Emergency contacts are people your iPhone can notify with your location after Emergency SOS, and they can also be used with supported Apple Watch Fall Detection or iPhone Crash Detection. They live inside Medical ID in the Health app.
Emergency SOS contacts have been available since iOS 11. Fall Detection and Crash Detection depend on the device model.
Does This Affect You?
Use this if you want family, friends, or caregivers notified automatically if an emergency call is triggered from your iPhone or supported Apple Watch.
Add Emergency Contacts in Health
- Open the Health app.
- Tap your profile picture or initials.
- Tap Medical ID.
- Tap Edit.
- Scroll to Emergency Contacts and tap the plus button.
- Choose a person from Contacts.
- Select their relationship to you.
- Repeat for additional contacts and tap Done.
What Happens During Emergency SOS
- To trigger Emergency SOS manually, press and hold the side button and a volume button until the emergency options or countdown appears. Some models also support pressing the side button five times.
- After emergency services are called, iPhone can text your emergency contacts with your current location unless you cancel.
- For a period afterward, your contacts may receive location updates if you move.
- If Fall Detection or Crash Detection triggers and you do not respond, supported devices can call emergency services and then notify those emergency contacts.
- Cancel a false alarm before the countdown ends to prevent calls and messages.
Manage Emergency Contacts
Apple Watch and Crash Detection
Fall Detection is managed in the Watch app under Emergency SOS. Crash Detection can be reviewed under iPhone Emergency SOS settings on supported models. Both use the emergency contacts saved in Health.
Edit or Remove Contacts
Return to Health > Medical ID > Edit. Use the red minus button to remove someone or change their listed relationship.
False Alerts
Hard falls, sports impacts, or rough rides can sometimes trigger an alert. The countdown exists so you can stop it before anything is sent.
Sources
- Apple Support: Set up and use Emergency SOS on iPhone
- Apple Support: Use Fall Detection with Apple Watch
- Apple Support: Use Crash Detection on iPhone