Your Android phone has powerful, often-overlooked emergency features that can call for help, share vital info, and warn you about natural disasters. But it’s your responsibility to make sure they’re set up properly—and that you know how to use them.

In a crisis, the first thing you’d want is to reach out to someone you trust. That’s why it’s important to set up emergency contacts on your phone. First responders can reach these people right away, even if your phone is locked.

On your phone, head to Settings > Safety and emergency > Emergency contacts. Tap Add emergency contact, select the contacts you want to add, and hit Done. You can include family members, close friends, or even your doctor. It’s a good idea to list more than one person in case someone isn’t available.

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Before you finish, make sure to enable the Show on Lock screen option. This way, your emergency contacts can be accessed directly from the lock screen using the emergency dialer.

4

Add Medical Info to Lock Screen

You probably unlock your phone dozens of times a day, but in an emergency, you might not be able to do that. In those moments, your lock screen could be the only way someone else can access the critical information needed to help you.

On Android, you can add key health details—like allergies, blood type, medical conditions, and other critical notes—right to your lock screen. Paramedics are typically trained to look for this kind of information, and in a serious emergency, a few seconds can make all the difference.

To set it up, open the Settings app and go to Safety and emergency > Medical info. Tap the pencil icon in the top right corner, fill in the details, and hit Save. When you’re done, make sure to enable the Show on lock screen option, so first responders can see it without unlocking your phone.

3

Turn On Emergency Location Service

Imagine you’re in a situation where you need help, fast. When you call or text emergency services, Android’s Emergency Location Service can automatically share your exact location with first responders. It works even if you’ve turned off location services to save your phone’s battery. To make sure it’s turned on, go to Settings > Safety and emergency > Emergency Location Service and enable the switch.

If you also want to share your location and other important details with your emergency contacts, try the Emergency sharing feature. In the Safety and emergency menu, tap Emergency sharing, then select Start emergency sharing > Start.

This will send a help message and your real-time location to your emergency contacts. If your phone’s battery is low, it’ll share that too. Your phone will send location updates every 15 minutes for up to 24 hours.

2

Learn to Use Emergency SOS

You might not always have someone nearby when something goes wrong. If you are ever in a situation where you can’t dial for help, Android’s Emergency SOS can be useful. On most Android phones, you can trigger Emergency SOS by quickly pressing the power button five times. If you’re using a Samsung Galaxy device, it’s three presses.

Once activated, your phone will automatically contact emergency services. And if you’ve set up emergency contacts, it will also send them a message with your current location.

To customize how the feature works, go to Settings > Safety & emergency > Emergency SOS. You can adjust the countdown timer before the emergency call is placed, which can help prevent accidental triggers. If you want the call to go through instantly after activation, turn off the Require swipe to call option.

You can also create a custom panic button on Android if you’d like to go further.

1

Ensure Emergency Alerts Are Enabled (and Test Them)

Your Android phone is designed to receive critical alerts from government agencies, including warnings about extreme weather, earthquakes, public safety threats, and missing persons (like AMBER alerts). These notifications are usually turned on by default, but it’s worth double-checking to make sure you haven’t accidentally switched them off.

Go to Settings > Safety & emergency > Earthquake alerts and turn on the toggle. When enabled, your phone can notify you of the estimated magnitude and how far the earthquake is from your location. Tap See a demo to preview what one of these alerts will actually sound and look like.

Go back to the previous menu and tap Wireless emergency alerts, then turn on Allow alerts. Scroll through the list to make sure each type of alert, like AMBER alerts and Test alerts, is enabled. You’ll also find a setting called Alert reminder, which repeats the alert sound at intervals in case you miss it the first time.

Emergency features on your Android phone aren’t something you’ll need frequently (hopefully never). But spending a few minutes setting them up now, and knowing how to use them, can make a huge difference in a crisis. It’s easy to put this off, but you really shouldn’t.