Hurricane Milton is rapidly nearing Florida’s western shore, where millions of people have been ordered to evacuate, and forecasters warn that it might be one of the state’s most damaging storms.
The disastrous storm is forecast to deliver damaging hurricane-force winds well inland into central Florida, uprooting trees and electrical lines and wreaking havoc on communication infrastructure. While contacting loved ones in the region will be difficult, persons stranded or in danger can still contact first responders or speak with relatives if they have an Apple iPhone or Google Android mobile. Both firms have implemented emergency SOS via satellite, allowing customers to text or call emergency services offline without cellular or Wi-Fi access.
How can I contact emergency services using my iPhone?
You may contact 911 from your iPhone in a variety of ways.
- Dial 911.
- Simultaneously press and hold the side power and volume buttons until the sliders appear, then swipe the Emergency SOS slider.
- If you have Call with Hold and Release enabled in Settings > Emergency SOS, simply hold the side power and volume buttons to initiate a countdown to contact emergency services.
- Rapidly push the side power button five times to begin a countdown to contact emergency services.
- Tap “Emergency” on the passcode screen.
- Launch the Messages app and text your emergency to 911.
- If you have Siri set to listen, say, “Hey Siri, call 911.”
Set up your iPhone’s medical ID and emergency contact information
Knowing your medical situation allows first responders to respond more swiftly and with more details.
- Open the Health app and tap your profile image.
- Select Medical ID and input or amend any health information that a first responder should know.
- Tap Emergency Contact and enter the contact information for a loved one or someone you trust.
- Turn on Show When Locked and Share During Emergency Call to assist first responders with additional information.
Get emergency help via Android satellite on your Google Pixel phone
Like Apple, certain Android users can interact with emergency services by text via satellite. The feature is only available on the Google Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold. It also asks users to designate Google Messages as their default texting client.
- Dial 911.
- Press the power button five or more times. This initiates a 5-second countdown before calling emergency services for you. To cancel, swipe to the right.
- If your phone is configured to listen, say, “Hey, Google, call 911.”
- To activate Emergency mode, swipe down from the top of the screen with two fingers to see the Quick Settings menu. Tap the Power symbol, then select Emergency mode. Tap Turn on. This displays a limited screen with the flashlight app, an emergency alarm, the phone app, and a “Message my Location” button.
- To enter Emergency mode, simultaneously press and hold the Power and Volume Down buttons.
