Where to Find and Edit Emergency Contacts

Your iPhone stores emergency contacts in the Health app, not in your regular Contacts list. When you call 911 or a first responder accesses your phone during an emergency, they see the people you've listed here. You can change these contacts anytime through Settings, and the process takes about two minutes.

The emergency contacts you set up appear on your lock screen when someone swipes to the Medical ID card. This means paramedics or police can reach your family or doctor without unlocking your phone. You control exactly who sees this information and what details appear alongside their names.

Key Takeaways

  • Emergency contacts live in the Health app under Medical ID, not in your regular Contacts app.
  • You can add up to five emergency contacts and choose what information displays on your lock screen.
  • Changes take effect when ready — there is no waiting period or confirmation step.
  • Your emergency contacts can see your Medical ID information if you allow it, but they cannot change it without your permission.

Step-by-Step: Adding a New Emergency Contact

Open the Health app on your home screen — it has a white icon with a red heart. Tap the profile icon in the top right corner, then select Medical ID. If you have not set up a Medical ID yet, tap Create Medical ID to start.

Scroll down to the Emergency Contacts section. Tap the plus sign (+) next to any empty slot. Your phone will open your Contacts list. Find the person you want to add and tap their name. You can add up to five emergency contacts total. After you select each person, your phone returns to the Medical ID screen automatically.

Once you have added someone, their name appears in the Emergency Contacts list with a relationship label next to it — for example, "Mother" or "Doctor". You can edit this label by tapping Edit in the top right, then tapping the contact name to change how they are listed.

Removing or Replacing an Emergency Contact

To remove someone from your emergency contacts, open Health, tap your profile icon, then Medical ID. Scroll to Emergency Contacts and tap Edit in the top right corner. A red minus sign (-) appears next to each contact. Tap the minus sign next to the person you want to remove, then tap Delete.

To replace a contact without deleting it first, tap Edit, then tap the contact's name. Your Contacts list opens. Select a different person, and the old contact is replaced when ready. You do not need to delete before adding someone new to the same slot.

If you remove all emergency contacts, the Emergency Contacts section disappears from your Medical ID. You can add them back anytime by following the steps above.

Controlling What Shows on Your Lock Screen

By default, your emergency contacts appear on the lock screen when someone swipes to Medical ID. If you want to hide them, open Health, tap your profile icon, then Medical ID. Scroll to the top and toggle off Show on Lock Screen. Your Medical ID information will still exist, but first responders will need to unlock your phone or ask Siri to access it.

You can also choose which specific information displays. In Medical ID, tap Edit and scroll through each section — Emergency Contacts, Medical Conditions, Medications, and so on. Toggle each section on or off individually. For example, you might show your emergency contacts but hide your medication list.

Adding Contact Details Beyond Names

Your Medical ID can include your date of birth, blood type, organ donor status, medical conditions, medications, allergies, and emergency contact information. When you add an emergency contact, their phone number appears automatically from your Contacts app. If that number changes, update it in your regular Contacts app, and the change syncs to your Medical ID.

You cannot add a custom phone number directly in Medical ID — it pulls the number from whoever you have saved in Contacts. If someone has multiple phone numbers stored, the primary number (marked with a home or work label) appears in your Medical ID. To change which number shows, edit that contact in your Contacts app and set a different number as primary.

Syncing Emergency Contacts Across Devices

If you use multiple Apple devices — an iPad, Apple Watch, or Mac — your Medical ID syncs across all of them through iCloud. Any emergency contact you add on your iPhone appears on your Apple Watch within a few minutes. Changes made on one device update on all others automatically, as long as you are signed into the same Apple ID.

Your Apple Watch can display Medical ID on its lock screen independently of your iPhone. You can customize what shows on the watch separately by opening the Health app on the watch itself and editing Medical ID there. This is useful if you want your emergency contacts visible on your wrist but hidden on your phone, or vice versa.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

The most common error is looking for emergency contacts in the regular Contacts app or in Settings. They are only in the Health app under Medical ID. If you cannot find Medical ID, make sure you are in the Health app (the white icon with a red heart), not another app.

Another mistake is adding someone who is not already in your Contacts. You cannot type a name or phone number directly into the emergency contacts field — you must select from people already saved in Contacts. If you want to add someone new, save them to Contacts first, then return to Medical ID and add them.

Do not assume your emergency contacts can see or change your Medical ID. They cannot access it unless you give them permission through iCloud sharing, and even then they can only view it, not edit it. Your Medical ID is controlled only by you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add someone who is not in my Contacts app?

No. You must save the person to your Contacts first, then add them to Medical ID. Open Contacts, create a new contact with their name and phone number, then return to Health and add them as an emergency contact.

What happens if I delete someone from my Contacts app?

They remain in your emergency contacts list in Medical ID. You would need to remove them separately from Medical ID by tapping Edit and selecting Delete. Deleting from Contacts does not automatically remove them from your emergency contacts.

Can emergency responders see my emergency contacts without unlocking my phone?

Yes, if you have Show on Lock Screen enabled in Medical ID. Swipe up from the lock screen to see the Medical ID card, which displays your emergency contacts and their phone numbers. If you turn off Show on Lock Screen, responders cannot see them without unlocking your phone.

Do my emergency contacts get notified when I add them?

No. Adding someone as an emergency contact does not send them a notification or message. They will not know they are listed unless you tell them. It is a good idea to let them know so they expect a call from an unknown number in an actual emergency.

Can I add a relationship label like "Mother" or "Doctor"?

Yes. After adding an emergency contact, tap Edit in Medical ID, then tap the contact's name. You can change the label to describe your relationship to them. This helps first responders understand who they are calling.