How to set up emergency location sharing on Android and iOS.
Share Emergency Location: Smartphones are very spectacular for taking photos, scanning news, and sending messages, but they can also be literal saviors if you take the time to arrange them before they are needed.
Both Android and iOS have an easy-to-use system to share your location with friends, family members or other trusted contacts in an emergency. You can even make connections that allow you to check your loved ones to see if their cellphones have detected recent movements and then request automatic location updates if you can’t reach them.
The key to all this is to configure your emergency system first so that it will be available in the event of an actual emergency. Take two minutes now, and then calm down knowing your cellphone is ready.
Here is how you can set up emergency location for android and ios:
SIMPLE OPTIONS FOR iOS
If you have an iPhone, Apple offers a built-in SOS Emergency system that gives you a quick way to call 911 (or an equivalent emergency service provider) and then notify a group of predetermined emergency contacts – all in one go.
To get started, you have to tell your cellphone who your emergency contact is:
- Open the Health application.
- Tap the “Medical ID” tab.
- Tap “Edit.” (If you have not created a medical ID, you must do it first.)
- Find the option “Add emergency contacts”, and add how many people you want.
Now, if you have ever been in an emergency situation with an iPhone 8 or newer:
- Press and hold the power button together with any volume button, and you will see an “SOS Emergency” countdown appear on your screen.
- Continue to hold both buttons until the countdown ends.
- Your iPhone will automatically call 911, and as soon as the call is interrupted, the phone will send an SMS to your emergency contacts with your current location.
If you have an iPhone 7 or earlier, press the power button five times faster, then drag your finger on the Emergency SOS slider that appears on the screen to start the same process.
SIMPLE OPTION FOR ANDROID
Android does not have a similar all-in-one function. Although it provides a way to offer emergency service information about predefined emergency contacts from the lock screen. Although the settings may vary somewhat depending on what cellphone you have and the Android version that it runs, the base must be the same.
- Open your mobile lock screen. (You don’t have a screen lock set? Why not?)
- Search for the word “Emergency” at the bottom of the lock screen. Tap it.
- Tap “Emergency information” and then on the pencil symbol (or, depending on your cellphone, on “Add”). You will be asked to enter your PIN or lock pattern.
- This will take you to the Emergency information screen where you can add personal information (such as your blood type or medical condition) and the contact you want to inform.
