Use this guide for yourself, a relative who lives alone, or anyone heading into dark winter evenings, solo walks or long drives. Have your phone, a list of key contacts and any medical information you would want a paramedic to see.
Step by step
Turn on the emergency SOS shortcut
On iPhone, open Settings and look for Emergency SOS; on Android, search Settings for Emergency SOS or Safety and emergency. Switch on the button shortcut your phone offers, which on many models is pressing the side or power button several times. Read the screen carefully, because some phones call 999 automatically after a countdown, and test that you understand what the shortcut does without completing a call.
The rest of this guide is for members
The rest of this guide – the remaining steps, a ready-to-use checklist, practical tips and fixes for common problems – is for members. Membership unlocks every ABCDayZ guide.
£3.99 for 1 month or £29 for 12 months. One payment, no automatic renewal.
Unlock all guidesAlready a member on another device? Open your personal access link. Bought Programming with AI? Your first month is included.