If you have accidentally triggered the Emergency SOS feature or want to disable it for any reason, you may be wondering how to turn off SOS on your iPhone. Apple’s Emergency SOS feature is meant to save critical time reaching emergency services and contacts. In fact, devices in the iPhone 14 lineup and later can even send alerts via satellite.
However, if the feature is always triggered accidentally, say via Crash Detection, children, or your pocket, you can disable it (almost) entirely.
The iPhone’s Emergency SOS feature can be activated by pressing the side button or the volume button repeatedly. This feature is designed to quickly call emergency services in case of an emergency.
Fortunately, turning off the Emergency SOS feature on your iPhone is a simple process. You can do it directly from your iPhone’s settings.
What is SOS on iPhone?
SOS stands for “Save Our Souls” or “Save Our Ship.” It is a feature that allows you to quickly call for help in an emergency situation.
When you activate SOS on your iPhone, it automatically calls the local emergency services number and sends a message to your emergency contacts. This lets them know that you need help.
The SOS feature is especially useful if you find yourself in a dangerous situation and need to call for help quickly. It is also helpful if you’re in an area with poor cell reception and need to call for help.
The feature is available on all iPhones running iOS 11 or later, and it is easy to use.
How to use SOS on iPhone
When you make a call with SOS, your iPhone will call the local emergency number automatically and share your location information with the emergency services. In some countries and regions, you may need to choose the service that you need. For example, in China mainland, you can choose police, fire, or ambulance.
When SOS appears in your iPhone status bar, it means a mobile network is available for emergency calls.
You can also add emergency contacts. After an emergency call has ended, your iPhone can alert your emergency contacts with a text message, unless you choose to cancel this option. Your iPhone will send your current location, and for a period of time after entering SOS mode, your emergency contacts will receive updates when your location changes.
On iPhone 14, you can even use Emergency SOS via satellite to text the emergency services when no mobile and Wi-Fi coverage is available.
Make the call on iPhone 8 or later:
- Press and hold the side button and one of the volume buttons until the Emergency SOS slider appears.
- Drag the Emergency Call slider to call the emergency services. If you continue to hold down the side button and volume button, instead of dragging the slider, a countdown will start and an alert will sound. If you release the buttons after the countdown, your iPhone will call the emergency services automatically.
Make the call on iPhone 7 or earlier:
- Press the side (or top) button five times rapidly. The Emergency Call slider will appear.
- Drag the Emergency SOS slider to call the emergency services.
After the call has ended, your iPhone will send your emergency contacts a text message with your current location, unless you choose to cancel. If Location Services is turned off, it will turn on temporarily. If your location changes, your contacts will get an update and you’ll receive a notification about 10 minutes later.
On iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models, your phone can call the emergency services and send a message to your emergency contacts when a severe car crash is detected.
How to turn off SOS on iPhone
If you find the Emergency SOS feature on your iPhone to be more of a nuisance than a help, you can easily turn it off.
Follow these simple steps:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Scroll down and tap the Emergency SOS option.
- Toggle off the Auto Call option. This will prevent your iPhone from automatically calling emergency services when you press the side button five times in quick succession.
You can also toggle off the Call with Side Button option if you don’t want to accidentally trigger the Emergency SOS feature when you’re trying to turn off your iPhone or take a screenshot.
It’s important to note that even if you turn off the Auto Call option, you can still use the Emergency SOS feature manually by swiping right on the Lock screen and tapping the Emergency SOS button.
Why turn off SOS on iPhone
While the SOS feature can be a lifesaver in certain situations, it can also be a nuisance if you accidentally trigger it or if it goes off when you don’t need it.
Here are a few reasons why you might want to turn off SOS on your iPhone:
- You keep accidentally triggering the feature: If you find that you keep accidentally triggering the SOS feature on your iPhone, you might want to turn it off to avoid any false alarms.
- You don’t want to call emergency services by mistake: If you have the Auto Call feature turned on, your iPhone will automatically call emergency services if you press and hold the side button and volume button. If you don’t want to risk accidentally calling emergency services, you might want to turn off the feature.
- You want to use the side button for other functions: If you find that the side button on your iPhone is too sensitive and keeps triggering the SOS feature, you might want to turn it off so that you can use the button for other functions.
Turning off the SOS feature on your iPhone is easy and can help prevent any accidental calls to emergency services.
Other ways to disable SOS on iPhone
Using Siri
If you prefer using voice commands, you can also disable SOS on your iPhone using Siri. Here’s how:
- Activate Siri by pressing and holding the Side button or saying “Hey Siri”.
- Say “Turn off Emergency SOS” or “Disable Emergency SOS”.
- Siri will confirm that Emergency SOS has been turned off.
Through the Control Center
If you don’t want to go through the Settings app to turn off SOS, you can also do it through the Control Center. Here’s how:
- Swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen to open Control Center.
- Press and hold the Emergency SOS button until the Emergency SOS slider appears.
- Slide the Emergency SOS slider to the left to turn it off.
It’s important to note that disabling Emergency SOS on your iPhone means that you won’t be able to use it in case of an emergency.
So, make sure you’re comfortable with turning it off before doing so.
Additionally, if you’re in a situation where you need to call emergency services, you can still do so by dialing 911 or your local emergency number directly.
What “SOS only” means on an iPhone
If you’re seeing “SOS” or “SOS only” in your iPhone’s status bar, that means regular cellular service is unavailable. You may however be able to make calls to emergency numbers like 911, or — if you have an iPhone 14 or better — send satellite alerts. If nearby Wi-Fi is working, you can use that too if you have the right login info.
Typically the only way to fix the situation is by walking, riding, or driving to a place with better cellular coverage. If you’re in a spot that should have a decent signal, however, there are a few other things you can try (in no particular order):
- Go to Settings > Cellular and toggle Cellular Data off for 10 seconds, then back on again.
- If you’re traveling, go to Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options and make sure Data Roaming is enabled, at least if you’re not worried about roaming fees.
- If you’re still using a physical SIM card instead of an eSIM, try popping it out, checking for damage, and putting it back in if it’s okay.
- Restart your iPhone.
Why is my phone stuck in emergency mode?
A phone that’s stuck in emergency mode can be a real pain. The phone won’t charge, won’t turn on, won’t shut down, and may just display an “emergency” graphic. After powering down the phone and turning it back on, the phone may still display the emergency logo and no cellular network.
If you notice the emergency calls-only option on your screen, it might be due to some sort of issue with your cell phone carrier or due to some kind of software problem. This error also might show up if you haven’t paid your cell phone bill.
However, the most common reason for this issue is incorrectly inserting the SIM card, a minor software glitch, or an incompatible network mode. Here are ways to fix it;
Reinsert your SIM card into your phone
This is one of the most common reasons for seeing the emergency calls only error. You can easily fix this issue by setting the SIM card in the correct position.
Try changing the network mode
Almost all Android phones nowadays come with multiple network modes to choose from. It could be due to your service provider not supporting the current network mode you’re on. You can try switching from 5G to 4G, 4G to 3G, and so on.
To do this, unlock your phone and head to the settings application. Click on Wifi & Network and select SIM and Network. Click on the Preferred network type and choose an alternated network mode.
Change the network provider manually
If the above-mentioned method does not solve your issue, you can try manually selecting a network provider. Usually, your Android device chooses the network to connect to automatically. However, if your phone says emergency calls only, you can try switching to a different network altogether. To do this, follow the steps provided below.
- Power on and unlock your phone.
- Head over to the settings application and open the Wi-Fi & Networks tab.
- Click on SIM & Network and choose the SIM you want to edit.
- Click on Network operators and deselect the Choose automatically option.
- Select an alternate provider from the list and wait until it connects.
Resetting your phone’s network settings
If none of the solutions above work for you, you can try resetting the network settings of your Android phone. To do this, simply unlock your phone and head to the settings application. Go to system settings, and click on Backup and reset. Select reset and click on Reset network settings. Verify with your screen lock, and your settings will be reset.
Restart your phone
You can try powering your phone off and then on again to see if that resolves the issue with the Emergency Mode. Simply press the power key to turn the phone off, wait a minute, and then turn it back on. If the phone still remains in Emergency Mode after this, some devices with non-removable batteries offer a simulated battery pull as an alternative method to try. This can sometimes fix stubborn issues like this.
To perform a simulated battery pull, you may need to refer to the documentation for your specific phone model.
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