What emergency contacts do and where to find them

Emergency contacts are phone numbers and names you store on your iPhone so that first responders — paramedics, police, or hospital staff — can reach someone you trust if you're injured or in crisis and can't communicate. When you're unconscious or unable to speak, emergency personnel can access these contacts directly from your lock screen without needing your passcode.

On iPhone, emergency contacts live in the Health app, not in your regular Contacts. This matters because the Health app is designed to show medical information even when your phone is locked. You can add up to five emergency contacts, and you can specify your relationship to each person — "mother," "spouse," "friend," "doctor" — so responders know who they're calling and why.

The emergency contacts feature has been built into iPhones since iOS 8, so if you own any recent iPhone model, you have access to it. The process takes about two minutes and requires no special setup beyond opening the Health app and entering names and numbers.

Key Takeaways

  • Emergency contacts are stored in the Health app, not the Contacts app, and appear on your lock screen during emergencies.
  • You can add up to five emergency contacts with relationship labels like "mother," "spouse," or "doctor."
  • First responders can see these contacts without unlocking your phone, which is why they're separate from your regular contacts.
  • You should choose people who live nearby or can reach you quickly, not people in other countries or time zones.

Opening the Health app and finding the Medical ID section

Start by opening the Health app on your home screen. It's the white icon with a red heart. If you can't find it, swipe down from the top of your screen to open Spotlight Search, type "Health," and tap the app when it appears.

Once the Health app opens, look at the bottom of the screen. You'll see four tabs: Health Data, Browse, Sharing, and Profile. Tap the Profile tab — it's the silhouette icon on the far right. This takes you to your personal health profile settings.

On the Profile screen, look for "Medical ID" near the top. Tap it. If you've never set up a Medical ID before, you'll see a button that says "Create Medical ID." Tap that button to begin.

Adding your first emergency contact

After you tap "Create Medical ID," the app walks you through several fields. You'll see sections for your name, date of birth, medical conditions, medications, allergies, blood type, and organ donor status. Scroll down past all of these until you reach the "Emergency Contacts" section.

In the Emergency Contacts section, you'll see a plus sign (+) button. Tap it. A new row appears with two fields: one for the contact's name and one for their phone number. You'll also see a dropdown menu that says "Relationship" — this is where you specify who this person is to you.

Tap the name field first and type the person's name as you want it to appear — "Mom," "Sarah Chen," "Dr. Martinez," whatever makes sense to you. Then tap the phone number field and enter their number. Make sure you include the area code and country code if they're outside the United States.

Tap the Relationship dropdown and choose from the list: Emergency Contact, Family Member, Friend, Caregiver, Doctor, or Other. Pick the one that best describes your relationship. Then tap the back arrow or swipe left to save this contact and return to the Medical ID screen.

Adding more emergency contacts

To add a second, third, fourth, or fifth emergency contact, scroll back down to the Emergency Contacts section and tap the plus sign again. Repeat the same process: name, phone number, and relationship. You can add up to five total.

Choose people who are likely to be reachable during the day and who live in the same time zone or nearby. A contact in another country who won't answer their phone at 3 a.m. is less useful than a neighbor or local friend. If you have a spouse, parent, and close friend all in the same area, those are good choices.

You don't need to add your doctor's office number as an emergency contact — that's what the "Doctor" relationship is for if you want to store their information elsewhere in Medical ID. Emergency contacts should be people, not offices.

Saving your Medical ID and checking it on your lock screen

After you've added all your emergency contacts, scroll to the very top of the Medical ID screen and tap "Done" in the upper right corner. Your Medical ID is now saved.

To verify that your emergency contacts are visible on your lock screen, lock your iPhone by pressing the side button and volume button together, or by pressing the top button (on older models). On the lock screen, you should see "Medical ID" at the bottom. Tap it, and you'll see your emergency contacts listed without needing to unlock the phone.

This is exactly what first responders will see if they need to contact someone on your behalf. If the information looks correct, you're done. If you need to change anything, unlock your phone, open the Health app, go back to Profile, tap Medical ID, and make your edits.

Editing or removing emergency contacts later

If someone's phone number changes, or if you want to swap out a contact for someone else, open the Health app, tap Profile, and tap Medical ID. Scroll down to Emergency Contacts and tap "Edit" in the upper right corner of the screen.

Now each contact has a red minus sign next to it. Tap the minus sign to remove a contact, or tap directly on a contact's name or number to edit it. When you're finished making changes, tap "Done" to save.

You can change your emergency contacts as often as you need to. There's no limit on how many times you can edit them, and changes take effect when ready.

What happens if you don't have a Medical ID yet

If you've never created a Medical ID, your lock screen won't show emergency contacts at all. First responders will only see your phone number and any information you've set up through Siri or your lock screen settings. Creating a Medical ID takes just a few minutes and gives responders much more useful information in a crisis.

You don't have to fill in every field in Medical ID — you can leave blood type, allergies, and medical conditions blank if you prefer. But emergency contacts are worth adding even if you skip everything else, because they're the fastest way for someone to reach your family or friends.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add emergency contacts without creating a full Medical ID?

No. Emergency contacts are part of the Medical ID feature, so you have to create a Medical ID to add them. You don't have to fill in your blood type, allergies, or medical conditions — you can leave those blank — but you do need to create the Medical ID first.

What if someone doesn't answer when first responders call?

First responders will try the next contact on your list. That's why it's useful to have multiple emergency contacts — if your first choice doesn't pick up, they can call your second contact. Make sure your contacts are people who are likely to answer their phone during the day.

Can my emergency contacts see my Medical ID information?

No. Your emergency contacts can't access your Medical ID or see what information you've stored. They only know they're listed as your emergency contact if you tell them. It's a good idea to let them know they're on your list so they're not surprised if they get a call.

Do I need to update my emergency contacts if I get a new iPhone?

If you use iCloud backup, your Medical ID and emergency contacts transfer automatically to your new iPhone. If you set up your new phone from scratch without a backup, you'll need to create a new Medical ID and add your contacts again.

What if I want to remove all my emergency contacts?

Open the Health app, tap Profile, tap Medical ID, tap Edit, and tap the red minus sign next to each contact. You can remove them one at a time. Your Medical ID will remain, but with no emergency contacts listed.