How to turn off Emergency SOS on iPhone (stop accidental calls)

What Emergency SOS does

Emergency SOS is a set of shortcuts that call 911 (or the local emergency number) quickly, even when the iPhone is locked. After the call, it texts your emergency contacts with your location. The shortcuts are designed to be fast under stress, which is why they are also easy to trigger by accident in a pocket, a bag or when a toddler plays with your phone.

How to turn off Emergency SOS on iPhone: each setting explained

Open Settings and scroll to Emergency SOS. You will see these switches, depending on your model and iOS version:

• Call with Hold and Release: holding the side button and a volume button starts a countdown, then calls 911 when you let go. This is the most common cause of accidental calls.
• Call with 5 Button Presses: pressing the side button five times quickly starts the countdown. Some people trigger it when they press the button repeatedly to wake the phone.
• Call Quietly: turns off the loud warning sound and flashing during the countdown. Leave this off if you want a chance to notice an accidental call.
• Call After Severe Crash: iPhone 14 and later. Calls 911 if it detects a serious car crash and you do not respond.
• Emergency Contacts: opens the Health app to choose who gets notified.

Should you turn off the countdown sound?

The countdown plays a loud siren so you know a call is about to start and can cancel it. Turning on Call Quietly makes accidental calls much harder to catch. It exists for situations where making noise would put someone in danger. For most people, leave the sound on and turn off the shortcut that keeps firing instead.

Crash Detection: off or on?

Crash Detection uses the iPhone's motion sensors, microphone and GPS to spot a severe crash. When it does, it shows an alert and sounds an alarm for about 20 seconds, then calls 911 and plays a message with your location if you do not respond. There have been reports of false alarms on roller coasters and while skiing, which is why some people turn it off. If you drive, it can save your life when you cannot reach your phone, so consider leaving it on and canceling false alerts when they happen.

Turn off SOS on Apple Watch

Apple Watch has its own SOS shortcut: holding the side button. To stop accidental calls, open the Watch app on iPhone, tap Emergency SOS and turn off Hold Side Button. On the watch you can find the same option in Settings › SOS. Fall Detection is set separately in the same menu. It is on by default for people 55 and older.

Why accidental SOS calls happen

• Taking a screenshot with the side and volume up buttons, and holding too long.
• A tight pocket or bag pressing the buttons together.
• A case with stiff or raised buttons.
• Pressing the side button many times to wake a frozen phone.
• Children holding the phone.
• Turning the phone off, since the power off screen also shows the Emergency Call slider.

What to do after an accidental 911 call

If the call connects, stay on the line. Tell the dispatcher it was an accident and you are fine. Hanging up often means they call back, and in some areas police may be sent to check. Accidental calls are common and you will not get in trouble for one, but staying on the line saves everyone time.

Your emergency contacts may also get a text saying you called emergency services. When the call ends, the iPhone shows an option to cancel those messages. If they already went out, message your contacts to say you are safe. The iPhone may keep sharing your location with them for a while; tap the notification to stop it.

You cannot remove the Emergency slider

Even with every shortcut off, the Emergency Call slider still appears on the power off screen, and the Emergency button stays on the lock screen. Apple does not allow these to be removed, so anyone can always call for help. Dragging a slider is a deliberate action, so it rarely causes accidental calls.

SOS in the status bar is something else

If you see SOS or SOS only at the top of your screen, that is not this feature. It means your iPhone has no service from your carrier and can only make emergency calls. Turning off Emergency SOS will not remove it. See why your phone says SOS for the fixes.

Setting it up for a child or an older relative

For young children who play with the phone, turning off both shortcuts stops most accidental calls. For an older relative living alone, think twice. The five press and hold shortcuts, plus Fall Detection on a Watch, can be the fastest way for them to get help. A better fix may be a case with firmer buttons, or practicing how to cancel the countdown. Show them the Emergency button on the lock screen either way.

Turning it back on

Go back to Settings › Emergency SOS and turn the switches on. Nothing else needs to be set up, as long as your emergency contacts are still in your Medical ID. For a full guide to calling for help, see how to make an emergency call on iPhone.

Turn off SOS on older iPhones

On iPhone 7 and earlier, Emergency SOS works by pressing the side or top button five times. In Settings › Emergency SOS, turn off Auto Call (named Call with Side Button on some versions). Pressing five times will then show the slider without calling on its own. These models do not have Crash Detection or the hold and release shortcut.

Stop accidental screenshots too

Since screenshots use the same buttons, many people who trigger SOS by mistake are actually trying to take a screenshot. Press both buttons and let go at once instead of holding them. You can also take screenshots without buttons: turn on Back Tap in Settings › Accessibility › Touch › Back Tap and set Double Tap to Screenshot. Then tap the back of the iPhone twice.

Is it safe to turn off Emergency SOS?

It is safe in the sense that you can still always call 911 from the lock screen or the slider. What you lose is speed. In a situation where you cannot unlock or look at the screen, such as a car crash, an attack or a medical problem, the button shortcuts help. If accidental calls are rare, turning off only one shortcut (usually Hold and Release) is a good middle ground. Keep Call with 5 Button Presses on, since it is hard to trigger by accident.

Keep your emergency contacts up to date

Whatever you decide about the shortcuts, check your emergency contacts once a year in the Health app under Medical ID. If a contact changes number, the alert after an SOS call goes nowhere. Turn on Show When Locked so first responders can see your Medical ID without unlocking the phone.

Emergency SOS via satellite

On iPhone 14 and later, satellite texting to emergency services only starts when you call 911 and the call fails because there is no coverage. There is no switch to turn it off, and it never starts by itself. It does not cause accidental calls.

Pick the settings that fit how you carry and use your phone, and review them again if you change cases or start driving more.