How to Set Up Emergency SOS on Android Before You Ever Need It

Most people find out what their phone can do in an emergency at the worst possible moment, or never. Android’s Emergency SOS feature can call 911, text your location to family and record video, all from a few presses of the power button. It takes about five minutes to set up properly. Do it now, while nothing is wrong.

This guide covers Pixels and other phones running Google’s version of Emergency SOS, plus Samsung Galaxy phones, which use their own menus. You’ll need Android 12 or later.

Set up Emergency SOS on a Pixel or stock Android phone

1. Open Settings and tap Safety & emergency.
2. Tap Emergency SOS, then Start setup.
3. Confirm the emergency number. In the U.S. that’s 911.
4. Add emergency contacts. These are the people who’ll get alerts and your location.
5. Allow location access (“While using the app”) so your location can actually be shared.
6. Decide whether to turn on emergency video recording. It’s optional, but it can capture what’s happening if you can’t speak.
7. Choose how the call starts: either you touch and hold a red button for three seconds, or the phone calls automatically after a five-second countdown.

Once it’s on, pressing the power button five or more times quickly brings up the Emergency SOS screen.

Which activation option should you pick?

This choice matters more than it looks. In 2023, after an Android update changed how the feature worked, 911 centers reported a wave of accidental calls. The National Emergency Number Association said some call centers saw call volumes rise by up to 30% in May and June that year, mostly from this feature. Google responded by turning the automatic countdown off by default, so the phone asks you to confirm before dialing.

Our advice: if your phone often gets jostled in a bag or pocket, stick with touch-and-hold. If you’re setting up a phone for an older parent or someone who might not be able to look at the screen, the automatic countdown is worth the occasional false alarm. You can always cancel during the countdown.

Set up Emergency SOS on a Samsung Galaxy phone

Samsung puts its version in a similarly named menu, but the options are laid out differently.

1. Open Settings and go to Safety and emergency.
2. Open the SOS settings and turn on Send SOS messages.
3. Set whether the phone should auto-call an emergency number.
4. Choose whether to attach photos or audio to the messages your contacts get.
5. Pick the emergency contacts who’ll receive them.
6. Check how many side-key presses trigger SOS. Samsung lets you customize it.

Don’t skip medical info and contacts

Emergency SOS is only half the job. Both Pixels and Galaxy phones have a Medical information page under Safety and emergency where you can add your blood type, allergies and medications. First responders can see it from the lock screen without unlocking your phone. Fill it in, especially if you take anything that matters in an emergency.

While you’re there, double-check your emergency contacts list. Make sure the numbers are current and that the people on it know they’re on it.

Know when it won’t work

Google’s help page lists a few limits worth remembering:

• Emergency SOS won’t work in airplane mode or with Battery Saver turned on.
• Sharing your location with contacts needs an internet connection.
• Car crash detection on supported phones needs an active SIM card.

None of these are reasons to skip setup. They’re reasons to know your phone’s limits before you rely on it.

What’s coming next: hands-free SOS

Google appears to be working on a voice trigger. Android Authority found code in version 2026.09.16 of Google’s Personal Safety app that would let you start an SOS by saying “Help” three times, then confirm with “yes” or dismiss with “cancel.” It’s not live, and Google hasn’t announced it, but it would help in exactly the situations where you can’t reach the power button.

Until then, the five-press shortcut is what you’ve got. Set it up today, then tell the people on your contact list that they might one day get an alert from you. That conversation is part of the setup too.

Sources: Google Android Help, Android Police, NENA, Android Authority. Photo by Kev Costello on Unsplash.