How to Set Up and Use Android Emergency SOS
Android has a built-in emergency SOS feature — pressing the power button rapidly calls 911 and sends your location to contacts. Here's how to set it up.
Find Emergency SOS in Settings
~15sEnable Emergency SOS
~20sQuick Tip
Test the activation motion in settings before relying on it — make sure pressing the button 5 times is a natural motion you can do with one hand.
Add Emergency Contacts
~19sQuick Tip
On Samsung phones, add emergency contacts in SettingsSafety and EmergencyEmergency contacts. On Pixel, use the Personal Safety app.
Enable Share Location with Emergency Contacts
~15sUnderstand What Happens When It Activates
~27sWarning
Accidental 911 calls can use emergency dispatcher resources. If a call goes through accidentally, stay on the line and explain it was accidental — never hang up without speaking to the dispatcher.
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Android phones have a built-in Emergency SOS feature that lets you call 911 quickly by pressing the power button multiple times — useful in situations where you cannot safely type or navigate a menu. When activated, it calls emergency services, shares your GPS location, and can send an alert to your emergency contacts.
The exact setup varies slightly by Android brand (Samsung, Pixel, Motorola), but all recent Android phones running Android 12 or later have Emergency SOS built into the Settings.
By default on most Android phones, pressing the power button five times rapidly activates Emergency SOS. On some phones, pressing and holding the side button works. A countdown occurs before the call is placed, giving you a chance to cancel if it was accidental.
Emergency contacts are set up separately — these are the people who receive your location and an alert message when Emergency SOS activates. These contacts do not need to have any special app installed; they receive an SMS text message with your location link.
Google's Personal Safety app (built into Pixel phones and available on Google Play for other Android phones) extends these features: it adds crisis contact sharing, location sharing for solo activities, and integration with Pixel's crash detection. For the best Android safety features, this app is worth installing if it is not already on your phone.
Nexus and Pixel phones also have a crisis location sharing feature that sends your location to a trusted contact when you hold the power button and slide — without calling 911 — useful for checking in during solo activities.
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