How-To

How to quickly call emergency services on iPhone

This iPhone trick could come in clutch one day.

by
Joe Rice-Jones
April 10, 2022

Image: Unsplash

Your iPhone can always call emergency services if needed, assuming you’ve got cellular service that is. The thing is, every second counts in an emergency and there’s a much quicker way that doesn’t even require you to unlock your phone.

That means you can call for help even while your phone is in your pocket. You don’t have to lift it to your face to unlock it, or fumble with the touchscreen and hope you tapped the correct digits.

Below, we’ll show you how to quickly call emergency services on your iPhone, so you know in case you ever need it.

How to quickly call emergency services using your iPhone

iphone emergency button — Image: KnowTechie

There’s a super-quick way to call for help from your iPhone. Ready?

Press the side button on your iPhone five times rapidly
Now you’ll be on a modified version of the “slide to power off” screen (shown above)
Put your finger on the Emergency SOS slider and slide it to the right
Your iPhone will call emergency services for the country you’re in

If you prefer to set it up so that the five-button press automatically calls emergency services, that’s an option, as well. We’ll show you how below.

How to set up emergency auto-call on iPhone

You can set your iPhone to auto-call with the five-press feature, as well. Here’s how:

Open Settings and tap on Emergency SOS

emergency sos feature on iphone — Image: KnowTechie

Toggle Call with 5 Presses to On

When this setting is on, tapping the side button five times will start a countdown. After five seconds, the iPhone will automatically dial for emergency services unless you cancel the countdown.

Emergency calling can come in very handy in a pinch

That’s it, now you know how to quickly call emergency services from your iPhone. You can either do the normal five-button press and slide, or set it up to automatically dial after the five-button press.

Having the option to toggle between the two modes is also nice, as you can set up the shortcut only when needed and you are worried that your next high-octane vacation might require it.

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