How you invoke Emergency SOS varies slightly depending on which Apple device you have:<\/p>\n
- \n
- On the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X, press and hold the side button and either of the Volume buttons until the Emergency SOS slider appears. Either drag the Emergency SOS slider to call emergency services right away, or just keep holding the side and Volume buttons. If you continue holding the buttons down, a countdown begins and an alert sounds; at the end of the countdown, the iPhone automatically places the call, a feature that Apple calls Auto Call. \n
![\"\"](\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\")
<\/li>\n - On the iPhone 7 and earlier, rapidly press the side button five times to bring up the Emergency SOS slider. Drag the slider to call emergency services. (The quintuple-click can work on the new iPhones too; it\u2019s an option in Settings > Emergency SOS.) <\/li>\n
- The Apple Watch acts like the newer iPhones. Press and hold the side button to bring up the Emergency SOS slider, or keep holding the side button to start a countdown after which the Apple Watch will call emergency services automatically via Auto Call. The Apple Watch must be connected to your iPhone, be on a known Wi-Fi network and have Wi-Fi Calling enabled, or be an Apple Watch Series 3 with a cellular plan.\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
It\u2019s only human to want to test this in a non-emergency situation, and you can do so without actually placing the call. On both the iPhone and the Apple Watch, there will be a red hangup button you can tap, followed by an End Call or Stop Calling button. Similarly, you can cancel notifications of your emergency contacts.<\/p>\n
You\u2019ll also want to stop calls if they\u2019re placed accidentally\u2014we know someone who had his hand in his pocket in such a way as to press the Apple Watch\u2019s side button long enough to start the call, and since he was in a noisy environment, he didn\u2019t hear the alert or notice anything until the 911 service called his iPhone back.<\/p>\n
To add emergency contacts\u2014the people who you\u2019d want notified if you were in an accident, for instance\u2014follow these steps on your iPhone:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Open the Health app, and tap the Medical ID button at the lower right.<\/li>\n
- Tap Edit, and then scroll down to Emergency Contacts.<\/li>\n
- Tap the green + button to add a contact.<\/li>\n
- Select the desired person, and when prompted, pick their relationship to you.<\/li>\n
- Tap Done to save your changes.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Two notes. First, if you\u2019re concerned about activating the Auto Call feature inadvertently, you can turn it off in Settings > Emergency SOS on the iPhone, and for the Apple Watch in the Watch app, in My Watch > General > Emergency SOS.<\/p>\n
Second, bringing up the screen with the Emergency SOS slider also automatically disables Touch ID and Face ID, such that you must enter your passcode to re-enable them.<\/p>\n
We sincerely hope that you never have to use Emergency SOS, but that if you do, it proves to be a faster and more effective way of contacting emergency services.<\/p>\n
\nSocial Media:<\/b> Here\u2019s an iPhone and Apple Watch feature we hope you never have to use: Emergency SOS! But just in case, read:<\/p>\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Have you ever needed to call emergency services from your or someone else\u2019s iPhone? Almost by definition, such calls take place at stressful times, and it can be hard to remember what to do. Or, if you\u2019ve been in an accident, it might be difficult or impossible to navigate the iPhone\u2019s interface. In iOS 10.2 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27548,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[157,113,193,194,39,315,67,52,60,196],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27547","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-apple-pros","category-apple-watch","category-apros-archive","category-asmc-archive","category-blog","category-emergency-sos","category-how-to","category-iphone","category-productivity","category-restricted-content"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Emergency-SOS-iPhone-1024x734.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6YLEm-7aj","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":27108,"url":"http:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/the-top-features-youll-want-to-try-in-ios-11\/","url_meta":{"origin":27547,"position":0},"title":"The Top Features You\u2019ll Want to Try in iOS 11","author":"computeradv","date":"September 19, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Even if you\u2019re not buying a new iPhone this year, you can still enjoy a hefty dose of \u201cNew and Improved!\u201d with Apple\u2019s iOS 11, which provides a host of new capabilities. Hold on tight, there\u2019s a lot to cover, and we have another article coming about the iPad-specific changes\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Apple Pros"","block_context":{"text":"Apple Pros","link":"http:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/category\/apple-pros\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tcn.tidbits.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/iOS11-iPhone-Storage-1024x592.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tcn.tidbits.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/iOS11-iPhone-Storage-1024x592.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tcn.tidbits.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/iOS11-iPhone-Storage-1024x592.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tcn.tidbits.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/iOS11-iPhone-Storage-1024x592.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":30169,"url":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/in-case-of-emergency-create-an-iphone-medical-id\/","url_meta":{"origin":27547,"position":1},"title":"In Case of Emergency, Create an iPhone Medical ID","author":"computeradv","date":"January 20, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Did you know that an iPhone can store medical information that could save your life, or help you save someone else\u2019s? Learn how to create your Medical ID, and be sure to teach others how to work with this information in case of an emergency!","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"http:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/category\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/in-case-of-emergency-create-an-iphone-medical-id.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/in-case-of-emergency-create-an-iphone-medical-id.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/in-case-of-emergency-create-an-iphone-medical-id.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/in-case-of-emergency-create-an-iphone-medical-id.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/in-case-of-emergency-create-an-iphone-medical-id.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":27714,"url":"http:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/ios-11-3-introduces-new-battery-health-feature-business-chat-and-more\/","url_meta":{"origin":27547,"position":2},"title":"iOS 11.3 Introduces New Battery Health Feature, Business Chat, and More","author":"computeradv","date":"April 11, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"At the end of March, Apple released updates to all four of its operating systems, but iOS 11.3 was the most notable. 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Learn how to create your Medical ID on our blog, and be sure to teach family, friends, and colleagues how to access this information in case of emergency too!","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"http:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/category\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Use your Medical ID on your iPhone to assist in case of an accident","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/accident-responders-1080x675.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/accident-responders-1080x675.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/accident-responders-1080x675.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/accident-responders-1080x675.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/accident-responders-1080x675.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":28287,"url":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/the-best-apple-related-gifts-for-2018\/","url_meta":{"origin":27547,"position":4},"title":"The Best Apple-Related Gifts for 2018","author":"computeradv","date":"November 19, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Black Friday and the start of the holiday shopping seasons are nearly upon us. 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Apple Watch The new Apple Watch Series 4 may be the gift hit of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "AirPods"","block_context":{"text":"AirPods","link":"http:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/category\/airpods\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/gift-guide-Apple-Watch-Series-4-fall-607x1024.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/gift-guide-Apple-Watch-Series-4-fall-607x1024.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/gift-guide-Apple-Watch-Series-4-fall-607x1024.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":27275,"url":"http:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/please-please-use-ios-11s-do-not-disturb-while-driving-feature\/","url_meta":{"origin":27547,"position":5},"title":"Please, Please, Use iOS 11\u2019s Do Not Disturb While Driving Feature","author":"computeradv","date":"November 1, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Distracted driving may not make headlines, but it\u2019s a huge problem. In the United States in 2015, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that 391,000 people were injured and 3477 killed in accidents caused by distracted driving. 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