Get help in an emergency using your Pixel phone
You can use your Pixel phone to save and share your emergency info. In some countries and with some carriers, your phone can contact emergency services automatically.
Prepare for an emergency
You can add a link to personal emergency info to your phone's lock screen. For example, you can add info that would help first responders in an emergency, like your blood type, allergies, and medications.
Important: Anyone who picks up your phone can view your message and emergency info without unlocking your phone.
- On your Pixel 4, open the Safety app
.
- If asked, sign in to your Google Account.
- To add medical info: Tap Settings
Medical information.
- To enter info like your allergies or medications, tap an item in the list.
- To add an emergency contact: Tap Settings
Emergency contacts
Add contact
one of your contacts.
Tips:
- To show your emergency info when your screen is locked, tap Show when device is locked
Show when locked.
- Set up a SIM card or eSIM with your phone. Otherwise, your phone can’t text your emergency contact later. Learn how to insert a SIM card.
You can add a link to personal emergency info to your phone's lock screen. For example, you can add info that would help first responders in an emergency, like your blood type, allergies, and medications.
Important: Anyone who picks up your phone can view your message and emergency info without unlocking your phone.
- Open your phone's Settings app.
- Tap About phone
Emergency information.
- Enter the info that you want to share.
- For medical info, tap Edit information. If you don't see "Edit information," tap Info.
- For emergency contacts, tap Add contact. If you don't see "Add contact," tap Contacts.
- To clear your info, tap More
Clear all.
If your Pixel 4 determines you’ve been in a severe car crash, it can help call emergency services automatically, like 911 in the US, and share your location. Learn more about how car crash detection works.
Car crash detection is available in the United States and in English only.
- If you haven’t yet, add a SIM to your Pixel 4. Learn how to add a SIM.
- Open the Safety app
.
- Tap Settings
.
- Under “Driving,” tap Car crash detection.
- Turn on Car crash detection.
- When asked to share your location, tap Allow all the time.
- When asked to share your microphone and physical activity, tap Allow.
You can add a line of text to your lock screen, like info that would help someone return your phone if you lost it.
- Open your phone's Settings app.
- Tap Display
Advanced
Lock screen display
Lock screen message.
- Enter your message.
- Tap Save.
Tip: You can change your emergency alert settings, like for AMBER alerts and threat notifications.
- Open your phone's Settings app.
- Tap Apps & notifications
Advanced
Emergency alerts.
Get help during an emergency
Important: Car crash detection doesn’t work in Airplane mode, or when Battery Saver is on.
If your phone determines you got in a severe car crash, and if you turned on car crash detection previously:
- Your phone will vibrate, ring loudly, and ask if you need help, both aloud and on your phone screen.
- Respond within 60 seconds:
- To call emergency services: Say “Emergency” or tap the emergency button twice. Your phone will turn on speakerphone automatically. Learn more about emergency calling.
- To not call: Say “Cancel” or tap I am ok. Your phone won’t make an emergency call.
- If you don’t respond: Your phone will automatically turn on speakerphone, try to call emergency services, say that a car crash happened, and share your device’s approximate location.
The message will repeat, but you can speak over it. To stop the message and stay on the call, tap Cancel. Learn more about emergency calling.
- On your Pixel phone, open the Safety app
.
- Tap Start message.
- Enter your message.
- Choose which emergency contact you want to message.
- Tap Send. Your phone will send your contact an SMS text message with your message and location.
- On a locked screen, swipe up.
- Tap Emergency
Emergency information.
- When Emergency information flashes, tap it again.
To help first responders find you quickly, dial an emergency number. For example, dial:
- 911 in the US
- 112 in Europe
If Android Emergency Location Service (ELS) works in your country and on your mobile network, and you haven't turned off ELS, your phone will automatically send its location using ELS.
Turn Emergency Location Service on or off
You can turn emergency location services on or off at any time.
- Open your device’s Settings app.
- Tap Location
Advanced
Emergency Location Service.
- Turn Emergency Location Service on or off.
Understand how Pixel uses your info in emergencies
Your Pixel 4 can use information such as your phone’s location, motion sensors, and nearby sounds to detect a possible severe car crash. Car crash detection requires location, physical activity, and microphone permissions to work. Learn how to manage your Pixel phone’s permissions.
Your Pixel phone might not be able to call emergency services in some cases, including when your phone is connected to a weak or unreliable mobile network, in an ongoing call, or in an area with less reliable mobile networks. Your phone may not be able to detect all crashes. High impact activities could trigger calls to emergency services.
Your phone uses ELS only when you call or text an emergency number.
During your emergency call, ELS may use Google Location Services and other information to obtain the most accurate location possible for the device.
Your phone sends the location to authorized emergency partners for the purpose of helping emergency services locate you. Your location is sent directly from your phone to emergency partners, not through Google.
After a completed emergency call or text during which ELS was active, your phone sends usage and analytics data to Google for the purpose of analyzing how well ELS is working. This information doesn't identify you and Google doesn't use it to identify you.
Note: Sending your location with ELS is different from sharing it via Google Maps. Learn about Location Sharing with Google Maps.