until further notice.

SafeCY has been downloaded more than 170,000 times since its launch in March 2025. The application allows users to locate nearby shelters by GPS or address, view shelter capacity, and access emergency instructions in Greek and English. Authorities are urging all smartphone users to install or update the app and to enable notifications permanently.

The upgrade follows the March 2 drone strike on RAF Akrotiri. Cyprus has accelerated civil preparedness measures across multiple fronts since the strike, and the app update is part of that response.