Hey Reader! 👋

1. Adding Emergency Contacts
2. Setting up Medical ID
3. Using Emergency SOS
4. Texting 911

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😖 The issue

Emergencies happen when we least expect it. They can happen to us when we're at home or when we're out with others at the grocery store or at the gym.

As the Scouts say: "Be Prepared", and this definitely applies to emergencies.

👇 Give it a try

Don't skip these steps.

They only take a few minutes to set up, but they could be some of the most important settings on your iPhone!

📱 Add Emergency Contacts

An emergency contact is someone you've designated to get alerts in emergency situations.

Here's how to set it up...

1. Open the Health app on your iPhone and tap your profile photo in the upper right corner.
2. Tap Medical ID.
3. Tap Edit, then scroll down to Emergency Contacts.
4. Tap the Add button (+) to add an emergency contact.
5. Tap a contact, then add their relationship to you.
6. Tap Done to save your settings.

Here's a looping animation that shows the same steps.

🏥 Set up your Medical ID

Medical ID helps emergency first responders access critical medical information. They're able to do this from the Lock Screen without needing your passcode.

Medical ID can show your allergies, medical conditions, and your emergency contact information.

Here's how to set it up...

1. Open the Health app on your iPhone and tap your profile photo in the upper right corner.
2. Tap Medical ID.
3. Tap Edit in the upper right corner.
4. Enter your health information like date of birth, medical conditions, and allergies.
5. Turn on Show When Locked to make your Medical ID available from the Lock Screen of your iPhone. In an emergency, this gives pertinent medical information to those who want to help.
6. Turn on Share During Emergency Call to share your Medical ID with emergency responders. When you make a call or send a text to emergency services, they will be able to see your Medical ID.
7. Tap Done to save the information.

Here's a looping animation that shows the same steps.

🆘 Use Emergency SOS

With Emergency SOS, you can quickly call for help when you need it. After making the call, your iPhone does 3 important things, automatically...

1. It calls the local emergency number.
2. It shares your location with emergency services.
3. After an emergency call ends, your iPhone also sends a message to your emergency contacts. It sends your current location and will continue to send location updates for the next 24 hours.

Here are the steps to activate it...

1. Press and hold the side button and one of the volume buttons until the Emergency SOS slider appears.
2. Drag the Emergency Call slider to call emergency services.

Even if an iPhone is locked, you can still make an emergency call.

Here are the steps...

1. Go to the Lock Screen, then tap Emergency in the lower left.
2. Dial emergency services.

You can also check for a Medical ID on a locked iPhone.

Tap Emergency from the Lock Screen, then choose Medical ID.

Here's a looping animation that shows the same steps.

💬 Text 911 from your iPhone

In some situations, you may not be able to call 911. For iPhones running iOS 13 or later, you can also text 911 in an emergency.

You’ll need a cellular or Wi-Fi connection to text 911 from your iPhone.

Here are the steps...

1. Open the Messages app.
2. In the To field, type 911, if in the U.S.
3. In the Text Message field, type your emergency.
4. Tap the send button that looks like an upward pointing arrow.

Here's a looping animation that shows the same steps.

✨ One more thing

In writing this tutorial, I realized I had some outdated information on my Medical ID so this was helpful for me to revisit, too!

These features are crucial for personal safety and getting help fast during emergencies.

Share this tutorial to a friend or loved one so they'll be better equipped during an emergency.

Until next time, see ya! 👋