How to Set Up Emergency Contacts and Medical Information on Your Phone

Key Takeaways

• On iPhone, add emergency contacts and medical details through Medical ID in the Health app.
• On Pixel, use the Personal Safety app; on Samsung Galaxy, look under Settings → Safety and emergency. Other Android menus may differ.
• Choose whether emergency information should be accessible from the lock screen, and review the privacy trade-off.
• Test the lock-screen access route without placing an emergency call, and check that the information is accurate.

Where do you set up emergency information?

The setup path depends on your phone. iPhone uses Medical ID in the Health app; Pixel phones use the Personal Safety app; Samsung Galaxy phones provide emergency contacts and medical information under Safety and emergency. Other Android manufacturers may use different menus or offer different options.

What information should you add?

Add details that could help someone identify whom to contact or understand relevant medical information in an emergency. Depending on the phone, available fields may include allergies, medical conditions, medications or other information. You do not need to fill every field, and the options differ between platforms.

Prioritise accuracy and usefulness over completeness. Choose contacts who are likely to answer and confirm their phone numbers. Ask their permission before listing them, and update the information if their details change. Enter medical information you know to be current; if you are uncertain whether a detail is accurate, verify it first.

Consider what you do not want displayed, too. If you enable access from the lock screen, someone holding your locked phone may be able to see the selected emergency information. Do not add account passwords, device passcodes, financial details or other information that is not needed for emergency contact.

How to set up Medical ID on iPhone

On iPhone, create or update Medical ID in the Health app, add emergency contacts there, and choose whether it can be viewed from the Lock Screen. Apple’s Medical ID instructions describe the setup flow.

1. Open the Health app and tap your profile picture.
2. Tap Medical ID, then choose Get Started or Edit.
3. Enter the information you want to make available and check each detail for accuracy.
4. Under Emergency Contacts, tap Add Emergency Contact and select a contact.
5. Review the options for access from the Lock Screen and sharing during an emergency call. Choose them intentionally, then tap Done.

A first responder can view Medical ID from the passcode screen by tapping Emergency and then Medical ID, if access when locked is enabled. Automatic Medical ID sharing during emergency calls is available only in certain regions, so check the current options on your device.

How to add emergency information on Android

Google Pixel

On supported Pixel phones, add emergency details in the Personal Safety app. Google’s Android emergency information guide covers medical information, emergency contacts and lock-screen access.

1. Open the Personal Safety app and tap Your info.
2. Tap Medical information to add or update the available details.
3. Tap Emergency contacts, then Add contact, and select the people you want listed.
4. Open Emergency info access and decide whether to enable Show when locked.

Samsung Galaxy

On Samsung Galaxy phones, open Settings → Safety and emergency. Samsung’s Galaxy emergency information guide describes the steps below; Samsung notes that screens can vary by model and display settings.

1. Tap Emergency contacts, then Add member, and select a contact.
2. Review the Show on Lock screen setting for emergency contacts.
3. Return to Safety and emergency, then tap Medical info.
4. Enter the information you want to make available, save it and review Show on Lock screen.

Samsung uses separate controls for emergency contacts and medical information. Check both settings, and verify on your own phone which details are available from the locked screen.

Other Android phones

On non-Pixel and non-Samsung Android phones, search Settings for emergency information or Safety & emergency. The feature may use a different name or may not be available. Follow the instructions for your exact model rather than assuming that Pixel or Samsung steps apply.

Should emergency information be visible when your phone is locked?

Lock-screen access is a trade-off between availability and privacy. If enabled, someone with your locked phone may be able to find selected information without knowing your passcode. That can help a person trying to contact someone or view details you chose to share, but it also means those details are not limited to people who can unlock the phone.

Before enabling access, review the exact fields shown on the emergency screen and include only information you are comfortable making accessible in that way. You can check the screen while the phone is locked. Do not test by placing a call to emergency services.

How first responders access your information from a locked phone

If lock-screen access is enabled, emergency information can be reached without entering the device passcode. The steps differ by phone:

• iPhone: Wake the screen and swipe up, or press the Home button on models that have one, to reach the passcode screen. Tap Emergency, then Medical ID.
• Google Pixel: From the locked screen, swipe up, tap Emergency, then tap View emergency info.
• Samsung Galaxy: Wake the screen, tap Emergency call, then tap View medical info. Emergency contacts can be reached from the emergency call screen through the dialpad icon.

These steps open the stored information; they are not instructions to place an emergency call. Screen layouts and labels may vary by model or software version. If your phone presents different wording, check the manufacturer’s instructions for that device.

Emergency contacts and Emergency SOS are different settings

Adding a contact or medical detail does not, by itself, mean your phone will call emergency services or notify that person. Emergency contacts and medical information are records; Emergency SOS is a separate feature that can start emergency actions according to your settings and local availability.

Review the SOS controls separately so you understand how they are activated and what they may share. Emergency calling, location sharing and related functions can depend on the phone model, carrier, network conditions, software and country or region. Keep your local emergency number in mind, and do not treat a phone feature as a guarantee that a call or notification will go through.

How to check that your emergency information is ready

After setup, verify both the information and the access route. An outdated phone number may make a contact unreachable; information that is not accessible from the lock screen may not be available to someone helping you.

1. Confirm that each contact’s name and number are current.
2. Review medical details for accuracy and remove information that is outdated or no longer relevant.
3. Lock the phone and follow the emergency information path for your device. Do not initiate a call to test it.
4. Check that the visible details match your privacy choice.
5. Repeat the review after changing phones, updating software or changing a contact’s details.

It is also sensible to tell your chosen contacts that you have listed them. They will then be less likely to be surprised if they receive an emergency notification from a feature you have enabled.

Frequently asked questions

Can emergency contacts be called when my phone is locked?

Often, the emergency screen provides access to emergency information or contacts without unlocking the phone, if the feature is supported and configured. The exact route varies by phone, so verify the access path on your device without placing a call.

Will my emergency contacts automatically receive my location?

No—not simply because you added them as contacts. Location sharing is generally tied to a separate Emergency SOS or emergency-sharing feature, and its behaviour depends on your device, settings and region.

Does Android have the same Medical ID feature as iPhone?

Android has emergency information tools on supported devices, but their names, setup paths and available fields vary. Pixel phones use Personal Safety; Samsung Galaxy phones provide options under Safety and emergency. Check the guidance for your model.

What should I do if emergency information does not appear on the Lock Screen?

Check whether your phone supports lock-screen access and whether the relevant visibility option is enabled. Review Medical ID in the iPhone Health app, Emergency info access in Pixel’s Personal Safety app, or Show on Lock screen in Samsung Galaxy’s Safety and emergency settings.

How often should I update my emergency information?

Update it whenever a listed contact, number or medical detail changes, and review it periodically even when nothing appears to have changed. Recheck the lock-screen access route after a phone upgrade or major software update.

Conclusion

Setting up emergency contacts and medical information involves two decisions: what to include and whether it should be accessible while the phone is locked. Use the built-in tools for your device, keep the details accurate, understand how Emergency SOS differs from stored information, and verify the lock-screen path without making a test call. Because features vary by device and region, confirm the steps on the phone you actually use.