How to Set Up Emergency Contacts and Medical ID

What this helps with: Letting first responders see your emergency contacts and health notes on your phone, even when it’s locked.

You choose what to include. Anyone holding your phone can see this information without your passcode, so add only what you’re comfortable sharing.

iPhone: Medical ID

1. Open the Health app.
   • What you’ll tap: A white icon with a red heart.
2. Tap your picture or initials at the top right, then tap Medical ID.
3. Tap Get Started or Edit.
4. Fill in what you’d like: medical conditions, allergies, medications, blood type. Typing “None” is better than leaving a blank.
5. Under Emergency Contacts, tap Add Emergency Contact, choose a person from your contacts, and pick how they’re related to you.
6. Scroll down and turn on Show When Locked. Turn on Share During Emergency Call too, if you see it.
7. Tap Done.

To check it works: Lock your phone. On the passcode screen, tap Emergency, then Medical ID.

Android: Emergency information

Steps vary by phone. Try these in order.

1. Open Settings and tap Safety & emergency. (On Pixel phones you can also open the Safety app.)
2. Tap Medical information (or Medical info) and fill in what you’d like.
3. Go back and tap Emergency contacts, then Add contact, and choose a person.
4. Turn on Show when locked (sometimes under Emergency info access) so responders can see it.

If something goes wrong

• I can’t find Safety & emergency. In Settings, tap the search magnifying glass and type emergency.
• My emergency contact isn’t in the list. Add them to your Contacts app first, then try again.
• I want to remove something. Go back to the same screen, tap Edit, and delete it.

Official sources

• Apple: Set up your Medical ID in the Health app
• Google: Get help during an emergency with your Android phone

Last checked: Oct 15, 2026

This is general help, not medical advice or personalized tech support. Ask your doctor or pharmacist what health details are useful to list.