Press kit

Texts, facts and images about Ping! – The Family Button, free for editorial use. Arwed Fischer is happy to answer questions and give interviews.

Short text

Ping! – The Family Button is an app for iPhone, Apple Watch and Android: one tap, and the whole family knows you need them and where you are. Arwed Fischer built it for his 96-year-old father. No subscription, no account, servers in Germany.

Long text

Ping! – The Family Button connects a small, private family circle through one single big button. Pressing it on an iPhone, an Apple Watch or an Android phone sends a reason you chose yourself, such as "Please pick me up" or "I need help", together with your current location to your own group. One family member taps "I'm coming", and everyone else instantly sees that someone is on the way. Since version 2.0 you can belong to several groups, such as family and neighbours, and everyone chooses on which days of the week their phone may ring loudly. If nobody responds, it rings loudly after all. Ping! is deliberately not an emergency service and not a medical alert system: it is made for the many moments when you don't need paramedics, but your own family.

The story

Arwed Fischer's father lives in his own flat in the same house as Fischer and his wife. Whenever the two of them were away for a few days, he was on his own – and back then he still drove himself. For days like that, Fischer wanted his father not to have to think about whom to call in a moment of need. He couldn't find an app that did this, so he built one himself. Today his father is 96 and no longer drives. He needs the button more than ever: he wears Ping! on his Apple Watch. When he fell in the bathroom and couldn't get up, his iPhone was in the bedroom – one tap on the watch was enough, and the family was able to help him up quickly. The button has come to his aid three times now. When Fischer and his wife are away, the ping goes to Fischer's son and daughter-in-law, who live in the same town and come to help.

"I didn't want my father to have to think about whom to call. A single tap should be enough – and then he should know that someone is coming."— Arwed Fischer, developer of Ping!

"I built Ping! for my father. Now I want to help as many families as possible who are in a similar situation to ours."— Arwed Fischer

What makes Ping! different

• One button, nothing to learn. A big button and a short countdown that can be cancelled, so accidental presses don't go out; hold for 3 seconds to send discreetly.
• "I'm coming" replies. Whoever pings sees who is on the way.
• From the wrist. A full Apple Watch app that works without the iPhone nearby; plus widgets and controls on the iPhone.
• Buy once, no subscription. On iPhone with Family Sharing for up to six people.
• Privacy first. No sign-up with phone number or email; joining only by invitation code. Location is shared only during an active ping and deleted afterwards. No ads, no tracking, servers in Germany.
• Built to be accessible. VoiceOver, large tap targets, clear contrast.

What Ping! is not

Ping! is not an emergency app, not a replacement for emergency services (112, 911, 999) and not a monitored medical alert system. It helps you reach the people closest to you, fast.

Facts

About the developer

Arwed Fischer, 67, runs BLUE BOX – Productions in Germany. He developed Ping! on his own, originally just for his father. The app has been available to everyone since July 2026. Today he wants to use it to help as many families as possible who are in a similar situation.

Images

Click an image for full resolution. All images free for editorial use in connection with Ping!.

Contact

Arwed Fischer
Email: ping@box51.de