Apple Inc’s iPhone offers two features that help protect users and separate themselves from dangerous situations- Safety Check and Emergency SOS. These can be enabled in a few simple steps.
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Safety Check
This was a major update in iOS 16. Safety Check aids users in abusive or difficult situations. According to Apple, the feature lets users quickly stop sharing information or review and update sharing with individual people and apps.
To enable Safety Check on iPhone:
Step 1: Open ‘Settings’
Step 2: Tap ‘Privacy & Security’
Step 3: Scroll and select ‘Safety Check’
Step 4: Two features- Emergency Reset and Manage Sharing & Access- will be shown.
- To immediately reset access for all people and apps, and review account security, tap Emergency Reset. Users will be asked for FaceID or other ID to access it.
- Then, select ‘Start Emergency Reset’ to proceed.
- To customise which people and apps can access personal information, tap Manage Sharing & Access. ID will be asked here as well.
- Tap ‘Continue’ to review app access, devices signed in with Apple ID, etc.
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Emergency SOS
This feature notifies emergency contacts with messages that a user has called an emergency service. The messages include the user’s current location. Emergency contacts can be enabled in Medical ID in the Health app.
To enable Emergency SOS on iPhone:
Step 1: Open ‘Settings’
Step 2: Scroll and tap on ‘Emergency SOS’
Step 3: Switch on either ‘Call with Hold’ or ‘Call with 5 Presses’
- Call with Hold: Press and hold the side and volume buttons. Emergency SOS slider will appear. If these buttons are held longer, a countdown begins and an alert sounds. When the countdown ends, iPhone calls emergency services.
- Call with 5 Presses: Repeatedly press the side button five times. This starts a countdown and sounds an alert. When the countdown ends, iPhone calls emergency services.
To switch off Emergency SOS, simple toggle and disable either of these two buttons.
To set up emergency contact for SOS:
Step 1: Open Settings, then go to Emergency SOS
Step 2: Tap on ‘Set up Emergency Contacts in Health.’
Step 3: Once taken to the Medical ID page, tap Create Medical ID.
Step 4: Select ‘Emergency Contacts’, and tap add emergency contact. Saved contacts can be chosen.