Maybe you’re not a paranoid, accident-prone individual and do not already have your *Medical ID setup and have never heard of Emergency SOS. If not, take 5 minutes and follow the steps below to set up your *Medical ID and learn how to use Emergency SOS. It may just save your life one day and if nothing else, it will give your worry-prone mother some peace of mind!
What is a Medical ID? Medical ID is used to save important health information. It can be used if you unfortunately are in the need of assistance from first responders. They can access your critical medical info from your locked screen with out your passcode.
What is Emergency SOS? Emergency SOS allows you to quickly call for help while alerting your emergency contacts.
To set up your Medical ID follow these steps:
Step 1: Go to the Health app
The Health app keeps track of your daily steps, menstrual cycle, and health records.
Step 2: At the bottom of the app in the gray section, tap the Medical ID icon.
Step 3: Create Medical ID
After your Medical ID has been set up the first time, when you return you will press edit at the top right.
Step 4: Fill in each field with your information.
Name, medical conditions, allergies, blood type, etc.
Step 5: Make sure that the “Show When Locked” switch is on.
This will allow you to access the Medical ID when your iPhone is locked. You’ll know it is on when it is green.
Step 6: Add emergency contacts.
This is not only helpful if you were to have a medical emergency but also if you were to lose your phone and a good Samaritan happens to find it.
When you tap the green plus sign to “add emergency contact”, your Contacts will open. Scroll until you find the person you want to add. Select that person and then select how you know the person (doctor, friend, relative) on the next screen. It will then take you back to the Medical ID screen in Health
Step 7: Tap Done in the top right and your medical ID will appear.
Step 8: To access the Medical ID on a locked iPhone. 
1. Press the center button. When you see the screen that prompts you to type in the code, you will then click Emergency in the bottom left. A white screen with a dial pad will then appear. In the bottom left corner written in red you will see Medical Id. Click that and the Medical ID screen will appear.
2. Or Rapidly press the side button five times. The Medical ID slider will appear.
Making an Emergency SOS call:
Something good to know is your emergency contacts will receive a message saying that you have called emergency services when you use Emergency SOS. Your current location will be included in these messages as well.
To make an Emergency SOS call on iPhone X, iPhone 8, or iPhone 8 Plus:
1. Press and hold the side button and one of the Volume buttons until the Emergency SOS slider appears.
2. Drag the Emergency SOS slider to call emergency services. If you continue to hold down the side button and Volume button, instead of dragging the slider, a countdown begins and an alert sounds. If you hold down the buttons until the countdown ends, your iPhone automatically calls emergency services.
To make an Emergency SOS call on iPhone 7 or earlier:
1. Rapidly press the side button five times. The Emergency SOS slider will appear.
2. Drag the Emergency SOS slider to call emergency services.
Sources:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208076
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207021
