Use Emergency SOS on your iPhone

When you make a call with SOS, your iPhone will call the local emergency number automatically. In some countries and regions, you may need to choose the service that you need. For example, in China mainland you can choose police, fire or ambulance. 

You can also add emergency contacts. After an emergency call has finished, your iPhone can alert your emergency contacts with a text message, unless you choose to cancel this option. Your iPhone sends them your current location, and, for a period of time when you have entered SOS mode, it sends updates to your emergency contacts when your location changes. 

Here's how to make the call on iPhone 8 or later: 

1. Press and hold the side button and one of the Volume buttons until the Emergency SOS slider appears. 
2. Drag the Emergency SOS slider to call emergency services. If you continue to hold down the side button and Volume button, instead of dragging the slider, a countdown will start and an alert will sound. If you hold down the buttons until the countdown has finished, your iPhone will automatically call the emergency services.

Here's how to make the call on iPhone 7 or earlier: 

1. Rapidly press the side (or top) button five times. The Emergency SOS slider will appear. (In India, you only need to press the button three times, then your iPhone will call emergency services automatically.) 
2. Drag the Emergency SOS slider to call emergency services.

After the call has finished, your iPhone will send your Emergency contacts a text message with your current location, unless you choose to cancel this option. If Location Services is off, it will temporarily turn on. If your location changes, your contacts will get an update and you'll get a notification about 10 minutes later.

If you use the Emergency SOS shortcut, you need to enter your passcode to re-enable Touch ID, even if you don't complete a call to emergency services. 

When your location is being shared, you'll get a reminder to stop every four hours for 24 hours. To stop the updates, tap the status bar and select "Stop Sharing Emergency Location". 

If you start the countdown by accident, you can cancel it. On iPhone 8 or later, release the side button and Volume button. On iPhone 7 or earlier, press the Stop button, then tap Stop Calling. 

If you accidentally call the emergency services, you can end the call. Tap , then confirm that you want to stop calling.

1. Open the Health app and tap your profile picture .
2. Tap Medical ID. 
3. Tap Edit and then scroll to Emergency Contacts.
4. Tap the add button  to add an emergency contact.
5. Tap a contact, then add their relationship. 
6. Tap Done to save your changes. 

You can't set emergency services as an SOS contact. 

1. Open the Health app and tap your profile picture .
2. Tap Medical ID. 
3. Tap Edit and then scroll to Emergency Contacts. 
4. Tap the delete button  next to a contact and then tap Delete.
5. Tap Done to save your changes. 

When Auto Call is on and you try to make an emergency call, your iPhone will start a countdown and an alert will sound. After the countdown has finished, your iPhone will call the emergency services automatically.

Here's how to change the setting: 

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap Emergency SOS. 
3. Turn Auto Call on or off. 

If you turn off this setting, you can still use the Emergency SOS slider to make a call.

On iPhone 8 or later, you can choose to call by pressing the side button five times. Here's how to change the setting:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap Emergency SOS. 
3. Turn Call with Side Button on or off. Pressing and holding the side button along with the Volume button will continue to work when this is on. 

• Use Emergency SOS on your Apple Watch.
• Set up your Medical ID.