Emergencies, SOS: here’s how your smartphone can save your life!

Prepare for emergencies on iOS

Over the years, your smartphone has become your daily companion. This role is all the more a reality now that it can save your life in the event of illness or an accident. iOS has for some time been integrating a suite of tools, to be prepared in advance, to simplify emergency management.

Fill out your medical form

This is the first point to be made before any other action. From the Health application of your Apple device, click on your profile picture and then on the option Medical form to modify it. It is important to fill in the information exhaustively: your weight and height, but also your allergies, your medications, your history… Don’t forget your blood type either!

Add an emergency contact

By scrolling down, you can Add an emergency contact. So think of one or more names that you want to contact in case of need. At Apple, these people are notified as soon as an emergency call ends with a regularly updated location, so that emergency contacts can reach you.

Simplify emergency access

All this information stored on your iPhone is essential, but it must be accessible to rescuers. From the Health app, you can select the option Show in locked mode as well as the option Emergency call to allow someone to access your medical file from your locked screen. Don’t worry, this option only activates if the Emergency mode is operational.

Make the emergency call easier

You can simplify the emergency call from the Health settings. Several options are available depending on the model, using the volume and start buttons. Note, the iPhone 14 includes autonomous accident detection thanks to its sensors. If necessary, it automatically activates emergency mode and can contact the emergency services on its own. Be careful, it doesn’t work all the time…

Preparing for emergencies on Android

Android also benefits from an Emergency solution. Depending on the version of the system, it may be more or less complete. First, check if the Security app is installed, either on its own or in the settings under the name Security and Emergencies.

Complete your medical file

As with Apple’s Emergency mode, it is also possible here to complete medical documentation to facilitate the work of rescuers. First, remember to log in with your Google account to the Security application. Once done, since Medical information, you can add all the key information about your medical situation. This is also where you can find the next of kin to contact in the event of an emergency.

Scroll a message

You can ask the Emergency mode to scroll an information message on the locked screen of your smartphone. For what use? For example, to loop broadcast your blood group, or your identity, or any useful information. You can activate this option from the menu Display > Lock screen > Add text on screenall from app settings Security.

Trigger emergency mode

Emergency mode can be triggered manually on Android. To do this, you press the On/Off button on your smartphone 5 times. It is also possible to configure automatic triggering of the mode, according to scenarios designed by the Security application.

What emergency modes at Google?

You will find in the app Security several Emergency modes that adapt to various situations. Depending on the scenarios, Google has therefore thought of the following options:

• Crisis Alerts : these are the dissemination of information by public authorities or by the media in the event of a crisis, such as a natural or human disaster.
• Emergency locator transmitter : an interesting mode, because it can be activated immediately or according to a delay; for example, if you are going on a hike, the Beacon can be activated if you have not heard from after a certain period of time
• Accident detection : the sensors of your smartphone detect an accident and automatically inform the emergency services.
• SOS Emergency : an all-in-one tool that contacts emergency services, shares the position with your contacts as well as emergencies, but also takes a video that is automatically shared to your contacts.