Where to find and add emergency contacts on your iPhone

Emergency contacts on iPhone live in the Health app, not in your regular Contacts. When you add someone as an emergency contact, their name and phone number appear on your lock screen during an emergency call, and first responders can see the information without unlocking your phone. You can add up to five emergency contacts, and you control who sees what information.

The process takes about two minutes and works on any iPhone running iOS 8 or later. You do not need to set up Medical ID to add emergency contacts, though the two features work together.

Key Takeaways

  • Emergency contacts are stored in the Health app and visible on your lock screen during emergency calls, even if your phone is locked.
  • You can add up to five emergency contacts, and each person can have multiple phone numbers listed.
  • First responders can view your emergency contacts without your permission or your phone's passcode.
  • You can edit or remove emergency contacts at any time from the Health app's Medical ID section.
  • Emergency contacts are separate from your regular phone contacts and do not sync across devices unless you use iCloud.

Step-by-step: adding your first emergency contact

Open the Health app on your iPhone — it has a white icon with a red heart. Tap the profile icon in the top right corner, then tap Medical ID. If this is your first time setting up Medical ID, tap Edit in the top right. If you already have Medical ID set up, tap Edit anyway.

Scroll down to the Emergency Contacts section. Tap the plus sign or Add Emergency Contact. A list of your phone contacts appears. Select the person you want to add. Their name and default phone number populate automatically, but you can tap their entry to add additional phone numbers or change which number appears first.

Tap Done when you finish. Your emergency contact now appears on your lock screen when you dial 911 or press the Emergency SOS button. You can repeat this process to add up to four more contacts.

Editing or removing emergency contacts

To change an emergency contact's information, open Health, tap your profile icon, then Medical ID, then Edit. Find the contact you want to change and tap it. You can update their phone number, add a second number, or change the relationship label (Mom, Dad, Friend, Doctor, and others are available).

To remove someone entirely, tap Edit in Medical ID, find their name in the Emergency Contacts section, and tap the red minus sign next to their entry. Tap Delete to confirm. The contact remains in your phone's regular Contacts app — removing them from Medical ID only removes them from your emergency information.

What information first responders can see

When you call 911 or activate Emergency SOS, your lock screen displays your emergency contacts' names and phone numbers. First responders can see this information without entering your passcode or Face ID. They cannot access your full Medical ID details unless you have set those up separately, and they cannot access any other apps or personal data on your phone.

Your emergency contacts can see your Medical ID information only if you share it with them directly or if they are with you when first responders access it. The information does not automatically send to your contacts — it only displays on your phone's lock screen.

Adding emergency contacts without a regular contact entry

You can add someone as an emergency contact even if they are not in your phone's Contacts app. In the Medical ID Emergency Contacts section, instead of selecting from your contacts list, look for an option to enter information manually (this appears as a plus sign or Add button depending on your iOS version). Type their name and phone number directly.

This is useful for adding your doctor's office, a therapist, or someone you do not call regularly but want first responders to reach. You can edit these entries the same way you edit contacts added from your phone's Contacts app.

Emergency contacts across multiple devices

Emergency contacts sync across your devices if you use iCloud and have Health data syncing turned on. Check this by opening Settings, tapping your name, then iCloud, then scrolling to Health and making sure it is toggled on. If syncing is off, your emergency contacts appear only on the device where you added them.

If you have an Apple Watch, your emergency contacts sync to it automatically when iCloud syncing is on. This means first responders can access your emergency information from your watch if you are wearing it during an emergency.

Troubleshooting: emergency contacts not showing on lock screen

If you added emergency contacts but they do not appear on your lock screen during an emergency call, check that Medical ID is turned on. Open Health, tap your profile icon, then Medical ID, then tap Edit. At the top of the screen, make sure Show on Lock Screen is toggled on (it should be green).

If Show on Lock Screen is already on, restart your iPhone by powering it off and back on. If emergency contacts still do not appear, remove and re-add the contact. Open Medical ID, tap Edit, remove the contact with the red minus sign, then add them again from your Contacts list.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add someone who is not in my phone contacts?

Yes. In the Medical ID Emergency Contacts section, tap the plus sign and choose the option to add contact information manually. Type their name and phone number directly. This works for doctors, therapists, or anyone you want first responders to reach.

What happens if I do not have Medical ID set up?

You can still add emergency contacts without setting up your full Medical ID profile. Open Health, tap your profile icon, then Medical ID, then Edit. You only need to fill in the Emergency Contacts section — the rest of Medical ID is optional.

Will my emergency contacts be notified automatically?

No. Adding someone as an emergency contact does not automatically call or text them when you dial 911. It only makes their information visible to first responders on your lock screen. You or first responders must contact them manually.

Can I add the same person multiple times with different phone numbers?

No. Each emergency contact appears once in your Medical ID. However, you can add multiple phone numbers to a single contact by tapping their entry in the Emergency Contacts section and selecting Add Phone Number.

Do emergency contacts work if my phone is locked?

Yes. Emergency contacts appear on your lock screen during an emergency call, and first responders can see them without your passcode or Face ID. This is the main purpose of storing them in Medical ID rather than in your regular Contacts app.