Technology
How to activate Emergency SOS on iPhone and Android
EMERGENCY SOS features on iPhone and Android could help you out in a dangerous situation.
The features take a few minutes to set up but could ultimately save a life.
You may have seen a lot of people sharing the emergency iPhone hack on social media in the wake of the disappearance of Sarah Everard in London.
The feature can alert emergency services as well as your contacts if you’re ever in danger.
There’s also a way to quickly share your location with selected contacts if you have an Android phone.
To set up these emergency functions just follow the steps below.
Android users can set up an app called Trusted Contacts that can share their location for 24 hours[/caption]
How to activate Emergency SOS on iPhone
Apple has created an Emergency SOS system for iPhone that will discretely ring 999 or the emergency number for your area and send your location to your contacts.
If you have an iPhone 8 or later, you need to hold the power button and one of the volume keys down at the same time.
You should see “Emergency SOS” pop up on the screen and it will begin to countdown for a few seconds before ringing the emergency services.
Make sure you keep hold of both buttons.
If you’ve set up a list of emergency contacts it will send them your location after your call with the emergency services disconnects.
If you have an iPhone 7 or later you’ll need to press the power button five times fast and then slide your finger across the “Emergency SOS” button that appears on the screen.
If you don’t slide the button then an alarm will start sounding.
How to set up emergency contacts on iPhone
Open your Apple Health app and click “Medical ID”.
Then select “Edit” and set up a Medical ID if you haven’t already.
This can help warn emergency services about any pre-existing medical conditions should you be found unconscious but have your iPhone with you.
The scroll to the “Add emergency contact” option and add as many people as you like.
How to activate emergency features on Android
The emergency features on Android are a bit different to Apple but there’s still a way to send your location to contacts and set up a medical ID.
Go to your lock screen and click “Emergency”.
Then click “Emergency information” and then either a plus sign or a pencil symbol depending on your phone.
You’ll be asked for a password and can then update you medical information and add any emergency contacts.
You can also download Google’s Trusted Contacts app, which lets you send a location as well as request the location of a friend.
Download the app, sign in and then start creating your desired contact list.
All you need to do is click “Add Contacts” to make your list.
For this to work those contacts will need to download the app on their phone too and approve your request for them to be an emergency contact.
The app is also avaliable for iPhone so your contacts don’t just have to be Android users.
Once set up, friends will be able to request your location and see if your phone battery is low.
You’ll be able to do the same to them.
To send a location alert you need to go to the main screen of the app, pick a contact and click “Send location alert now”.
Your location will be shared for 24 hours unless you click the “Stop” button.
You can also click on a contact’s name and request for their location.
If they don’t share it after a five minute default time then the app on their phone will automatically share their location for them.
iPhone tricks to try today
Here are some of the best…
- Typing cursor – When typing, hold down the space bar to turn your keyboard into a trackpad, letting you move around words and sentences more easily
- Close all Safari tabs – To do this in one go, simply hold the overlapped squares in the bottom right-hand corner, and press close all tabs
- Delete lots of photos quickly – Hold down on a photo and then drag your finger diagonally in Photos to select lots of images at once, then hit delete
- Convert currency quickly – Swipe down from the top of your Home screen (or swipe left to right on an iPhone X or later model), then tap in the bar and type a currency (like $200) and it will automatically covert to your local currency
- Check if you’re due a battery upgrade – Batteries inside smartphones degrade over time. Just go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health, and check out the Maximum Capacity reading. Generally a battery is considered worn when you’re down to 80% capacity. If you’re below, you can buy a battery swap from Apple
- Move apps around faster – Hold an app until it starts wiggling, then (while still holding) tap other apps, causing them to stack so you can move them around easier
Most read in Phones & Gadgets
In other news, your iPhone keeps track of where you go, the date you went and even how many times you’ve been to a particular location.
Controversial social media platform Parler has reportedly been banned from returning to iPhone.
And, a new feature for the Apple Find My app could let you know if someone is stalking you.
Do you have any favourite Android or iPhone tips? Let us know in the comments…
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