Get help in an emergency using your Pixel phone

Use the Personal Safety app to save and share your emergency information. Your phone can contact emergency services automatically in some countries and with certain carriers.

Important: Some of these steps work only on Android 13 and up. Learn how to check your Android version.

Prepare for an emergency

Important: Anyone who picks up your phone can view your lock screen message and emergency information with your phone locked. You can turn off this setting in the Safety app.

Use the Personal Safety app

The Safety app is available on all Pixel phones and will be downloaded automatically on Pixel 4 and later. The app will show as the Personal Safety app in the Play Store and in Settings. But in your list of apps, it only shows as the Safety app.

Tip: To remove the Safety app from your list of apps, you can disable it. Learn more about how to disable apps that came with your Pixel phone.

Add the Safety app on a Pixel 3a or earlier

1. Check that you have the latest Android software. Learn how to check your Android version.
2. Go to Settings About phone.
3. Tap Emergency information.
4. In the banner at the top of the screen, tap Update.

If you don’t notice the banner, check if the Safety app is already on your phone and that it’s updated to the latest version in the Play Store.

What you can do

• On Pixel 3a and earlier, even if you haven't added the safety app to your phone: You can sign in with your Google Account, add emergency contacts, and list medical information.
• When the Safety app is installed: You can use Emergency SOS, emergency sharing, safety check, crisis alerts, and car crash detection. Car crash detection is available on Pixel 3 and later only.

What you need

The Safety app requires Location Services and permissions to be turned on. Location sharing is only available in certain countries and for some user types. Learn more about location sharing.

You can share your real-time location with others from your devices through location sharing. When you share your location with someone, that person can view your name, photo, and real-time location across Google products, including Google Maps. Your shared location information could include:

• Your current or previous locations.
• Your current activities, like driving or walking.
• Your device specifics, like battery life or GPS connections.
• Your call status, like “started a call” or “called local emergency number.”
• Your places, like home, work, or destinations.

Add emergency info to the Personal Safety app

You can add personal emergency info to your phone's lock screen, like your blood type, allergies, and medications.

1. Open your phone's Safety app  .
2. If asked, sign in to your Google Account.
3. Tap Settings .
4. Add your emergency information.
   • For Medical information:
     • Tap Medical information.
     • To add information like allergies or medications, tap the item in the list you'd like to update.
   • For Emergency contacts:
     • Tap Settings   Emergency contacts Add contact  Tap on the existing contact you would like to add.

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.
• If you don't have the Safety app on you phone, learn how to add the app.

Turn on car crash detection

If your phone detects you’ve been in a severe car crash, it can call emergency services automatically, like 911 in the US, and share your location. Learn more about how car crash detection works.

Important: On Pixel 3, 4, and later car crash detection is available in English, French, French (Canada), Italian, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, and Spanish in Australia, Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, the UK and the US.

1. If you haven’t yet, add a SIM to your phone. Learn how to add a SIM. 
2. Open the Safety app  .
3. Tap Settings  .
4. Under “Detection & alerts,” tap Car crash detection.
5. Turn on Car crash detection.
   • When asked to share your location, tap Allow while app is in use. 
   • When asked to share your microphone and physical activity, tap Allow.

How car crash detection works

Your Pixel 3, 4, and later can use information like 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. If your phone determines you got in a severe car crash and calls emergency services, your approximate location and car crash data may be transmitted to emergency services by Android’s Emergency Location Service. Learn how to manage your Pixel phone’s permissions.

Your phone may not be able to detect all crashes. High impact activities could also trigger calls to emergency services. Your Pixel phone might not be able to call emergency services in some cases, like when your phone is connected to a weak mobile network or in an ongoing call.

Turn Emergency SOS on or off

If you’re in an emergency situation, you can use your phone to trigger emergency actions like calling for help, alerting your contacts of your location, and recording video.

Important:

• Emergency SOS doesn’t work in airplane mode or when Battery Saver is on.
• Emergency SOS is available on Pixel 3 and later in the US, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Ireland, Taiwan, Singapore, Australia, Japan, Spain, and Italy.

Turn Emergency SOS on or off

1. If you haven’t yet, add a SIM to your phone. Learn how to add a SIM.
2. Open your phone’s Settings app.
3. Tap Safety & emergency Emergency SOS.
4. Turn on Use Emergency SOS.
   • You can also turn on Play alarm sound to play a loud sound when Emergency SOS is starting.
5. Decide which emergency actions should trigger when you use Emergency SOS. Turn on the actions you want to use:
   • Call emergency services: Dial local emergency number. For regions with more than one emergency number, the police number is the default. To change which number is dialed, tap Number to call. Then, enter a new number and tap Save.
   • Share info with emergency contacts: Share real-time location and updates with emergency contacts. Learn more about emergency sharing.
   • Record emergency video: Record video to share with emergency contacts or save and back up.
     • Auto share: After backup, you can automatically share a link to download your video with emergency contacts. You’ll have the option to cancel sharing when you’re done recording.

Turn Emergency SOS off

1. Open your phone's Settings app.
2. Tap Settings Safety & Emergency Emergency SOS.
3. Turn off Use Emergency SOS.

Put a message on your lock screen

1. Open your phone's Settings app.
2. Tap Display  Lock screen  Add text on lock screen.
3. Enter your message, like info that would help someone return your phone if you lost it.
4. Tap Save.

Control emergency broadcast notifications

You can use this setting to manage certain emergency messages, like disaster warnings, threat notifications, and AMBER alerts.

You can turn alert types on or off, find past alerts, and control sound and vibration.

1. On your phone, open the Settings app.
2. Tap Notifications  Wireless emergency alerts.
3. Choose how often you want to receive alerts and which settings you want to turn on.

Get help during an emergency

Get help after a car crash (Pixel 3, 4 & later only)

Important: Car crash detection doesn’t work in Airplane mode, or when Battery Saver is on. Car crash detection only works in the country of your phone's SIM, not when roaming.

If your phone determines you got in a severe car crash, and if you turned on car crash detection previously:

1. Your phone will vibrate, ring loudly, and ask if you need help, both aloud and on your phone screen.
2. 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 cancel the 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.

Use Emergency SOS to call for help, alert your contacts, & record video

Important: Emergency SOS doesn’t work in airplane mode or when Battery Saver is on.

If you’re in an emergency situation, you can use your phone to trigger emergency actions like calling for help, alerting your contacts of your location, and recording video.

1. On your phone, press the power button 5 times or more.
2. A 5 second countdown begins before emergency actions are started. If you triggered Emergency SOS by mistake, you can cancel the emergency actions during the countdown.
3. After the 5 second countdown, emergency actions are started depending on your settings. If you turned on emergency sharing and video recording, these actions can be started while your call is placed to emergency services. Learn more about recording video in an emergency.

Record video in an emergency

How emergency recording works

With emergency recording, you can still use your phone to do other tasks like share your location with emergency contacts and get help from local emergency services.

Note: If you open another app that uses your camera, emergency recording will be paused. When emergency recording is paused, your recording will show a grey screen. To go back to your emergency recording, open the Safety app again or tap the notification at the top of your screen.

Emergency recording can record and save video up to 45 minutes. The quality of the video is about 10 MB per minute.

How auto share works

If you turn on auto share, a link to your video will be automatically shared with all of your Emergency Contacts after each recording. If you don’t have Emergency Contacts set up, your video will not be shared with anyone. If you decide you don’t want to share the video, you have 15 seconds after recording to cancel sharing. Sharing is dependent on your internet connection and there may be a gap between when your recording is finished and when video is uploaded and shared. Any emergency contact you share with can download a copy of your video.

There can only be one sharing link active per video at a given time. Each link created has a 7 day expiration timer that is meant to protect your privacy. You can deactivate a link at any time. To refresh the expiration timer, deactivate the existing link and create a new link. To deactivate a sharing link:

1. Open the Personal Safety app.
2. At the top left, tap Settings  Your videos.
3. Next to a video, tap More Delete Delete.

Emergency Recording is intended for personal use in emergency situations to keep you safe. Google will automatically disable an active shared link if it’s being shared excessively. Excessive sharing is defined as more than 120 visits to the unique sharing link.

How auto backup works

Emergency Recordings are automatically uploaded to the cloud to help prevent data loss if your phone is lost or destroyed during the emergency situation. Uploading to the cloud requires an internet connection and may cost money if you are on a metered network. Uploaded emergency recordings can be managed any time with internet connection. To manage your videos:

1. Open the Safety app.
2. At the top left, tap Settings Your videos.
3. Next to a video, tap More Share or Delete. If you delete a file, it’s permanently deleted from your Google Account and this can’t be undone.

Important: Video recording is designed for you to record emergency situations and related events to improve your personal safety. In addition to our Privacy Policy, when you use the features of our products to record, upload, and/or share video and audio content, such as recordings of an emergency situation, we may log use of the application, sharing with emergency contacts, and video link views/downloads. Recordings of emergency events may be disturbing to your emergency contacts and may cause those persons distress. Please use the video sharing feature carefully. It is your responsibility to ensure full compliance with the law when using this feature, including any applicable state and federal video recording or wiretapping laws. By using this feature, you acknowledge and accept the aforementioned. Learn more about our Terms & Conditions.

Find emergency info

1. On a locked screen, swipe up.
2. Tap Emergency View emergency info.

Send your location automatically

To help responders find you quickly, your phone's location can be sent when you dial or text an emergency number, like when you dial 911 in the US or 112 in Europe.

If Android Emergency Location Service (ELS) works in your country or region and on your mobile network, and you haven't turned ELS off, your phone will automatically send its location to first responders through ELS. If ELS is off, your mobile carrier might still send the device's location during an emergency call or text.

Turn Emergency Location Service on or off

1. On your phone, open the Settings app.
2. Tap Location  Location services  Emergency Location Service or Google Emergency Location Service.
3. Turn Emergency Location Service or Google Emergency Location Service on or off.

How Emergency Location Service works

Your phone uses Emergency Location Service (ELS) only when you call or text an emergency number. 

If your phone has ELS turned on, ELS may use Google Location Services and other info to determine the most accurate location for your phone during an emergency call. ELS may also send additional info, like the language your device is set up with.

To help them locate and assist you, your phone makes this data available to authorized emergency response services. Emergency response services receive this data directly from your phone, not through Google.

After you complete a call or text during which ELS was active, your phone sends usage, analytics, and diagnostics data to Google via Google Play Services to analyze how well ELS works. Google doesn't receive any info that could identify you, including your location.

When you send your location with ELS, the process is different from when you share your location with Google Maps. Learn more about Location Sharing with Google Maps.

Share your location with your emergency contacts

• We are making changes to how you set up and manage your location permission when using Emergency Sharing and Safety Check. Previously, the Personal Safety app used your Google Maps permission for Emergency Sharing and Safety Check. Starting July 12, 2022, you’ll have a new option to start sharing location data in Personal Safety.
• Personal Safety can operate using either set of permissions until September 15, 2022. After this date, you will not be able to use Emergency Sharing and Safety Check until you review and accept the notice for location sharing changes.
• To start using the new location sharing permission:
  1. Open the Personal Safety app .
  2. Review the information on updating your location permission and tap Next or OK.
  3. To grant permission, select While using the app.

You can let your emergency contacts view your location and receive updates about where you are and your battery percentage. You must give the Personal Safety app permission to access your location.

Tip: If location sharing is unavailable in your country, a message will appear in the Safety app.

To use emergency sharing, you need:

• At least one emergency contact.
• To grant the Safety app "While in Use" location permissions.
• An internet connection with Location Services turned on.

Start emergency sharing

1. Open the Safety app  .
2. Tap Emergency sharing.
3. Select who you want to share your real-time location with and add an optional message.
4. Tap Share.
5. Tap the notification banner to view the details of your Emergency sharing.

Stop emergency sharing

1. Open the Safety app  .
2. Tap the emergency sharing information.
3. Tap Stop. You can add a note to explain why you’ve ended the emergency share.

Tip: Emergency sharing will automatically end after 24 hours.

Fix Google Maps location sharing issues

Sometimes, location sharing might not be available because of an issue with Google Maps. Here are some ways to try to fix the problem:

• Update Google Maps in the Play Store
• Force quit Google Maps and restart it
• Open Google Maps and make sure you can start a location share.

Schedule a safety check

• We are making changes to how you set up and manage your location permission when using Emergency Sharing and Safety Check. Previously, the Personal Safety app used your Google Maps permission for Emergency Sharing and Safety Check. Starting July 12, 2022, you’ll have a new option to start sharing location data in Personal Safety.
• Personal Safety can operate using either set of permissions until September 15, 2022. After this date, you will not be able to use Emergency Sharing and Safety Check until you review and accept the notice for location sharing changes.
• To start using the new location sharing permission:
  1. Open the Personal Safety app .
  2. Review the information on updating your location permission and tap Next or OK.
  3. To grant permission, select While using the app.

If you want your phone to check on you and let your emergency contacts know if anything is wrong, you can schedule a safety check. For example, you can use a safety check when you walk in an unfamiliar area or go to a party. You must give "While in Use" location permissions to the Safety app.

1. Open the Safety app  .
2. Tap Safety check.
3. Select your Reason and Duration. You can set the check for 15 minutes to 8 hours into the future.
4. Then, tap Next.
5. Select your contacts.
6. Tap Turn on.

If you turn on notifications for your emergency contacts, they’ll be notified when a safety check is scheduled and has ended.

Mark yourself safe

When it’s time to check in, you’ll get an alert for 60 seconds before emergency sharing begins. If you mark yourself safe, the emergency share will be canceled. You can stop the safety check at any time through the notification. If you don’t choose one of the options within 60 seconds, emergency sharing will begin.

1. When you get the notification, choose one of the options:
   • I’m OK. Don’t Share.
   • Start sharing now. This will end future safety checks.
   • Call 911.
2. If your phone is locked, you may need to unlock it.

If your phone turns off or loses signal, the safety check will remain active and will start an emergency share with your last known location at the scheduled check-in time.

Schedule a safety check | Pixel

How emergency contacts are notified

When an emergency share starts, Google will send the emergency contacts a text with your name, a link to view your real-time location in Google Maps, remaining battery percentage, and a message, if you provided one.

When a safety check starts, if you turn on notifications for your emergency contacts, they’ll get a text with your name, the duration of your safety check, and a reason, if you provided one. Later, if you start an emergency share manually or can’t mark yourself as OK when your phone checks in, Google will share a link to view your real-time location in Google Maps and remaining battery percentage.

Emergency sharing and safety check stop when you stop it or mark yourself safe. When they stop, Google will send another text to your contacts to let them know it ended.

Get crisis alerts

When you opt in to crisis alerts, you’ll be notified in the Safety app about public emergencies or local crises, like natural disasters. Crisis alert notifications include a link to the Safety app’s homepage where you can find extra information about the event.

Crisis alerts are available in all countries and languages. If your phone is set to a different language other than the local language, the alert may show up in the official language of your current location instead of your set language.

Turn crisis alerts on or off

1. Open the Safety app  .
2. Tap Settings   Crisis alerts.
3. Turn Crisis alerts on or off.

How Google sends crisis alerts

Google manages crisis information from official local sources. If a crisis is posted that affects your location, the Safety app will notify you. Google posts crisis alerts based on various factors, like internet connectivity in the affected area, the availability of official content from governments and other authoritative organizations, and the impact on the ground. Alerts are typically available in the primary languages of the affected area and English. Learn more about crisis alerts.

Use Fast Emergency Dialer to contact emergency services

You can quickly dial emergency services while on your phone, even when it’s locked.

Find Fast Emergency Dialer in your:

• Emergency menu

Set up emergency dialer

Choose connection options with emergency services in the Personal Safety app :

• Fast Emergency Dialer (FED) lets you quickly call for help with a swipe on a slider. Emergency numbers for your area are listed automatically.
• Traditional Emergency Dialer (TED) shows a dialpad that you can use to dial emergency numbers.

Pixel phones are set to use FED automatically where it’s available. Learn about FED availability.

Fast Emergency Dialer features

• Quick access: To call an emergency number with one action, use the slider.
• Automatic emergency numbers: Your phone finds emergency numbers automatically, even when you travel.
• Multiple emergency numbers: Your phone finds available numbers for your area, like Police, Fire, or medical services. Use the slider for the emergency service you need.

How to use Fast Emergency Dialer

With long press power (Android 11 and earlier and Android 12 on Pixel 5 and earlier):

1. Hold the Power button for 5 seconds.
2. Tap Emergency.
3. In the emergency menu, use the slider.

With the power and volume buttons (default on Android 12 on Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, and Pixel 6a):

1. Press the Power button and the Volume up button at the same time.
2. Tap Emergency.
3. In the emergency menu, use the slider.

Tip: Learn how to check your Android version.

Fast Emergency Dialer availability

Important: FED isn’t available in all regions or areas. Your carrier and other circumstances can limit FED and its availability, even in covered areas.

When FED isn’t available: Your phone automatically uses TED, which displays a dialpad you can use to dial emergency numbers. When FED isn't available, your emergency dialer settings don’t change.

Make assisted emergency calls 

When you dial an emergency number on a Pixel phone (like 911 in the US), you'll find an "Emergency Number" screen with info and features to help during the emergency.

• Most emergency operators should know these features (you can revert to a normal voice call)
• No internet connection needed
• No set-up needed

Detect location during an emergency

You can read your location from your screen to the emergency operator. Depending what your phone can detect, you could find:

• Full street address
• Plus code (like, "CWC8+JH")
  • Plus codes are an easy way to state longitude and latitude.
  • Emergency operators recognize them.
• Longitude and latitude (like, "37.4216105,-122.0857449")
• Map

Alert an operator silently (select locations)

Important: This feature is available in only Australia, France, Italy, Taiwan, the UK, and the US.

To alert an emergency operator without speaking, tap either Medical, Fire, or Police.
Your phone will stay silent. But the emergency operator will hear:

• That this is an automated voice service
• The kind of help you need
• Your location (Australia, UK, and US only)
• Your name (if available from your set-up Emergency Information or other on-device sources)

Learn how to put emergency info on your lock screen.

Find out about earthquakes in your area

Your phone can detect earthquakes in your area. To learn more about nearby earthquakes, open Google search and search for "earthquake in [your city or region]".

To stop your phone from contributing to earthquake detection, turn off Google Location Accuracy.

Get alerts for nearby earthquakes

California, Oregon & Washington

Your phone can use your approximate location to send you alerts about nearby earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 and above. These earthquake alerts are based on data from ShakeAlert.

Greece & New Zealand

Your phone can use your approximate location to send you alerts about nearby earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 and above. These earthquake alerts are based on the Android Earthquake Alerts System.

Turn earthquake alerts on or off

Important: To get alerts, you must have Wi-Fi or data turned on.

1. Open your phone’s Settings app.
2. Tap Safety & emergency  Earthquake alerts. 
3. Turn Earthquake alerts on or off.

You might not get alerts for all earthquakes in your area. Occasionally, you may get an alert but not feel an earthquake in your location.

Related resources

• Check or change phone security settings
• Remotely find, lock, or erase a lost phone
• Google's privacy policy