On this page
- 1. Emergency SOS: call 112 from a locked phone
- 2. Emergency contacts: tell your family automatically
- 3. Medical ID on the lock screen
- 4. Check In: tell someone you got home
- 5. Share your location with one or two people
- 6. Vocal Shortcuts: a phrase of your own
- 7. Sound Recognition: notice shouting
- 8. Crash Detection
- What the iPhone still cannot do
Most iPhone owners in India have never set up the safety features already on their phone. They take about ten minutes, and all of them work without unlocking the screen.
Do this now, on a calm day. In an emergency you will not have time to look for the setting.
1. Emergency SOS: call 112 from a locked phone
How to use it: press and hold the side button and either volume button together. A slider appears. Drag it, or keep holding and the iPhone counts down and calls by itself.
Faster option: go to Settings, Emergency SOS and turn on Call with 5 Presses. Then pressing the side button five times quickly starts the call. This is easier to do inside a pocket or bag.
In India, Emergency SOS calls 112, the single emergency number for police, ambulance and fire.
Test it safely: the countdown has a stop button, and a loud sound plays before the call. You can turn the sound off in the same settings if a silent call is safer for you.
2. Emergency contacts: tell your family automatically
Open the Health app, tap your photo, then Medical ID, then Edit, and add emergency contacts.
After an Emergency SOS call ends, your iPhone sends them a message with your location, and keeps updating it for a while. You can cancel it if the call was a mistake.
Add at least two people, in different cities if you can. One of them might not have network, or might be asleep.
3. Medical ID on the lock screen
In the same Medical ID screen, turn on Show When Locked. Add your blood group, any conditions, allergies and medicines.
If you are hurt and cannot speak, a doctor or a passer-by can see it from the lock screen by tapping Emergency, then Medical ID. They do not need your passcode.
4. Check In: tell someone you got home
In Messages, open a chat with a friend, tap +, then Check In. Pick when you expect to arrive.
If you do not arrive and do not respond, your iPhone tells them, and can share your location, battery level and phone signal. It needs iOS 17 or later on both phones.
This is very useful for a late cab, an evening walk, or a first meeting with someone new.
5. Share your location with one or two people
In the Find My app, under People, share your location indefinitely with one or two people you trust. Not your whole contact list.
Location sharing only helps if someone is already set up to see it before anything goes wrong.
6. Vocal Shortcuts: a phrase of your own
On iOS 18 and later, go to Settings, Accessibility, Vocal Shortcuts. You record a phrase three times, and when your iPhone hears it, it runs an action of your choice. There is no “Hey Siri” in front.
You could connect it to a shortcut that calls your mother or texts your location. Train the phrase loudly, the way you would actually say it if you were scared, not in a calm voice.
7. Sound Recognition: notice shouting
In Settings, Accessibility, Sound Recognition, your iPhone can listen for sounds such as shouting, and notify you. On recent iOS versions, the Shortcuts app can also run an automation when it hears one.
It can also react to a loud TV, so use it for a notification or a message, not for anything that cannot be undone.
8. Crash Detection
On iPhone 14 and later, Crash Detection is on by default. After a severe car crash, if you do not respond, your iPhone calls 112. Check it under Settings, Emergency SOS, Call After Severe Crash.
What the iPhone still cannot do
These features are good, and you should set them up. But they have gaps:
- The iPhone has no “help help” SOS that alerts your family with your live location, out of the box. You have to build it yourself with shortcuts.
- Emergency SOS needs your hands. If your phone is in a bag or someone is holding your arm, you may not be able to press anything.
- Your emergency contacts get one message. They do not see who else has seen it or who is already calling.
That gap is what safety apps like ORBII are for. ORBII is free on Android today. On iPhone it is not released yet: we have written about how Voice SOS will work on iPhone, and we are not giving a date until it has been tested on real phones.
Ten minutes today. Set up Emergency SOS, two emergency contacts and your Medical ID. Then show someone you love how to do the same.
Frequently asked questions
How do I call 112 from a locked iPhone?
Press and hold the side button and either volume button until the Emergency SOS slider appears, then drag it. If you keep holding, the iPhone counts down and calls by itself. You can also turn on Call with 5 Presses in Settings, Emergency SOS, and press the side button five times quickly. In India, Emergency SOS calls 112.
Does iPhone Emergency SOS tell my family?
Yes, if you have added emergency contacts to your Medical ID in the Health app. After the call ends, your iPhone sends them a message with your location, unless you cancel it.
Can an iPhone call for help if I shout?
Not by itself. But Vocal Shortcuts (iOS 18 and later) can run an action when it hears a phrase you chose, and Sound Recognition can notice shouting. Both can be connected to a shortcut, for example one that calls a family member.
Can someone see my Medical ID on a locked phone?
Only if you turn on Show When Locked. That is what you want in an emergency, so a doctor or passer-by can see your blood group, conditions and who to call. Choose what you put there carefully.
Is there a women's safety app with voice SOS for iPhone?
ORBII is building one. It is not released on iPhone yet and we are not giving a date. Until then, the built-in features in this guide are the best thing to set up.