The Accidental SOS: How to Avoid Becoming a Pocket Dialer for Emergency Services
Let's face it, we've all been there. You're fumbling for your phone in the depths of your bag, elbow deep in yesterday's receipts and rogue jellybeans, when suddenly your iPhone lets out a siren wail that could wake the dead. You've just accidentally triggered Emergency SOS, and now you're pretty sure the police are on their way to apprehend you for... checks notes lint-related crimes?
Fear not, fellow fumbler! Here's your guide to canceling an iPhone emergency call before you end up in a high-speed chase with a squad car, all because you wanted to check the weather.
The Great Escape: Stopping the Siren Song (Before it Starts)
There are two main ways to activate Emergency SOS on your iPhone, and thankfully, there are ways to stop them both in their tracks:
The Button Masher: Ever feel like you're in a thumb war with your phone? This is how you might accidentally trigger Emergency SOS. If you have an iPhone 8 or later, frantically pressing the side button and volume button together for a few seconds will initiate the SOS countdown. The key here is to be gentle. Simply release both buttons before the countdown finishes, and you'll be safe from the siren song.
The Five-Alarm Frenzy: For some iPhone models (especially the older ones), Emergency SOS can also be triggered by rapidly pressing the side button five times in a row. If you have a tendency to get a little too enthusiastic with the button mashing, you can disable this feature altogether in your settings. We'll get to that in a sec.
Disarming Your Device: Taking Control of Emergency SOS
So, you've narrowly avoided an emergency services intervention. Now, how do you make sure it doesn't happen again? Let's head into your iPhone's settings and turn off that over-eager Emergency SOS:
- Open Settings.
- Scroll down and tap Emergency SOS.
- You'll see two options: Call with Hold and Release and Call with 5 Button Presses.
- To disable them, simply toggle the switches to the OFF position.
Remember: Disabling Emergency SOS entirely isn't recommended. It's a lifesaver in genuine emergencies! This way, you just make sure it activates only when you truly need it.
Bonus Tip: If you have an iPhone 14 or later, there's a new feature called Call After Severe Crash. This can automatically call emergency services if your phone detects a serious accident. You can disable this option in the same Emergency SOS settings menu.
Frequently Asked Questions (Because We Know You'll Ask):
How to silence the Emergency SOS siren?
Unfortunately, once the countdown starts, there's no way to silence the siren itself. However, you can still cancel the call by following the steps mentioned above.
How to know if my iPhone model has Emergency SOS?
All iPhones since iPhone 8 have Emergency SOS functionality.
How to set up emergency contacts on my iPhone?
This is a great way to ensure help arrives quickly in a real emergency. You can set up emergency contacts through the Health app on your iPhone.
How to use Emergency SOS if I actually need it?
If you're in a genuine emergency, simply follow the instructions on your iPhone screen after activating Emergency SOS. This will typically involve holding down the side button and volume button together or swiping the SOS slider on the screen.
How to make sure my phone doesn't call the emergency services because of my cat?
We've all been there. Maybe invest in a more cat-proof phone case?
