The technology works by sending important emergency information about the caller entered in the Personal Safety app, such as age, weight, blood type, allergies and more, to a platform called RapidSOS. More than 15,000 911 and field response agencies are connected to RapidSOS, which has supported the transmission of medical identification data from iPhones. since 2020.
If you dial 911 from your phone, there is a possibility that you could be injured or otherwise unable to communicate your situation and information. “This information is available for use prior to dispatch and before first responders arrive,” Baltimore City Fire Department 911 Director Tenea Reddick says in a news release. “It saves a lot of time because we already know what we are responding to and what we need.”
As of 2018, both Android and iPhone devices could already send location data using the RapidSOS system, but on the Android side, only recent Google Pixel phones could send saved medical data through the Personal Safety app. Now, millions of non-Pixel smartphones running Android 12 or later can also send this on your behalf, in addition to displaying it on the lock screen.
Choosing to share emergency data may look different depending on your device. You can enable Emergency SOS by searching for it in Settings > Security & Emergency. From there, you can enable all the security features offered on your device, including the Personal Security app, if available. You will be able to designate more information, such as whether you are an organ donor and your emergency contact information.
