I hope you never need to use them, but everyone should set up emergency contacts. I’ll walk you through the process. It only takes a minute!
Emergency settings to check on your iPhone now before you need them
Your phone is always with you and can be a lifeline in an emergency. By activating your iPhone’s Emergency SOS feature, you can call local emergency services and update your chosen contacts when needed.
With Apple’s latest iPhone models, you can connect with emergency services even when you don’t have a signal. Here’s how to set up and use the emergency features on your iPhone.
Sending out an SOS
What’s the first thing you do in case of an emergency? Dial 911. This is standard practice, but you can go a couple of steps further. If you share your Medical ID, your iPhone can send your medical information to emergency services when you call or text 911 or use Emergency SOS.
With Emergency SOS, you can quickly and easily call for help and alert your emergency contacts. Let’s go through each of these features.
Set up your Medical ID
Let’s say you pass out and can’t use your phone. If someone nearby calls emergency services, first responders can access your critical medical information from the lock screen without needing your passcode. They can also see who to contact in case of an emergency.
You just need to set up your Medical ID to include the following information about you:
- Name.
- Age.
- Medical conditions.
- Medications.
- Allergies.
- Emergency contacts.
Here’s how to set up your Medical ID:
- Open the Health app and tap your profile picture.
- Tap Medical ID.
- Tap Edit in the upper-right corner.
- To make your Medical ID available from the Lock screen on your iPhone, turn on Show When Locked.
- To share your Medical ID with emergency responders, turn on Share During Emergency Call. When you call or send a text to emergency services on your iPhone or Apple Watch, your Medical ID will automatically be shared with emergency services.
- Enter your health information.
- Tap Done.
RELATED: Here’s what adding your number to the National Do Not Call Registry does
5 ways tech can help you feel safer at home
When I host a national radio show and podcast about all things tech, digital security is always in every program. Take your home’s router, for instance. An outdated model can put your entire network, files, and anything connected to it at risk for hackers. Tap or click for five reasons you need to replace that old router.
Live alone? Here are 7 tech tips to help you feel safe
There are many perks to living on your own. You can dance around the living room to your favorite oldies. All the dirty dishes in the sink are yours and yours alone — washing them can wait.
Perhaps best of all, nobody will be upset if you decide to spend Saturday binging your favorite show. But that comes at its own cost. You’re not alone if you’ve noticed that your streaming bills have been creeping up. Tap or click here for some secrets to rein in your costs.
Tech how-to: How to automatically alert loved ones in an emergency
Uncertain times remind us that we’re not always as prepared as we need to be.
In the digital world, no one is ever truly ready for the reality of getting hacked. Tap or click to see if someone is really watching what you do or if you’re being paranoid.
iPhone Emergency SOS helps save snowboarder’s life – Here’s how to enable it
Last year, a runner’s Apple Watch detected a hard fall and sent notifications to his emergency contacts. Similarly, a mountain biker in Washington state crashed his bike, and his Apple Watch sent out destress notifications.
Emergency app gets first responders to loved ones quickly
The average time it takes for emergency medical services to reach you is about seven minutes. That’s if you live in a populated area. Move further away from the hustle and bustle, and response times can double to nearly 14 minutes. Tap or click here for 18 items that help you survive any emergency.
Runner says the Apple Watch saved his life after violent fall
The Apple Watch is among the bestselling smartwatches in the world, and for good reason. Sure it carries the cachet that comes along with all Apple products, but beyond that, it’s a pretty darn good gadget.
Apple Watch is like a surrogate phone you wear on your wrist, as it can perform many smartphone functions for iPhone users. It can also communicate with other watches, take screenshots and remotely control your camera. Tap or click here for 10 neat features on your Apple Watch.
Got new tech? Lock it down now before it’s too late
It used to be that Windows PCs were a hacker’s primary target. Those days are long gone as Macs, iPhones and Android phones are being played for anything from a scammer’s profits to a partner’s espionage. Want to be shocked?
How to share medical information on your phone in an emergency
Over the last few years, mobile devices have become an integral element of health care. Personal health apps, such as fitness tracking and weight loss, lead the pack. Additional health-related apps welcomed by consumers and physicians alike include doctor-on-demand, prescription management, and patient portals.
5 best safety apps to download before you need them
If you or your children work late into the evening, you know it can be scary navigating your way home alone. It can be unnerving walking to your car or the nearest bus stop in total darkness.
As a parent, you’re probably worried sick about your kid’s safety whenever they leave the house no matter if it’s night or day and with good reason. The world can be a dangerous place out there and you’ll never stop worrying about your kids, even when they become adults. RELATED: Ways to know if your phone has been hacked.
New ways your phone can keep you safe in an emergency but you need to set up now
Smartphones are already deeply integrated in our daily lives, which presents a unique problem for the tech companies designing them: What can be done next?
So far, we’ve already seen companies like Apple and Google add lifestyle enhancements and current event-related features to their respective operating systems, such as contact tracing and easier screen-locks for mask wearers. Tap or click here to see how to get these features on your iPhone.
Set up emergency medical information on your iPhone while you’re thinking about it
With the coronavirus pandemic, we’re certainly living in uncertain times. And if you have an illness or a serious allergy, you need to be prepared for emergency situations. But if an emergency occurs, you may be unable to inform someone of your medication allergies or medical conditions.
Adding this to your smartphone could make all the difference in an emergency
When emergencies arise, time is of the essence. Whether you’ve just been in a car accident or are in the midst of a different distressing situation, you need to reach out for help as quickly as possible. Yes, your phone can easily dial 911, but what if first responders need your medical information?
One life-saving app for anyone who lives alone
The thermostat is always at a comfortable temperature. You can be as messy or as neat as you like. And you never have to share the remote! Living alone can be pretty awesome!
But it can also be a little bit scary. If there’s an emergency but you can’t reach your phone then how will you get help?