Back
In this section

Setting up your app

Download the iphone app or Android app.

App Settings

  • Adjust the accuracy of location services, by visiting the Me screen in the GoodSAM app
  • Move the slider to the left to use triangulation, which consumes less than 1% of your battery
  • If the slider is toggled to the right, the app uses GPS, which uses more power.

Phone settings

For the GoodSAM app to function correctly:

  • enable background location access
  • enable push notifications.

Test your push notifications in browser

To ensure you receive alerts,even if your phone is on silent, make sure you test your push notifications.

Log in to your account at goodsamapp.org using the registered email and password you used when you registered to be a GoodSAM volunteer. You can use a web browser on either a phone or computer to test your push notifications.

Make sure the app is closed and your phone volume is turned up.

  1. Click the ‘Manage’ tab on the top left of the screen.
  2. Click ‘Test Your Push Notification’ on the top of the screen.
  3. Click ‘Send a notification’ on the bottom of the screen.

You should hear an audible alert if your push notifications are set correctly.

If you do not hear an audible alert, follow one of the step-by-step guides below to make sure your settings are correct.

Setting up push notifications on an iPhone

  1. Go to ‘Settings’ and search for "Responder"
  2. Make sure the "Background App Refresh" is on and tap on "Location"
  3. Set the location access to "Always". This is important, as it will ensure you are alerted when you are nearby someone who needs help
  4. Go back to "Responder" and tap on "Notifications"
  5. Turn on "Allow Notifications" and enable “Critical Alerts” to override silent mode
  6. Go back to “Settings” and locate “App Store”
  7. Locate and toggle off the “Offload Unused Apps” setting. This will ensure that the “Responder” app does not offload or delete itself from your phone if unused for some time.

Setting up push notifications on android

  1. Go to “Settings”
  2. Tap “Apps” to change app permissions and settings
  3. Locate and tap on the “Responder” app
  4. Tap "Notifications"
  5. Ensure all notifications are toggled “On”
  6. Select each “Notification” category
  7. Ensure “Alert” and “Ignore Do not disturb” are both selected for each
  8. Go back to “App info” in the “Responder” app and select “Permissions”
  9. Tap “Location”
  10. Make sure Location access is set to “Allow all the time”. This is important, as it will ensure you are alerted when you are nearby someone who needs help
  11. Go to “Settings” and use the search bar to find “remove permissions”
  12. If available toggle off the setting for “Remove permissions if app is unused”
  13. Also, toggle off the setting for “Put unused apps to sleep”
  14. Exit phone settings and return to the “Responder” app
  15. Tap the Me tab and ensure “Bypass the silent mode” is set to “Yes”.

Setting up notifications on an Apple Watch

The app does not have full functionality on the Apple Watch.

We recommend receiving alerts on your phone only. Follow these steps to deactivate notifications on your Apple Watch:

  1. Open the “Watch” app on your iPhone
  2. Tap “Notifications”
  3. Find Apps under the ‘Mirror iPhone Alerts From’
  4. Switch/toggle “Off” for ‘Responder app
  5. For further information, visit Apple Watch Support.

GoodSAM app troubleshooting

To troubleshoot any issues with the GoodSAM Responder app, contact info@goodsamapp.org

If you require any further assistance setting up your app, please contact our team at Ambulance-GoodSAM@health.nsw.gov.au. It’s important to have your app set up correctly in order for you to receive alerts.

Keep them alive, while paramedics arrive.

Every minute counts, sign up to GoodSAM.