How to set up emergency SOS on Android

Ideally we would go through our lives without having to encounter any instance where we might require emergency services, whether it be for ourselves or someone else, but that’s the way life is and these curveballs can sometimes come out of nowhere.

Thankfully, pretty much all smartphones these days come with a form of emergency SOS where with a shortcut, you will be able to call out for help, like sending a text and your location to your emergency contacts.

If you haven’t set yours up yet thinking that maybe you don’t have to, we get it, but it’s always a good idea to be prepared, plus it will only take you a minute or two and knowing that the shortcut is there when you need it is pretty good peace of mind. So if you’ve yet to set up emergency SOS on your Android 12 phone, here’s how.

Set up emergency SOS on Android 12

1. Launch the Settings app
2. Tap on Safety & Emergency
3. Tap on Emergency SOS
4. Follow the instructions on the screen to set up your emergency contacts and also choose your settings
5. You’ll first be greeted with an alarm feature that goes off when you activate Emergency SOS. This might be helpful if you’re lost or stuck and the sound can help rescue workers find you
6. Then you can also set up emergency services which is basically the number that your phone calls when you need help. By default it will be set to your local emergency number, but you can change it to a contact if you prefer
7. You can also set up assisted calling which will call emergency services and share your location with them
8. You will also be able to set up emergency contacts who will be sent your location when the feature is activated
9. Once you’ve gone through the steps, you’ll be taken to an overview screen that shows your settings, and if you’re happy with your choices, tap Done
10. Now when you need to activate the feature, all you’ll have to do is press the power button five times or more in rapid succession

Take note that the steps above will require you to own an Android phone running Android 12 or later and it is based on stock Android and also Pixel phones. That being said, pretty much all phones do come with their own emergency SOS feature which you should be able to find in your Settings, but the steps and features might differ slightly from manufacturer to manufacturer.