It’s important to be aware of the safety of our loved ones, and being able to alert an emergency contact during a crisis can be invaluable. Our phones can not only connect us with emergency services in the event of a crash or fall, but they can also let our contacts know if something has happened. With features like crash and fall detection, as well as quick access to emergency call buttons, we can quickly reach out for help in an emergency. Knowing that someone is aware of a situation can help provide peace of mind to our family and friends. By setting up emergency contacts on our phones, we can also feel more reassured that someone will be informed if something happens to us.

How to create emergency contacts in iOS 16

Here’s how to create an emergency contact in iOS 16 to signal your loved ones that something isn’t right after an emergency:

1. Open the Health app and tap your profile in the upper right corner. This icon will be your initials or your profile picture.
2. Tap on Medical ID.
3. Tap on Edit in the upper right corner. Scroll down to Emergency Contacts.
4. Tap on the green plus labeled add emergency contact.
5. Your contact list will pop up. Scroll down and tap on the contact you wish to add.
6. Select the relationship you have to this contact (i.e., Mother, sister, assistant, doctor, etc.).
7. Tap Done to save.

It’s important to regularly review and update your emergency contacts to ensure that the right people will be alerted in case of an emergency.

Sometimes things change, and you need to remove an emergency contact. Here’s how:

1. Open the Health app and tap your profile in the upper right corner.
2. Tap on Medical ID.
3. Tap on Edit in the upper right corner. Scroll down to Emergency Contacts.
4. Tap on the red minus button next to the contact you wish to remove.
5. Confirm the removal by tapping on the red delete button.

In addition to setting up emergency contacts in the Health app, you can also use the “Emergency SOS” feature on your iPhone to quickly call for help in a crisis. To use this feature, press and hold the side button and one of the volume buttons until the Emergency SOS slider appears. Drag the slider to call emergency services. The phone will automatically send a message to your emergency contacts with your location information after the call.

On the iPhone 14, you can even reach out to emergency services via satellite when you’re out of signal range. After your emergency call, your iPhone or Watch will send a text message to your emergency contacts with your current location. If your location changes, your contacts will receive a follow-up text message with updates.

Remember to also take the time to familiarize yourself with the location and operation of the emergency call buttons in your home, workplace, and car, as well as the emergency numbers for your area. By being prepared, you can quickly get the help you need in an emergency situation.

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