Your Digital Legacy: Emergency SOS Features, Legacy Contacts, and More

Setting up emergency features only takes a minute, but they can be vital in a crisis.

Emergency SOS Features for Your iPhone 

Emergency SOS for iPhone won’t just give you a quick way to call emergency services, it also alerts your emergency contacts to your location.

Once enabled, users can quickly press the side or home button five times to call emergency services. When you make a call with SOS, your iPhone will automatically call the local emergency number. 

To set up Emergency SOS: Open Settings > Emergency SOS > Toggle on Call with 5 Presses.

After the emergency call ends, your iPhone sends your emergency contacts with a text message that includes your current location. Your emergency contacts will also receive updates if your location changes.

To set up emergency contacts: Open Settings > Emergency SOS > Edit Emergency Contacts in Health. Follow the prompts to finish adding your emergency contacts. 

Emergency SOS via Satellite for iPhone 14

With iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models, you can use Emergency SOS via satellite to text emergency services when you don’t have cell phone service. The Find My app can also be used to share your location with people via satellite.

It’s important to note that when you use a satellite connection, it may take longer to send your message. In ideal conditions with a direct view of the sky and the horizon, a message may take 15 seconds to send. Connection times can be lengthened by your surroundings, the length of your message, and the status and availability of the satellite network.

Emergency SOS Features for Your Android

Emergency SOS features are available on Android phones, too. While the exact emergency features vary between manufacturers, users will always be able to contact emergency services by tapping the power button a few times. 

Users can activate Emergency SOS and designate emergency contacts within their phone’s settings app. The simplest way to locate the feature would be by searching for ‘emergency’ within settings. 

Features such as adding medical information to your lock screen and enabling your phone to call emergency services when it detects you’ve been in a car crash are also available in the settings app on most Android devices.

Adding a Legacy Contact for Your Apple ID 

A Legacy Contact is someone you choose to have access to your Apple ID account after your death. 

Data in your Apple ID account includes photos, messages, notes, files, device backups, and more. You can designate more than one legacy contact and they do not need an Apple account. 

To set up a Legacy Contact: Open settings > Tap your name > Tap Password and Security > Tap Legacy Contact 

You will need to share the access key with your legacy contact(s). They will need the access key and your death certificate to access your Apple ID if you’ve passed away.

Legacy Tips for Android Users 

For Android users, Google is a key piece of your data and online identity. Having access to your Gmail and Google Drive can be invaluable to your loved ones after your death. 

The simplest way to allow this access is to leave your passwords somewhere for your executor to find. Google will work with next-of-kin who have legal documentation, but they will not directly supply passwords to your accounts under any circumstances. 

Google also offers Inactive Account Manager, a feature that allows users to be very specific about what is done with their digital information after the account has been inactive for a set length of time. Users can specify that length of time, what data is to be shared, and who will be notified. 

Closing Thoughts

Preparing your assets and finances for sudden emergencies is mainstream advice, but accounting for your digital footprint is important as well. Apple and Android offer their users a variety of tools to use in case of emergencies. Taking a few moments to familiarize yourself with these tools and take advantage of their features could prove to be invaluable.