Smartphones are spectacular for snapping photos, scanning the news, and sending messages, but they can also be literal lifesavers if you take the time to set them up before the need arises.
Both Android and iOS have easy-to-use systems for sharing your location with a friend, family member, or other trusted contact in an emergency. You can even create connections that’ll allow you to check up on loved ones to see if their phone has detected movement lately and then request an automated location update if you’re unable to reach them.
The key to all of this is to configure your emergency system ahead of time so it’ll be available in case an actual emergency occurs. Take two minutes now, and then rest easy knowing your phone’s ready.
If you’ve got an iPhone, Apple offers a built-in Emergency SOS system that gives you a quick way to call 911 (or the equivalent emergency service provider) and then alert a group of predefined emergency contacts — all in one fell swoop.
To start, you need to tell your phone who your emergency contacts are:
Now, if you’re ever in an emergency situation with an iPhone 8 or later:
If you have an iPhone 7 or earlier, press the power button five times fast, then drag your finger across the Emergency SOS slider that appears on the screen to initiate that same process.
Android doesn’t have a similar all-in-one function, though it does provide a way to offer emergency services information about a preassigned emergency contact from the lock screen. While the setup may differ somewhat depending on what phone you have and which version of Android it runs, the basics should be the same.
For a more robust setup in which you can share and request locations with trusted contacts — without needing to make a 911 call — download Google’s Trusted Contacts app for Android or iOS. Once you’ve signed in, create your list of connections.
Then, if you ever want to send a location alert:
And to request someone else’s location:
By default, Google’s Trusted Contacts app will share a requested location after five minutes without a response.
It’s the type of thing you hope you’ll never need, but with loved ones, in particular, it can bring valuable peace of mind to have it standing by just in case.