How to set up emergency contact details and medical info on your phone

1 Apr 2026

Adding an In Case of Emergency (ICE) contact to your phone in Australia allows first responders to access critical information from your lock screen without needing a passcode.

These instructions were found using Google AI and attributed to Be Connected.

iPhone (Apple Health App)

Open the Health app.
Tap your profile picture in the top-right corner, then tap Medical ID.
Tap Edit, then scroll to Emergency Contacts and tap Add Emergency Contact.
Select a contact, choose their relationship to you, and tap Done.
Crucial: Ensure Show When Locked is turned on to allow access for first responders.

Android (Safety/Emergency Settings)

Note: Locations vary slightly by model (Samsung vs. Pixel).

Open Settings.
Tap Safety & emergency (or search “emergency” in settings).
Tap Emergency contacts > Add contact.
Choose a contact from your phonebook.
Alternative: Open the Safety app (if installed), tap Your info > Emergency contacts.

Setting Up Emergency SMS (Android/iPhone)

You can configure your phone to send a text with your location to your ICE contact when you call triple zero (000).

Android: In Safety & emergency, turn on Send SOS to emergency contacts.
iPhone: In Settings > Emergency SOS, ensure Call with Hold and Release or Call with 5 Button Presses is enabled.

Adding Emergency Alert Number (+61 444 444 444)

The Australian Government suggests saving +61 444 444 444 as a contact to receive official National Emergency Alert messages, even when your phone is on “Do Not Disturb”.

How to set up emergency contact details and medical info on your phone

More resources

Adding emergency contact and medical info on phone lock screen

Sending SMS to emergency contacts