how to

Set Up Emergency SOS and Medical ID on Your iPhone

· 3 min read iphoneemergency-sosmedical-idsafety

Your iPhone can call emergency services, alert your chosen contacts with your location, and show responders your blood type and medications, all from a locked screen. None of it works unless you configure it in advance. Ten minutes of setup now determines how the phone behaves during the worst five minutes of your life.

What you need

  • iPhone running iOS 16 or later (iOS 18 adds Messages via satellite on supported models)
  • At least two trusted emergency contacts' phone numbers
  • Medical facts worth recording: allergies, medications, blood type, conditions

Step by step

  1. Open the Health app, tap your profile picture, then Medical ID > Edit. Fill in conditions, medications, allergies, blood type, and organ donor status.
  2. In the same Medical ID screen, toggle "Show When Locked" ON. Without this, first responders cannot see anything without your passcode.
  3. Add Emergency Contacts from that screen by tapping "add emergency contact" and picking people from your contact list. They get a text with your location whenever you trigger SOS.
  4. Learn your phone's activation gesture: on iPhone 8 and later, press and hold the side button plus either volume button until the Emergency SOS slider appears; drag it to call. On iPhone 14 or later you can also hold just the side button to trigger call-with-release.
  5. Decide on Auto Call: in Settings > Emergency SOS, enable "Call with Hold" or "Call with 5 Presses". Auto Call dials automatically after a short countdown with a loud warning sound; disable it if accidental pocket triggers are a concern.
  6. Test the mechanics safely: press the buttons until the countdown starts, then cancel before it connects. Never complete a real test call to 911.
  7. If you have an iPhone 14 or later, check Settings > Emergency SOS > Emergency SOS via Satellite and try the free demo mode outdoors with clear sky view, so you know how to reach satellites before you need them.
  8. Brief your emergency contacts that they may receive automated SOS texts, and review the setup every year when you update medications or move.

Common mistakes

  • Filling out Medical ID but leaving "Show When Locked" off, making the whole exercise pointless for strangers who find your phone.
  • Listing an emergency contact who lives abroad and never answers unknown numbers.
  • Triggering real SOS calls during "tests", tying up emergency dispatch lines.

Related guides

Emergency contacts should be people who can act, which pairs naturally with [[find-lost-iphone-offline]] for locating family members' phones. Keep the phone powered for emergencies using [[iphone-battery-health-habits]].

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