Smartphones photos , send messages, read news and much more. But the most important thing is that smartphones can save our lives, as long as we take specific actions. Both Android and iOS have systems that allow us to share our location with other people. The good thing is that these systems are also easy to use. So everyone can share their location with a family member, a relative or a friend. In addition, there is the possibility of checking our loved ones. If we cannot find them, we can request an automatic location update.
What is important for all of us to do is dedicate 2 minutes of our time to setting up our emergency system so that we are prepared in case something happens to us.
iOS (simple process)
For iPhone users, Apple has included an emergency SOS system, which allows for immediate communication with the emergency service provider. All of the contacts the person has selected (for emergencies) are immediately notified.
First you need to set up on your phone which contacts you want to be notified in case of an emergency:
- Open the Health app.
- Click the “Medical ID” tab.
- Click “Edit”. (If you do not have a Medical ID, you will need to obtain one)
- Then go to “Add emergency contact” and add the people you want.
For iPhone 8 or later model follow these steps:
Press and hold the power button and the volume button. An “Emergency SOS” countdown will appear on the phone’s screen. You must hold both buttons until the countdown ends. Your phone will automatically call the appropriate service. Immediately after, the phone will send a text message to your selected contacts indicating your location.
For iPhone 7 or earlier follow these steps:
Press the power button five times quickly. Then, slide your finger to the Emergency SOS slider that appears on the screen. This will initiate the same notification process.
ANDROID (simple process)
Android is quite different from iOS. Also, the setup may be different from phone to phone and depending on the version of Android it is running. However, the basic steps should be the same. First you need to go to the lock screen of your phone. Find the word “Emergency”, which is located at the bottom of the lock screen. Tap on it. Then, tap on “Emergency information” and then on the pencil (symbol) or “Add” (depending on your phone). Enter your PIN code or lock pattern. This process will take you to the Emergency information screen. Here you can write various personal information, which may concern your health, as well as the contacts you want to notify if something happens to you.
Android or iOS (advanced process)
If you want a more reliable setup that allows you to share your location and see the locations of your loved ones without alerting emergency services, you can download Google's Trusted Contacts app for Android or iOS
Log in to the app and add the contacts you want. When you are on the main screen of the app, tap the “Add Contacts” box. Type the names you want to add. If the people you have selected accept your request, they will also have to download the app. This way you will be able to see the other person’s movements and when their phone is in danger of shutting down due to battery.
If you want to use the app to alert someone, you need to go into the app, select the person you want to know your location, and tap “Send location alert now.” If you follow this process, the other person will be able to see your location for 24 hours, unless you tap the “Stop” button.
If you want to ask for someone else's location, you'll need to tap their name in the app and tap the "Ask for [person's] location" button. The app will notify the other person, but if they don't respond within a certain amount of time (5 minutes), their location will automatically be shared with you.
We all hope that we or our loved ones will never find ourselves in an emergency situation, but it's a good idea to take some steps to be prepared for anything.
