This Little-Known Feature of Your Phone Can Call for Help in an Emergency
Your smartphone has a little-known feature that could literally save your life in a serious situation. But you need to enable and configure it before an emergency happens.
Though we often forget, one of the original purposes of mobile phones was to help us reach loved ones or emergency services in a crisis. While our phones have evolved into powerful pocket computers, they still fulfill this critical function.
In fact, most smartphones today are equipped with practical features to call for help and alert emergency services when you're in danger. On Android devices, in particular, there's a very useful but often overlooked system designed for this purpose: the SOS Emergency feature.
This feature groups together several functions that allow you to quickly contact emergency services or trusted people in case of an emergency, and even share your geographic location automatically. You can find all these options in your phone's Settings app, under the Security and Emergency section.
Once enabled, the SOS Emergency function is triggered by pressing the power button five times, which is often located on the right side of the device. By default, it will display a list of emergency contacts saved on your phone, allowing you to call them instantly—no need to unlock the phone or dial the number manually.
Additionally, the system lets you enter vital medical information, such as your blood type, allergies, or current medications, which will appear on the SOS Emergency screen, even if your phone is locked. This little medical record could save your life by ensuring first responders can provide the correct treatment, especially in cases of severe allergic reactions, serious injuries, or medical distress.
It's definitely worth spending a few minutes setting up the SOS Emergency system. Add trusted contacts to be notified in an emergency, ensure their information is up to date, complete your medical details, and activate automatic SMS alerts for your loved ones. These small steps could make a huge difference and possibly prevent the worst from happening.
The system also allows you to program automatic actions when SOS Emergency is triggered. For example, you can set up an automatic call to emergency services a few seconds after activation—this is especially useful if you're unable to make the call manually due to illness or assault.
Another valuable option is the ability to send an automatic SMS with your geographic location to selected trusted contacts. This message can be sent after you call emergency services or after a period of inactivity, which can be a life-saving feature for dependent, sick, or elderly individuals.