Updated

Updated · The New York Times · Sep 2

Smartphones Add Satellite SOS and Auto 911 Tools, With 178-Page iPhone Safety Guide

Updated

Updated · The New York Times · Sep 2

Smartphones Add Satellite SOS and Auto 911 Tools, With 178-Page iPhone Safety Guide

1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 2

Many newer smartphones can now do more than place a call in a crisis, including automatically contacting emergency services if a user is incapacitated.
Built-in safety tools also send alerts for storms, floods, wildfires and earthquakes, while some devices can reach satellites to request help outside cellular range.
Android groups these options under Safety & Emergency settings and Google's Personal Safety app, with Samsung offering separate guidance for Galaxy phones.
Apple includes Emergency SOS and Medical ID on iPhones, and its support material alone runs to 178 pages—underscoring how many emergency features users may not have set up.

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As smartphones transform into ultimate survival tools, are we quietly sacrificing our deepest medical privacy to stay safe?

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