You feel unwell, you have an accident, you are unconscious or disoriented. It is better to anticipate these situations that you do not prefer to think about, by configuring emergency contacts on your phone. There is a procedure on iPhone and Android devices.
So that emergency services always know who to contact in the event of an accident, the two main operating systems of our smartphones, Android and iOS, provide the possibility of identifying trusted people. This has been happening for several years now.
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So, if something serious happens to you, a third party can access a special file, containing information about your trusted contact — their identity and contact details. But it is still necessary to define the contacts in question beforehand.
Good news, the procedure to carry out on your device is very simple and quick to carry out.
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How do I put an emergency contact in case of problem?
Put someone in emergency contact on iPhone (iOS)
On Apple's operating system, this happens in the Health app.
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- Tap your profile photo at the top right of the home page;
- Choose “Medical form”;
- Tap “Edit” (still at the top right);
- Tap “add emergency contact” in the corresponding section;
- Your address book opens and all you have to do is choose the right person.
It is therefore of course necessary that their telephone number is already registered in your directory.
Set up an emergency contact on Android
In Android, you need to open the Personal Security application.
- Tap the “Your information” tab;
- Select the “Emergency Contacts” section;
- Choose “Add a contact” and then select it from your directory (so it must also already be there).
How to see emergency contacts in phone?
On Android, it is by leaving your finger pressed on the main button of the smartphone that the “Emergency” icon is displayed; it is under your name that a third party will be able to find the contact details of your loved ones in the “Emergency” section. Show emergency information”.
On the iPhone, you have to hold the main button and the volume up button to give access to your medical file. By sliding your finger over this title, you then reveal the names and telephone numbers of emergency contacts.
This use is now well known to emergency services, whether firefighters or SAMU. Important reminder: if you find yourself in the presence of an unconscious person, do not try to use this system to contact a loved one, but immediately notify the emergency services who will take care of this.
Is it useful to also fill out your medical form?
These numbers, accessible to everyone from your device, are complementary to the accompanying medical form. You can enter it at the same time as the emergency contacts within the Health and Personal Safety applications. It brings together health information about you: age, height, weight, treatments, allergies, blood group, organ donation and even spoken language. They are valuable for emergency services, whether firefighters or SAMU.
What is the difference between contacts and emergency numbers?
Emergency contacts are the numbers of loved ones you would like to be notified in the event of an accident. The numbers or the emergency call are those of the emergency services.
On the iPhone side, a call to 112, the European emergency number, is triggered. The service will then redirect you to the correct contact depending on the case.
On Android, you can call 112, but also directly the dedicated French numbers (15 for SAMU, 17 for the police and 18 for the firefighters).
Are my loved ones notified if I make an emergency call?
At the end of a call with the emergency services, both operating systems can notify your loved ones by sending them a message explaining the situation and your location.
Can I call emergency services automatically in the event of an accident?
Yes, this is planned for both Android and iOS. On the first, you don't have to configure anything, it's usually enough to press the lock button 5 times in a row. A countdown of a few seconds then begins, the emergency services are called when it ends.
To start this same countdown on the iPhone, you must once again hold down the lock button and one of the volume buttons. You can also configure this emergency call by clicking the main button 5 times. To do this, you must go to Settings > Emergency call and activate “Call with 5 button presses”.
All our practical guides in the How to section