How To Set Emergency Contact on Android

Setting an emergency contact on your Android device has many benefits. Think of that unfortunate moment when you’re involved in an accident, and a first responder needs to contact your next of kin, but your phone is locked with a password, pin, or pattern. Also, you might misplace your phone, and when someone finds it, there’s no way to contact you or someone close to you. In these and other circumstances, having an emergency contact on the locked screen is beneficial, and that’s why you need to know how to set it. 

We’ve covered all of these methods below. Read on and choose the best method for you based on the version your device is running. 

5 Methods To Set Emergency Contact on Android

Method #1: Settings App

The Settings app is one easy way to set ICE information or emergency contact on your Android device. Follow these steps:

1. Tap the “Settings” app.
2. Scroll down to “Settings.”
3. Tap on the “Emergency Rescue” or “Emergency SOS.”
4. Find and click on the “Emergency Information” option.
5. Enter your details such as name, address, blood type, etc. 
6. Tap on “Contacts” and set an emergency contact. 
7. While on this page, you can set the power button as an SOS signal. Define other SOS actions, such as sharing locations with emergency contacts.
8. If asked, allow access to your device’s location to activate the emergency features. 

Alternatively:

1. Open the “Settings” app.
2. Search “Emergency Contacts” in the search bar on top of the screen.
3. Click on “Emergency Contacts” once it appears in the search results.
4. Tap on the “Edit Information” option.
5. Enter your details.
6. Tap on the arrow pointing left on the top-left corner of the screen to go back to the previous screen. 
7. Click on “Add Contacts,” and you’ll see a list of apps from which you can add an emergency contact.
8. Tap “Contacts” and choose an emergency contact.

Alternatively:

1. Tap the “Settings” app.
2. Scroll down and tap on “About Phone.”
3. Click on “Emergency Information” and enter the details you want to display.
4. For medical information, click “Edit Information.” Tap “Info” if you can’t find it.
5. Click “Add Contact” to add an emergency contact. If you can’t find “Add Contact,” click on “Contacts.”

Method #2: Contacts App

You can also set an emergency contact from the Contact app if your phone is running one of the newest Android versions. Here’s what to do:

1. Tap the “Contacts” app.
2. Click on the menu (which looks like three horizontal lines on the top-left corner of your screen).
3. Tap “Emergency Contacts” below “Groups” in the menu.
4. Click the plus (+) icon in the bottom-right corner to add new contacts.
5. Choose the emergency contact and tap “Save.”

Alternatively:

1. Tap the “Groups” tab.
2. Choose the “ICE – Emergency Contacts” option.
3. Tap on “Find Contacts” with a plus (+) on the right to add an emergency contact.

You can add another contact if you want, and all these contacts will be available in this group from the lock screen. 

Method #3: Set From the Screen Lock

You can also set an emergency contact on your Android right from the screen lock if you’re unable to do it using the methods above. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Press the power button on your phone once.
2. Swipe up to unlock the screen.
3. Don’t enter the password or pin to unlock the phone first. Instead, click on “Emergency.”
4. Tap on the “Emergency Information” button on top of the screen. 
5. You might need to tap it twice to open it.
6. Tap on the editing button on the top-right corner of the screen to edit “Emergency Information.”
7. Now enter your PIN (Password or Pattern) to unlock the screen.
8. Edit all the details – name, address, blood type, allergies, etc. 
9. Swipe the screen right or tap on “Contacts” to edit contacts.
10. Click on the “Add Contact” button with a plus (+) sign.
11. Choose the contact you wish to add as an emergency contact.

You can add a couple if you want or up to five contacts if you want and edit the “Info” section accordingly. Once you’ve done that, anyone can access this info without having to unlock the screen. 

Method #4: Screen Lock Message

Another option to set an emergency contact on your Android phone is to include the ICE information on the lock screen. Android OS allows you to put any text you want on the lock screen. Here’s what to do:

1. Open the “Settings” app.
2. Click on the “Security & Location” or “Screen Lock & Password” option (depending on the Android version your phone is running).
3. Tap “Settings” next to “Screen Lock.” If you followed the “Screen Lock & Password” option, tap on the “Lock Screen Signature.”
4. Click on the “Lock Screen Message.”
5. Enter the ICE info you want to display and click “Save.” 

Method #5: Screenshot As Lock Screen Wallpaper

Don’t worry if you can’t find a way to set the ICE information on your phone’s Contact or Setting App. Here’s a reliable workaround for you – it involves setting a custom lock screen image showing the essential information in case of an emergency. Follow these steps:

1. Open a note-taking app on your Android phone.
2. Type the emergency information you wish to display. 
3. Take a screenshot of this text.
4. Set it as your lock screen wallpaper. 

Ensure you consider other information that displays on your screen by default, such as time and data. Customize your image accordingly to ensure it fits well on the screen, and all the details are visible. That’s it!

Summary

It’s as easy as ABC to set an emergency contact on your Android device. We’ve covered five methods to go about that above. These include using the Settings app, Contacts app, setting screen lock message, or custom screen lock wallpaper. We hope you’ve found one method that works for your particular Android device. 

We’ve also mentioned that you can only set an emergency contact that’s already in your phonebook. When you delete or edit contacts on your phonebook, you must also update the emergency contacts.