How to set up SOS call and message on Apple iPhone XR

Emergency calls on Apple iPhone XR

It is important to have activated and configured both the medical data and the SOS emergency calls on your Apple iPhone XR since you never know when you are going to need it and it may be too late to make this configuration when it is necessary.

You will be able to make emergency calls to a contact without having to unlock the Apple iPhone XR, even without having to take it out of your pocket by pressing a defined button a series of times.

Depending on the country and as long as you have a SIM card, you can define if you want your iPhone XR to make an automatic call to the emergency services.

Follow the steps below to also add medical data to your iPhone XR, in the event of an accident, the emergency services will be able to see data such as blood group, allergies, weight, organ donation and contact persons without accessing the rest of the content of the telephone.

Estimated time: 2 minutes.

Table of Contents:

Configure emergency calls on Apple iPhone XR

It is only possible to configure emergency calls for devices with a SIM or eSIM card since they make use of the call service through the GSM network or, failing that, it must be connected to a Wi-Fi network or via Bluetooth to another device that has a GSM connection or to the Internet.

1- First step:

Let's go to the settings of the Apple iPhone XR, it is the icon of the gear wheel that you will find on the home screen of the device.

2- Second step:

Scroll down through the Apple iPhone XR settings until you find the “Emergency SOS” section. Click to access.

3- Third step:

Activate the option “Call with the side button” to activate the emergency call when you press the right side button five times in a row.

Emergency call with side button iPhone XR

4- Fourth step:

Activate the “Automatic call” option to initiate an automatic call to the emergency services of your country or region. In some countries or regions you may have to indicate the emergency telephone number of that region, otherwise the call will be made to the default emergency service of that country/region.

5- Fifth step:

If you have not yet defined any emergency contacts, the “Define emergency contacts” button will appear. Press to access the “Health” settings of your Apple iPhone XR and start defining contacts from the address book to whom an emergency notification will be sent.

6- Sixth step:

The “Medical data” section will open where the medical data you have configured on this device appears. Click on the “Edit” button located at the top right of the Apple iPhone XR screen to continue.

7- Seventh step:

Scroll down through your Apple iPhone XR medical data sheet until you find the “Emergency Contacts” section and tap “Add Emergency Contact” to choose a person from the contact list. Click “OK” at the top right to save. With these steps you will have configured emergency calls on the iPhone XR.

8- Eighth step:

To test if it has been configured correctly and see if the option to make emergency calls and view medical data appears, press and hold the right side button of your Apple iPhone XR for a few seconds until the following screen appears. Click on one of the options and slide to the right to start.

9- Ninth step:

A countdown and an emergency sound will appear, if you have pressed by mistake and want to cancel the call before it starts, click on “Stop”.

Make SOS call on Apple iPhone XR

1- First step:

If you have activated the option “Call with the side button” as indicated in step 3 of the previous tutorial, to make an emergency call you must press 5 times in a row the power button of the Apple iPhone XR. Otherwise, hold down the right side button and any of the volume buttons.

2- Second step:

The emergency call will start in five seconds if it is not cancelled. The contacts you have defined in the health settings will also be notified as explained in step 5 of the previous tutorial.

Disable emergency calls on Apple iPhone XR

To disable SOS calls on your Apple iPhone XR, disable “Side Button Call” and “Automatic Call” from the emergency call settings above in step 3 of Set up emergency call.

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