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Set Up Emergency SOS and Medical ID on Your iPhone

By Ammar Aslam · Updated September 29, 2026 · 3 min read
Set Up Emergency SOS and Medical ID on Your iPhone

Nobody likes thinking about emergencies, but a few minutes of setup could help in a crisis. Your iPhone can call emergency services quickly, alert your family with your location, and show important medical information to first responders.

Set up Medical ID

  1. Open the Health app and tap your profile picture → Medical ID.
  2. Tap Edit and add medical conditions, allergies, medications, blood type and emergency contacts.
  3. Turn on Show When Locked, so responders can see it without your passcode.
  4. Turn on Share During Emergency Call where available.

Anyone can view it from the lock screen by tapping Emergency → Medical ID.

Add emergency contacts

In Medical ID, add emergency contacts. When you use Emergency SOS, they receive a message with your location.

How Emergency SOS works

Go to Settings → Emergency SOS.

  • Call with Hold and Release: press and hold the Side button and either volume button to start a countdown and call emergency services.
  • Call with 5 Button Presses: press the Side button five times quickly.

After the call, your emergency contacts get a text with your location.

Crash Detection

On iPhone 14 and later, Crash Detection can detect a severe car crash and call emergency services if you don't respond. Keep it on.

Check In

In the Messages app, use Check In to let a friend or family member know when you arrive home safely. If you don't arrive as expected, they're notified with useful info like your location.

Emergency SOS via satellite

Newer iPhones can contact emergency services via satellite when there's no mobile or Wi-Fi coverage, in supported countries.

Android users

Android phones have similar features under Settings → Safety & emergency, including Emergency SOS, emergency information and location sharing.

Do it for your family: help elderly parents set up Medical ID with their medications and your number as an emergency contact.

Setting up emergency features on Android

Android offers very similar tools, usually under Settings → Safety & emergency (or in the Personal Safety app on some phones):

  • Emergency information: add medical details and emergency contacts, visible from the lock screen.
  • Emergency SOS: press the power button five times quickly to start an emergency call, share location and optionally record video.
  • Emergency Location Service: sends your location to emergency services when you call, in supported countries.
  • Crash detection on some Pixel phones.
  • Safety check timers that alert contacts if you don't respond.

Help family members set up

Older parents, children and anyone with health conditions benefit most. Sit together and:

  1. Add accurate medical information, allergies and medications.
  2. Add two or three emergency contacts with correct country codes.
  3. Show them how to trigger SOS, and practise the steps without completing the call.
  4. Explain that responders can view Medical ID without unlocking the phone.

Know your local emergency numbers

Save your country's emergency numbers for police, ambulance and fire in contacts. Emergency SOS calls the local number automatically, but knowing them helps if you're using someone else's phone.

Frequently asked questions

What if I trigger SOS by accident?

You can cancel during the countdown. If a call connects, stay on the line and explain it was an accident.

Does it work without a SIM?

Emergency calls often work without a SIM in many countries, but availability varies.

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Ammar Aslam
Ammar writes clear, practical tech guides that help everyday users fix problems, stay safe online and get more from their devices.

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