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    How to set up Medical ID on iPhone Lock Screen

    Add your medical info to your iPhone so first responders can see it without unlocking your phone.

    3 min read · 6 steps · Checked May 2026

    1. Step 1. Open the Health app

      Find the white app with a red heart icon on your Home Screen. It is called "Health" and comes pre-installed on every iPhone. Tap it to open.

    2. Step 2. Tap your profile picture

      Look in the top-right corner of the screen for a small circle with your initials or photo. Tap it. On the next screen, scroll down and tap "Medical ID."

    3. Step 3. Tap Edit and fill in your information

      Tap "Edit" in the top-right corner. Add your name, date of birth, medical conditions, allergies, medications, blood type, and weight. Take your time. If you do not know your blood type, leave it blank and ask your doctor at your next visit.

    4. Step 4. Add emergency contacts

      Scroll down to "Emergency Contacts" and tap "add emergency contact." Pick a family member or close friend from your contacts list, then choose their relationship to you (spouse, son, daughter, neighbor).

    5. Step 5. Turn on Show When Locked

      This is the most important step. Scroll up and turn on the green switch next to "Show When Locked." Without this, first responders cannot see your information. Also turn on "Share During Emergency Call" so your details go to 911 dispatchers.

    6. Step 6. Tap Done and test it

      Tap "Done" in the top-right corner. Lock your phone, then try it yourself: tap the screen, swipe up to the passcode screen, tap "Emergency," and then tap "Medical ID" in the bottom-left corner. Your info should appear.

    Your iPhone has a built-in feature called Medical ID that shows important health information right from the Lock Screen. Even when your phone is locked with a passcode or Face ID, a paramedic or police officer can tap the screen and see things like your blood type, allergies, medications, and emergency contacts. This can save your life if you cannot speak for yourself after a fall, a stroke, or a car accident.

    Medical ID lives inside the Health app, which comes free on every iPhone. You only need to fill it out one time. And you can update it whenever you start a new medication or change emergency contacts. The setup takes about ten minutes.

    What to include on your Medical ID: your full legal name, date of birth, blood type if you know it, any major medical conditions (heart disease, diabetes, epilepsy), medications you take daily, allergies (especially to medicines like penicillin), your weight and height, and at least two emergency contacts with phone numbers. You can also note your primary doctor and your organ donor status.

    After you finish, ask a family member to test it. Have them pick up your locked iPhone, swipe up to the passcode screen, tap "Emergency," and then tap "Medical ID" in the bottom corner. Your information should appear. If it does not, the "Show When Locked" switch was missed during setup.

    Keep your Medical ID current. Review it every six months, or any time your doctor changes a prescription. A wrong medication on file can be as dangerous as no information at all.

    This feature works on every iPhone running iOS 17 or newer, which covers nearly every model still in use today. Apple Support has a full walkthrough at support.apple.com if you want to read along.

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