How To Find Someone Else's Medical Emergency Info On Their iPhone

Emergencies can happen to anyone when they least expect it, and believe it or not, your iPhone can help prepare you. Apple allows you to log your emergency medical information onto your iPhone through the Health app, and it only takes a few minutes. But while you may understand how to direct a doctor or first-responder to your own information in an emergency, it's important to know how to find someone else's medical ID on their iPhone, too.

Being able to see someone's emergency medical information all depends on whether or not they set it up correctly. When you go to your Health app, you can edit what's called your "Medical ID," which is located in the bottom right corner of the screen. After you click on it, you can enter information like your emergency contacts, any allergies you might have, medications you're taking, and your blood type. After you do this, it's super important to remember to select "Show When Locked," this is what allows this information to be visible on your lock screen when needed. After selecting "Done," your Medical ID will be updated.

If you ever need to access someone's Medical ID during an emergency, all you would have to do is press the Home button on the screen, select the "Emergency" button that is in the bottom left of the screen, and then and select "Medical ID." This will allow you to see all the information the iPhone owner has chosen to put as their emergency medical info.

The Medical ID is for situations where you might not be able to get to your phone yourself or need to know an unconscious person's medical information. But if you are able to access your phone and call an ambulance or the police during an emergency, there's another feature that might come in handy. Apple released Emergency SOS, which shares your location with emergency services after you call them. This way, they can get to you faster. This feature is easy to access: All you have to do is hold down your side button and a volume button, and slide the Emergency SOS slider that pops up on the screen.

You might be concerned that with all this personal medical information available at the touch of a button, it might be easier for strangers to access this information even when they don't need to. Although there is no hard and fast solution to this, it's not very likely that someone who isn't looking for your medical information will find it. Plus, accessing someone's medical information does not unlock the iPhone itself. The iPhone remains locked while only the Medical ID information becomes visible.

As new updates and version of the iPhone come out, newer ways to stay safe and prepared in case of emergencies are introduced. Still, it's important to remember updates like these don't replace having a written copy of your medical information in your wallet or your pocket at all times. Phones can lose battery and there's a possibility that someone who responds to you during an emergency doesn't know to check your phone. So while the Medical ID on your iPhone can definitely be useful, it should mostly be used as a backup.