Little-known iPhone hack that could save your life

The Hidden Lifesaver: Medical ID

Tucked away inside your iPhone’s Health app is a feature called Medical ID — a digital emergency card that first responders can access even if your phone is locked.

If you’re ever in an accident or medical emergency and unable to communicate, this feature gives paramedics critical information like:

• Your name and age
• Emergency contacts
• Allergies and medical conditions
• Blood type and medications
• Any other vital notes (like being diabetic or having a pacemaker)

It’s a small detail that could save your life by helping medical teams make faster, safer decisions.

How to Set It Up (Takes Less Than 2 Minutes)

Here’s how to activate your iPhone’s built-in Medical ID:

1. Open the Health app.
2. Tap your profile icon in the top right corner.
3. Select Medical ID → Get Started.
4. Fill in your important details — name, date of birth, allergies, conditions, medications, and emergency contacts.
5. Turn on “Show When Locked.” This ensures your Medical ID can be viewed without unlocking your phone.

That’s it! Your emergency info is now ready to be accessed when it matters most.

How First Responders Access It

If you ever find yourself in an emergency, responders can quickly access your Medical ID by:

• Swiping up (or pressing the side button) to bring up the lock screen,
• Selecting Emergency, then tapping Medical ID.

They’ll instantly see your critical medical details — no password required.

Bonus Tip: Use Emergency SOS

Another life-saving iPhone feature is Emergency SOS, which lets you call emergency services instantly without even unlocking your phone.

Here’s how it works:

• On iPhone 8 or newer: Press and hold the side button and either volume button until the Emergency SOS slider appears.
• Keep holding, and your phone will automatically dial local emergency services.
• It can also send your location to your emergency contacts after the call.

You can enable or customize this in Settings → Emergency SOS.