> Emergency SOS

Emergency SOS is a method of calling for help when you can’t interact with your iPhone as normal – using its touchscreen or by talking to Siri. It debuted in iOS 10.2, but hasn’t been available in the US until now.

It’s triggered by pressing the Sleep/Wake button five times in quick succession. That reveals a special form of the “Slide to power off” screen with two additional sliders: one that displays your Medical ID (conditions you have and treatments you take, configured in the Health app), and another that calls emergency services.

To use Emergency SOS without touching the screen at all, enable “Auto Call” in Settings > Emergency SOS. This reveals a second option, Countdown Sound, which plays a clearly audible sound during that period and gives you the chance to cancel.

After the call, the feature can message your chosen contacts to inform them of your location, even if Location Services is off.