Literally, knowing how to configure Emergency SOS on an iPhone can save your life. With a few taps or even an automated alert in an emergency, you may swiftly contact emergency services and alert your emergency contacts. In order to make sure you’re ready to stay safe in any circumstance, we’ll take you through the straightforward yet effective process of turning on and customizing Emergency SOS on your iPhone.
Why You Should Set Up Emergency SOS on Your iPhone
To improve your personal safety, you must first set up Emergency SOS on your iPhone. Having prompt access to assistance can be crucial when you’re traveling alone, walking in a strange place, or experiencing a medical emergency. With Emergency SOS, you can easily contact emergency services, let your emergency contacts know where you are, and even show first responders your medical ID.

Step 1: Activate Emergency SOS on iPhone
There are several ways to make an emergency call on your iPhone:
Press and hold the side button and either volume button to make a call with hold and release. The countdown starts with an alert sound. Your iPhone will contact emergency services when it is released following the countdown.
Make a call with five buttons Presses: Five quick presses of the side button. A countdown and an alert sound are triggered by this action, which then automatically contacts emergency services.
To setup these:
- Open the Settings app.
- Press the Emergency SOS button.
- Switch between Hold and Release and/or Call with 5 button presses.
Note: During an emergency call, turning on Call Quietly will turn off VoiceOver audio, flashing, and warning bells.
Call with Side Button allows you to activate Emergency SOS by pressing the side button five times in quick succession. Auto Call will automatically call emergency services after a countdown when the Emergency SOS slider is triggered.

Step 2: Set Up Emergency Contacts
Your iPhone can send a text message to your emergency contacts with your current location as soon as an emergency call concludes. To include contacts for emergencies:
- After opening the Health app, tap your profile photo.
- Press the Medical ID button.
- After selecting Edit, navigate to Emergency Contacts.
- To add an emergency contact, tap the Add button.
- After selecting a contact, include their relationship.
As an alternative, go to Settings > Emergency SOS > Edit Emergency Contacts in Health to obtain Medical ID.
Repeat this process for each emergency contact you want to add. Once you’re done, tap “Done” to save your changes.
Step 3: Set up your Medical ID
First responders receive vital health information via your Medical ID. To get things going:
- After opening the Health app, tap your profile photo.
- Press the Medical ID button.
- Press Edit.
- Enter vital details such as blood type, allergies, and medical conditions.
- To enable access from the lock screen, make sure Show When Locked is turned on.
- To save your data, tap Done.
Step 4: Test Emergency SOS via Satellite (iPhone 14 and Later)
When cellular and Wi-Fi connectivity are not available, you can use satellite to contact emergency services if you have an iPhone 14 or later. To test out the demo:
- Select Emergency SOS under Settings.
- Tap Try Demo after scrolling down.
Note: The demo acquaints you with the procedure but does not call emergency services.
Step 5: Customize Your Emergency SOS Settings
Customize the Emergency SOS function to your liking:
- Go to Settings.
- Press the Emergency SOS button.
Before contacting emergency services, change options like Countdown Sound to enable or stop the alarm sound during the countdown.
You can make sure your iPhone is ready to help you in an emergency by following these instructions.
Step 6: Use Emergency SOS with Apple Watch
You can also use your Apple Watch to turn on Emergency SOS. Here’s how:
- press and hold the side button on your Apple Watch. This will bring up the Emergency SOS slider.
- Drag the SOS Slider: To initiate the emergency services call, drag the “Emergency SOS” slider. A countdown starts and your watch will automatically contact emergency services if you keep holding down the side button.
You can be sure you’re protected in any circumstance by configuring Emergency SOS on both your iPhone and Apple Watch, even if your phone is out of reach.
Step 7: Practice Using Emergency SOS
It’s important to understand how to utilize Emergency SOS on your iPhone, but practicing beforehand will make sure you’re ready to use it in a real emergency. Here’s how to practice safely:
- Trigger the SOS: To view the Emergency SOS slider without actually contacting emergency services, rapidly press the side button five times.
- Cancel the Call: Press the “Stop” button and confirm to end the call if you unintentionally start one.
- Test with Apple Watch: To become acquainted with the procedure, repeat the same actions on your Apple Watch.
You will feel more comfortable utilizing Emergency SOS on your iPhone if you practice setting it up and using it on a regular basis.

What to Do If You Accidentally Trigger Emergency SOS
Understanding how to handle accidentally activating Emergency SOS can help prevent unnecessary panic. Should you accidentally start an emergency call, quickly press “Stop” and confirm to end the call. If the call is successful, calmly tell the operator that it was a false alarm. Emergency operators are equipped to deal with such situations, and it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Additional Safety Tips for iPhone Users
One aspect of being safe is configuring Emergency SOS on your iPhone. Here are a few more suggestions to improve your security:
- Keep Your iPhone Charged: Make sure your iPhone is charged at all times, particularly when you’re traveling or going out alone.
- Turn on Find My iPhone: Turn on “Find My iPhone” so you can find your lost or stolen iPhone.
- Share position with Trusted Contacts: To share your current position in real time with family members or trusted friends, use the “Share My Location” function in the Find My app.
When paired with Emergency SOS, these extra precautions offer a complete safety net.
Why Emergency SOS is Essential for Everyone
In today’s world, personal safety is more important than ever. Whether you’re traveling, commuting, or simply going about your daily business, having Emergency SOS turned on on your iPhone can be a lifesaver. With the ability to rapidly contact emergency services and share your position with loved ones, help will always be close by when you need it most.
Troubleshooting Common Issues with Emergency SOS
While setting up Emergency SOS on iPhone is straightforward, you may encounter some issues:
- False Alarms: Practice using the feature to avoid accidentally triggering it.
- Location Not Shared: Ensure location services are enabled and that you have given permission to share your location during an emergency.
- Apple Watch SOS Not Working: Make sure your watchOS is up to date, and that the feature is enabled in your settings.
Addressing these issues promptly ensures that your Emergency SOS feature will work flawlessly when you need it.
Conclusion on Set Up Emergency SOS
You must first configure Emergency SOS on your iPhone in order to safeguard both yourself and those around you. If you follow the five practical methods outlined in this article, you’ll be prepared to handle any situation with confidence. Remember that using Emergency SOS on your iPhone ensures that help is always just a tap away, but you are ultimately in charge of your own safety.
Take a few minutes today to set up Emergency SOS on your iPhone since every second counts when it comes to your safety.
FAQ’s on Set Up Emergency SOS
1. Does emergency SOS immediately call 911?
Yes, if Call with Hold or Call with 5 Presses is enabled, Emergency SOS immediately calls 911 after the countdown, unless manually canceled.
2. Does Apple emergency SOS work in India?
In India, Apple Emergency SOS is operational. After making a call to emergency services (112), users can send an SMS to their emergency contacts with their location.
3. What happens if you accidentally press SOS?
You can end the call during the countdown if you inadvertently hit SOS. Notify emergency services of the error if the call is successful.
Also read:
10 Common Google Pixel 9 Problems and How to Fix Them Easily