Health & Wellness Tech

Beginner

2 min read 4 stepsApril 4, 2026Verified April 2026

How to Set Up Emergency SOS on Your Phone

Your phone can call 911 and alert your emergency contacts automatically. Here is how to set it up.

In this guide (4 steps):

1.Set up on iPhone
2.Set up on Android
3.Add your emergency contacts
4.Test it (carefully)

Set up on iPhone

~17s

Go to Settings, then Emergency SOS. Turn on "Call with Hold and Release" (press and hold the side button and volume button to call 911). Also set up your Medical ID: open the Health app, tap your profile photo, then Medical ID. Enter your emergency contacts, blood type, allergies, and medications.

Set up on Android

~15s

Go to Settings, then Safety & Emergency. Tap "Emergency SOS" and turn it on. Set it to call 911 when you press the power button 5 times quickly. Then tap "Emergency Contacts" and add at least one trusted person.

Add your emergency contacts

~15s

Your emergency contacts will receive a text message with your location when you trigger Emergency SOS. Add at least 2 people: a family member and a close friend or neighbor. Make sure they know they are listed as your emergency contact.

Test it (carefully)

~20s

You can test Emergency SOS without actually calling 911. On iPhone, start the hold but release before the countdown finishes. On Android, your phone will show a countdown before calling. Cancel before it completes. This confirms the feature is working.

Warning

Do NOT let the countdown complete during testing — it will actually call 911. Only complete the action in a real emergency.

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Official Resources

Medicare.gov MedlinePlus — Health Info AARP Health & Technology

Sources used to create and verify this guide. View all sources →

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