Where to find and add emergency contacts on your iPhone

Emergency contacts on your iPhone live in the Health app, not in your regular Contacts. When you add someone as an emergency contact, their number appears on your lock screen during an emergency call, and first responders can access the list without unlocking your phone. This is separate from your everyday contacts — it's a safety feature built into iOS.

The Health app comes pre-installed on every iPhone. You open it, go to your profile (the icon in the top right corner), and add people from there. The process takes about two minutes and works the same way on iPhone 12, 13, 14, 15, and newer models.

Key Takeaways

  • Emergency contacts are stored in the Health app, not the Contacts app, and appear on your lock screen during emergency calls.
  • You can add up to five emergency contacts, and they can be family members, friends, neighbors, or anyone you trust to be called in a crisis.
  • First responders can see your emergency contacts without entering your passcode, but regular callers cannot.
  • You can change or remove emergency contacts at any time by going back to the Health app and editing your profile.

Opening the Health app and finding your profile

Tap the Health app on your home screen — it's the white icon with a red heart. If you don't see it, swipe left on your home screen until you find it, or search for "Health" using Spotlight (swipe down from the top of your screen and type).

Once the Health app opens, look at the bottom of the screen. You'll see four tabs: Browse, Sharing, Health Data, and You. Tap the "You" tab in the bottom right corner. This takes you to your profile page, where you can add medical information and emergency contacts.

Adding your first emergency contact

On your profile page, scroll down until you see "Emergency Contacts" with a red plus sign next to it. Tap the plus sign. A menu appears asking you to choose a contact from your phone's Contacts app.

Tap "Add Contact" and your Contacts list opens. Find the person you want to add — they must already be saved in your Contacts for this to work. If the person isn't in your Contacts yet, cancel out of this screen, open the Contacts app, add them there with their phone number, then come back to the Health app and try again.

Once you select a contact, you'll see a relationship field that says "Not Set" or shows a previous relationship. Tap this field and choose from options like "Mother," "Father," "Sister," "Brother," "Friend," "Spouse," or "Other." This label helps first responders understand who the person is to you. Select the one that fits, then tap "Add" in the top right corner.

Adding more than one emergency contact

You can add up to five emergency contacts. After you add the first one, it appears on your profile page. To add another, tap the red plus sign again and repeat the same steps. Each contact can have a different relationship label.

There's no rule about who you choose. Many people add a spouse or parent, then a sibling, then a close friend or neighbor. The order doesn't matter — first responders will see all of them. If you live alone, consider adding someone who has a key to your home or knows your medical history.

Checking that your emergency contacts are set up correctly

After you add contacts, lock your iPhone and look at your lock screen. Press the Emergency button (or say "Hey Siri, call emergency" if you have Siri enabled). The emergency call screen appears, and below the keypad you should see "Emergency Contacts" with the names and numbers you added. If you don't see them, go back to the Health app and make sure you completed the steps — sometimes the list takes a moment to sync.

You can also test this by asking someone to call you while your phone is locked. They won't see your emergency contacts — only first responders and emergency services can access that list. Your regular contacts remain private.

Changing or removing emergency contacts later

If you need to change a contact's relationship label, remove someone, or swap in a different person, go back to the Health app, tap "You," scroll to "Emergency Contacts," and tap "Edit" in the top right corner. A minus sign appears next to each contact. Tap the minus sign to remove someone, or tap a contact's name to change their relationship label.

You can also add or remove contacts without entering Edit mode — just tap the red plus sign to add another, or swipe left on a contact's name to delete it. Changes take effect when ready.

What happens if you don't have someone in your Contacts yet

Emergency contacts must already exist in your iPhone's Contacts app. If you want to add someone but they're not there, open the Contacts app, tap the plus sign in the top right, enter their name and phone number, and save. Then go back to the Health app and add them as an emergency contact.

Make sure you use the correct phone number — this is the number first responders will call. If someone's number changes, update it in your Contacts app, and the change automatically shows in your emergency contacts list too.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add someone as an emergency contact if they're not in my Contacts?

No. Emergency contacts must be saved in your Contacts app first. Add them there with their phone number, then return to the Health app to set them as emergency contacts. This ensures the number is correct and stays updated if you change it later.

Will my emergency contacts see my medical information?

Not automatically. Your emergency contacts list is separate from your medical history in the Health app. First responders can see both your emergency contacts and any medical information you've marked as visible on lock screen, but regular contacts cannot see either unless you share them directly.

What if I have more than five people I want to add?

The Health app limits you to five emergency contacts. Choose the people most likely to be reached in a crisis or most important for first responders to know about. You can change the list anytime if your situation changes.

Do emergency contacts work if my iPhone is locked?

Yes. That's the whole point — first responders can see your emergency contacts on the lock screen without your passcode. Your regular contacts and other personal information remain locked and private.

What if someone I added as an emergency contact changes their phone number?

Update their number in your Contacts app. The emergency contacts list pulls from your Contacts, so it updates automatically. You don't need to remove and re-add them.