On the iPhone, there is a separate category of contacts – “Emergency Contacts”, which can be found in the emergency call settings, contact information or the Health application. But not everyone knows what it is and what could be the point of adding such contacts.
This guide details what emergency contacts are, how to add them, and why they might be useful.
What are emergency contacts?
Emergency contacts on iPhone are contacts you have specially installed from your address book, which, compared to regular contacts, have the following features:
- They are available even on a locked phone – this can be useful not only in case of an emergency (in this case, you can contact people you know using these contacts), but also when you lose your phone: the finder will be able to see them and call from their phone .
- These contacts receive a notification when you use the SOS or Emergency Call feature on your phone (called either by holding the Power and Volume buttons, or, if enabled, by pressing the Power button five times).
In other words, emergency or emergency contacts allow you to contact someone who knows the owner of the iPhone in cases where he cannot do so himself.
Adding contacts in case of emergency is available in several ways and will not take more than 5 minutes, and this can be useful in unforeseen situations.
How to add emergency contacts
Adding emergency contacts in case of emergency on iPhone is possible in several ways, all quite simple.
Adding contact information
The first method is a contact card in the Phone or Contacts application:
- Open the contact you need and information about it on your iPhone (in the phone application, this can be done from the “Contacts” tab, or by clicking on the “i” icon in the call list.
- Scroll down and click “Add to emergency contacts.”
- Indicate which kinship group this contact belongs to.
- Your Medical Card will open with an updated list of contacts in case of emergency, click “Done”.
Settings Emergency call – SOS
The second method is iPhone settings:
- Open “Settings”, and then – the “Emergency Call – SOS” section.
- In the Emergency Contacts section, click Edit Emergency Contacts.
- Your Medical Card will open. Click Edit.
- Add a new emergency contact, select a relationship, and click Done.
Health app
And another opportunity is to use the Health application:
- In the Health app, tap your profile icon.
- Select “Medical card”.
- Click Edit.
- Add contacts in case of emergency, indicate their relationship, click “Done” to save.
Accessing emergency contacts on a locked iPhone
As noted at the beginning of the article, the main purpose of emergency contacts is to access them on a locked phone. Ways to get this access:
- Press SOS on a locked phone at the bottom left of the dialer, then press “Medical card” and view contacts.
- Hold the screen off and volume buttons, then open the “Medical Card” to view emergency contacts.
In this case, it will be possible not only to view the corresponding phone numbers, but also to call them directly from a locked phone, provided that the SIM card is installed and active.
