Use Emergency SOS on your Apple Watch
With Emergency SOS, you can quickly and easily call for help and alert your emergency contacts from your Apple Watch.
Here's how it works
When you make a call with Emergency SOS, your Apple Watch automatically calls local emergency services and shares your location with them.*
When the call ends, your Apple Watch will send your emergency contacts a text message with your current location, unless you choose to cancel. For a period of time after you've entered SOS mode, your emergency contacts will receive updates when your location changes. Find out how to add emergency contacts.
Emergency SOS requires a mobile connection or Wi-Fi calling with an Internet connection from your Apple Watch or nearby iPhone.
In some countries and regions, you may need to choose the emergency service you need. For example, in China mainland you can choose police, fire or ambulance. And if you have Apple Watch Series 5 or later (GPS + Cellular), Apple Watch SE or later (GPS + Cellular) or any model of Ultra, your watch can also call local emergency services when you’re travelling in other countries or regions.
How to call the emergency services on your Apple Watch
Press and hold your watch’s side button (the button below the Digital Crown) until the Emergency Call slider appears. On Apple Watch Ultra models, you can also press and hold the Action button.
Drag the Emergency Call slider to start the call immediately. Or you can keep holding the side button, then after a countdown your watch will call the emergency services automatically.
Use Crash Detection and Fall Detection to call for help
If you have Apple Watch Series 8 or later, Apple Watch SE (2nd generation) or Apple Watch Ultra or later with the latest version of watchOS, your device can call emergency services and send a message to your emergency contacts when a severe car crash is detected. Find out more about using Crash Detection on Apple Watch to call for help in an accident.
Fall Detection on Apple Watch Series 4 or later and Apple Watch SE or later can connect you to the emergency services when a hard fall is detected. Find out how to use Fall Detection on Apple Watch.
Turn off automatic dialling
You can change your settings so that holding the side button won't call the emergency services automatically:
Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, then tap the My Watch tab.
Tap Emergency SOS.
Turn off Hold Side Button to Dial.
If you turn off this setting, you can still use the Emergency Call slider to make a call.
End a call you started accidentally
If you start the Emergency SOS countdown by accident, just release the side button.
If the call has been made, but you don’t need the emergency services, don’t hang up. Wait until a responder answers, then explain that you don’t need help. After that, your watch will ask if you still want to send a text message to your emergency contacts. Tap No if you want to cancel the text.
Stop sharing your location
After your emergency call has ended, your Apple Watch will remind you every 4 hours that your location is being shared with your emergency contacts. Tap Stop Sharing in the notification to stop sharing your location.
International emergency calling
Apple Watch Series 5 and later (GPS + Cellular), Apple Watch SE and later (GPS + Cellular), and all models of Ultra can call local emergency services when you're in another country or region. When you start an Emergency SOS call while abroad, your watch will connect to the local emergency services, but it may not be able to send your location or a text message to your emergency contacts.
In some countries and regions, international emergency calling works even if you haven't set up a mobile data plan on the watch. Find out which countries and regions are supported.
Just like when you use Emergency SOS in your home country or region, your iPhone needs to be nearby if your Apple Watch isn't a model that offers mobile data connectivity.
Set up other emergency features
* Location sharing with the emergency services varies by country and region, and may not be available everywhere.
