Your phone can help a bystander or first responder find essential information when you cannot unlock it yourself. Both iPhone and many Android phones can display emergency contacts and selected medical details from the lock screen. The setup takes only a few minutes, but it works best when the information is accurate, intentionally limited, and tested.
This guide covers the built-in options available on current devices. Menu names can vary by phone maker and software version, so use Settings search if your screen does not match the wording below.
Choose the right emergency contacts first
An emergency contact should be someone who is likely to answer, understands the role, and knows useful facts about you. Ask permission before adding anyone. Tell the person that their number may be visible or contacted during an emergency and explain what information they should be prepared to share.
Consider adding two or three people rather than relying on one. A nearby contact may be able to help quickly, while an out-of-town contact may be easier to reach during a regional disaster. Ready.gov recommends including an out-of-town person in a family communication plan. Avoid listing only people who travel together or share the same work schedule.
Decide what medical information to show
Emergency profiles can include items such as allergies, medications, medical conditions, blood type, organ-donor status, height, weight, and notes. Add only information you know is correct and that could reasonably help in urgent care. If you are unsure how to describe a condition or medication, confirm the wording with your clinician or pharmacist.
There is a privacy tradeoff: information enabled for lock-screen access may be visible without your passcode. You do not need to fill every field. Skip Social Security numbers, insurance account numbers, home access codes, detailed medical history, or anything unrelated to immediate help. A concise, current profile is more useful than a long list that nobody maintains.
Set up Medical ID and contacts on iPhone
- Open the Health app.
- Tap your profile picture, then tap Medical ID.
- Tap Get Started or Edit.
- Add the medical information you want available.
- Under Emergency Contacts, tap Add Emergency Contact, choose a person, and select the relationship.
- Enable Show When Locked if you want responders to view the profile without the passcode.
- Review any option to share Medical ID during an emergency call, then tap Done.
Apple says an iPhone can notify emergency contacts after an Emergency SOS call unless you cancel the alert. When available, it can share the current location and provide updates for a period after SOS mode begins. Availability and behavior can depend on location, network service, device settings, and software version, so do not treat automated messaging as guaranteed.
Set up emergency information on Android
On many Android phones, open the Safety or Personal Safety app, sign in if requested, and choose Your info. Add medical information, then select Emergency contacts and choose contacts already saved on the phone. Look for a setting that allows emergency information to appear while the device is locked.
If you do not see a Safety app, search Settings for “emergency,” “safety,” or “medical information.” Manufacturers may place the controls under Safety & emergency, About phone, Security, or Lock screen. Google's Android help notes that Emergency SOS is available on Android 12 and later, but supported actions vary. Some features require a SIM or eSIM, location permission, mobile service, or a compatible device.
Review Emergency SOS before you need it
Emergency SOS can call local emergency services and may share your location or alert contacts. Learn the activation gesture for your exact phone, but do not place a real test call to 911. Use the device's demonstration or countdown options if available, read the confirmation screens, and know how to cancel an accidental activation.
Choose settings that reduce accidental triggers without making the feature too difficult to use. Explain the gesture to family members who may use your phone. If children have supervised accounts, contact restrictions may affect which emergency contacts can be reached.
Test lock-screen access safely
After setup, lock the phone and check the Emergency option without dialing. Confirm that a viewer can find the emergency profile and that only the information you intended is visible. Verify names, relationships, and phone numbers. Then ask one trusted contact to confirm that the saved number is current.
Test again after a major operating-system update or when you switch phones. Restoring a cloud backup does not always preserve every safety permission. Also check that your phone is protected with a strong passcode and current updates; DaiLova's one-hour digital security checkup covers the wider security basics.
Keep a backup outside the phone
A phone can be lost, damaged, or out of power. Keep a small printed emergency card in your wallet and, when appropriate, in a child's backpack or an emergency kit. Include your name, two contact numbers, a relevant medical alert, and an out-of-town contact. Do not print unnecessary financial or identity information.
Household members should also know a meeting place and a communication plan. During a widespread outage, text messages may go through when calls do not, but no single channel is certain. A written number lets you borrow someone else's phone if you cannot access your contacts.
Set a simple review schedule
- Review the profile every six months.
- Update it after a medication, diagnosis, phone number, or relationship changes.
- Remove contacts who can no longer serve in the role.
- Recheck lock-screen visibility after changing privacy settings or devices.
- Tell contacts when you add or remove them.
The bottom line
Add a small amount of accurate emergency information, choose contacts who understand the responsibility, and verify that the lock-screen view works. Pair the phone feature with a printed card and household plan. Preparation is valuable precisely because it does not depend on remembering complicated steps during a stressful moment.
