How to Set Up Emergency Contacts On Your Smartphone

As Hurricane Harvey leaves Houston in its wake, the devastation serves as a reminder to set up emergency preparedness plans before disaster strikes. One way to do that is to establish an official emergency contact on your smartphone that can be accessed without having to unlock the device.

Whether you're an Android or an iPhone user, don't wait until it's too late.

For those with iPhones, open the Health app then tap "Medical ID"  and enter in any pertinent medical information as well as the information for your emergency contact. Then, toggle the "Show when locked' switch to on, so this vital information can be accessed easily from the lock screen by yourself or a first responder.

Android users should start by going to the Settings app, then look under "Device and Users". From there, tap "Emergency information" and add the contact information in the tab. 

If your smartphone doesn't have these option, there are some free apps available for download that also allow users to list all of their emergency contacts.

To learn more, check out the video below from CNET: