Your smartphone can do much more than text, take photos, and check the weather. In an emergency, it can call 911, notify your family, and share your location, even if you cannot press a single button. But these features must be turned on ahead of time.
Here is how to set up Emergency SOS, medical ID, and crash detection tools on the three most common types of smartphones: iPhone, Google Pixel, and Samsung Galaxy.
Set Up Emergency SOS and Medical ID on iPhone
1. Open Settings
2. Scroll to Emergency SOS
3. Turn on Call After Severe Crash and Call with Hold
4. Optional: Enable Call Quietly to silence alerts and flashes when calling 911. This will be helpful if you’re in a dangerous situation where you don’t want someone to know you’ve called 911.
To add emergency medical info:
1. Open the Health app
2. Tap your profile icon in the top right
3. Select Medical ID
4. Tap Edit and enter your details (blood type, allergies, medications, etc.)
5. Make sure Show When Locked is enabled
6. Scroll down to add emergency contacts
Turn On Crash Detection and Emergency Alerts on Pixel Phones
1. Open the Personal Safety app
2. Tap Emergency SOS
3. Set up actions for pressing the power button five times (call emergency services, share location, or record video)
To enable Car Crash Detection:
1. Open the Personal Safety app
2. Tap Car Crash Detection
3. Turn it on and grant all permissions
Add emergency contacts and medical info:
1. In the Personal Safety app, tap Medical Info and Emergency Contacts
2. Enter your details and select trusted contacts
Enable Emergency SOS on Samsung Galaxy Devices
1. Go to Settings > Safety and Emergency
2. Tap Emergency SOS
3. Toggle it On
4. Choose whether to press the side button 3 or 4 times to activate
5. Add emergency contacts
6. Optional: Enable camera access and audio recording for emergencies
To add medical information:
1. Still in Safety and Emergency, tap Medical Info
2. Enter your details and enable Show on Lock Screen
3. Tap Emergency Contacts and add your trusted people
Samsung phones do not include automatic crash detection like Google Pixel, but you can still use SOS features for fast emergency responses.
FAQ: Emergency Phone Features
Q: Can Android phones call 911 automatically in a crash?
Only Google Pixel phones have Car Crash Detection. Samsung and other Android models can send alerts when the side button is pressed multiple times.
Q: What is Medical ID on iPhone and why should I use it?
Medical ID stores important health info like allergies and medications. It can be accessed from your lock screen in an emergency.
Q: Can I use Emergency SOS without unlocking someone’s phone?
Yes. On iPhone and most Android phones, you can access emergency options directly from the lock screen.
Taking five minutes to activate these features could save your life — or someone else’s. Be sure to help your kids, parents, and grandparents set theirs up too.
