SOS is a great feature on the iPhone that can help you get help in an emergency. It allows you to quickly contact emergency services and send a message to your emergency contacts with your location. However, you may wish to turn off SOS on your iPhone if you don't want to use it or if you're worried about accidentally triggering it.
There are two ways to turn off SOS on your iPhone: through the Settings app or by using the Side button.
Let's take a closer look at both methods in the following sections:
How to Turn Off SOS on iPhone
Here are 8 important steps to turn off SOS on your iPhone:
- Open Settings app.
- Tap Emergency SOS.
- Toggle off Auto Call.
- Toggle off Countdown Sound.
- Toggle off Hold Side Button.
- Press Side button 5 times.
- Tap "Stop Calling Emergency Services".
- Confirm by tapping "Stop Calling".
SOS will now be turned off on your iPhone.
Open Settings app.
To turn off SOS on your iPhone, you'll need to open the Settings app. This is the app with the gray gear icon on your home screen.
- Tap the Settings icon.
This will open the Settings app.
- Tap "Emergency SOS."
This will open the Emergency SOS settings page.
- Find the "Auto Call" setting.
This setting is located at the top of the page.
- Toggle off the "Auto Call" switch.
This will disable the automatic call feature for SOS.
You can also disable the countdown sound and the hold side button feature on this page.
Tap Emergency SOS.
Once you've opened the Settings app, you'll need to tap on "Emergency SOS." This will open the Emergency SOS settings page.
On this page, you'll see several options related to Emergency SOS. The first option is "Auto Call." This setting automatically calls emergency services when you press and hold the Side button or the Volume Up button and the Sleep/Wake button simultaneously.
To disable the automatic call feature, simply toggle off the "Auto Call" switch. You can also disable the countdown sound and the hold side button feature on this page.
Here's a more detailed explanation of each option:
- Auto Call: When this setting is enabled, your iPhone will automatically call emergency services when you press and hold the Side button or the Volume Up button and the Sleep/Wake button simultaneously. This feature is designed to help you quickly get help in an emergency situation.
- Countdown Sound: When this setting is enabled, your iPhone will play a countdown sound before it automatically calls emergency services. This gives you a chance to cancel the call if you've accidentally triggered SOS.
- Hold Side Button: When this setting is enabled, you can activate SOS by pressing and holding the Side button five times quickly. This is a useful feature if you're unable to use the other methods to activate SOS.
Once you've made your changes, simply exit the Settings app. SOS will now be turned off on your iPhone.
Toggle off Auto Call.
To disable the automatic call feature for SOS, simply toggle off the "Auto Call" switch on the Emergency SOS settings page.
Here's a more detailed explanation of what this setting does:
- When Auto Call is enabled: Your iPhone will automatically call emergency services when you press and hold the Side button or the Volume Up button and the Sleep/Wake button simultaneously. This feature is designed to help you quickly get help in an emergency situation.
- When Auto Call is disabled: Your iPhone will not automatically call emergency services when you press and hold the Side button or the Volume Up button and the Sleep/Wake button simultaneously. You will need to manually call emergency services by dialing 911 or your local emergency number.
There are a few reasons why you might want to disable the Auto Call feature.
- Accidental calls: If you're worried about accidentally triggering SOS, you can disable the Auto Call feature. This will prevent your iPhone from automatically calling emergency services if you accidentally press the Side button or the Volume Up button and the Sleep/Wake button simultaneously.
- Privacy concerns: Some people may be concerned about the Auto Call feature because it can automatically share your location with emergency services. If you're concerned about your privacy, you can disable the Auto Call feature.
Whether or not you disable the Auto Call feature is a personal decision. Weigh the pros and cons carefully before making a decision.
Toggle off Countdown Sound.
To disable the countdown sound for SOS, simply toggle off the "Countdown Sound" switch on the Emergency SOS settings page.
Here's a more detailed explanation of what this setting does:
- When Countdown Sound is enabled: When you activate SOS, your iPhone will play a countdown sound before it automatically calls emergency services. This gives you a chance to cancel the call if you've accidentally triggered SOS.
- When Countdown Sound is disabled: When you activate SOS, your iPhone will not play a countdown sound before it automatically calls emergency services. The call will be placed immediately.
There are a few reasons why you might want to disable the Countdown Sound feature.
- Surprise factor: If you're in a dangerous situation and you need to activate SOS quickly, the countdown sound could give your attacker time to react. Disabling the countdown sound will allow you to call emergency services immediately without giving your attacker any warning.
- Stealth: If you need to activate SOS discreetly, the countdown sound could draw unwanted attention. Disabling the countdown sound will allow you to call emergency services without making a lot of noise.
Whether or not you disable the Countdown Sound feature is a personal decision. Weigh the pros and cons carefully before making a decision.
Toggle off Hold Side Button.
To disable the ability to activate SOS by pressing and holding the Side button, simply toggle off the "Hold Side Button" switch on the Emergency SOS settings page.
- Pros of disabling the Hold Side Button feature:
Prevent accidental SOS activation: If you're worried about accidentally activating SOS, you can disable the Hold Side Button feature. This will prevent SOS from being activated if you accidentally press and hold the Side button.
- Increased security: Disabling the Hold Side Button feature can make it more difficult for someone to activate SOS on your iPhone without your permission. This can be useful if you're concerned about someone using SOS to track your location or to call emergency services on your behalf.
- Cons of disabling the Hold Side Button feature:
Less convenient: If you disable the Hold Side Button feature, you'll need to use the other methods to activate SOS (such as pressing the Volume Up button and the Sleep/Wake button simultaneously or using Siri). This may be less convenient in some situations.
- Reduced accessibility: Disabling the Hold Side Button feature may make it more difficult for people with disabilities to activate SOS. For example, someone with limited hand mobility may find it difficult to press multiple buttons simultaneously.
Whether or not you disable the Hold Side Button feature is a personal decision. Weigh the pros and cons carefully before making a decision.
Press Side button 5 times.
If you've accidentally activated SOS and you want to turn it off, you can do so by pressing the Side button 5 times quickly.
- Make sure you press the Side button quickly. If you don't press the button quickly enough, SOS will not be turned off.
- You should see a message on your screen that says "Emergency SOS Canceled." This message confirms that SOS has been turned off.
- If you don't see the message "Emergency SOS Canceled," try pressing the Side button 5 times again.
- If you're still having trouble turning off SOS, you can try restarting your iPhone. To do this, press and hold the Side button and the Volume Down button simultaneously until you see the Apple logo.
Once you've successfully turned off SOS, you can be sure that emergency services will not be called accidentally.
Tap "Stop Calling Emergency Services".
If you've accidentally activated SOS and you're already on the phone with emergency services, you can tap the "Stop Calling Emergency Services" button to end the call.
- Make sure you tap the "Stop Calling Emergency Services" button as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the more time emergency services will spend responding to your call.
- You should see a message on your screen that says "Emergency Call Canceled." This message confirms that the call to emergency services has been canceled.
- If you don't see the message "Emergency Call Canceled," try tapping the "Stop Calling Emergency Services" button again.
- If you're still having trouble canceling the call to emergency services, you can try restarting your iPhone. To do this, press and hold the Side button and the Volume Down button simultaneously until you see the Apple logo.
Once you've successfully canceled the call to emergency services, you can be sure that no further action will be taken.
Confirm by tapping "Stop Calling".
Once you've tapped the "Stop Calling Emergency Services" button, you'll need to confirm that you want to cancel the call.
To do this, tap the "Stop Calling" button.
Your iPhone will then display a message that says "Are you sure you want to stop calling emergency services?"
Tap the "Stop Calling" button again to confirm that you want to cancel the call.
Your iPhone will then end the call to emergency services and display a message that says "Emergency Call Canceled."
You can now be sure that no further action will be taken.
It's important to note that you should only cancel a call to emergency services if you're absolutely sure that it was a mistake. If you're not sure, it's always better to err on the side of caution and let the call go through.
FAQ
Here are some frequently asked questions about how to turn off SOS on iPhone:
Question 1: How do I turn off Auto Call?
Answer 1: To disable the automatic call feature for SOS, simply toggle off the "Auto Call" switch on the Emergency SOS settings page.
Question 2: How do I turn off Countdown Sound?
Answer 2: To disable the countdown sound for SOS, simply toggle off the "Countdown Sound" switch on the Emergency SOS settings page.
Question 3: How do I turn off Hold Side Button?
Answer 3: To disable the ability to activate SOS by pressing and holding the Side button, simply toggle off the "Hold Side Button" switch on the Emergency SOS settings page.
Question 4: What should I do if I accidentally activated SOS?
Answer 4: If you've accidentally activated SOS, you can turn it off by pressing the Side button 5 times quickly. You can also tap the "Stop Calling Emergency Services" button if you're already on the phone with emergency services.
Question 5: What should I do if I can't turn off SOS?
Answer 5: If you're having trouble turning off SOS, try restarting your iPhone. If that doesn't work, you can contact Apple Support for assistance.
Question 6: How can I prevent myself from accidentally activating SOS?
Answer 6: There are a few things you can do to prevent yourself from accidentally activating SOS. First, you can disable the Hold Side Button feature. You can also make sure that your iPhone is locked when you're not using it. Finally, you can be careful not to press the Side button or the Volume Up button and the Sleep/Wake button simultaneously.
If you have any other questions about how to turn off SOS on iPhone, please consult the Apple Support website or contact Apple Support directly.
In addition to the information provided in the FAQ, here are a few additional tips for turning off SOS on iPhone:
Tips
Here are a few tips for turning off SOS on iPhone:
Tip 1: Use the Side button.
The quickest and easiest way to turn off SOS is to press the Side button 5 times quickly. This will immediately turn off SOS, even if you're already on the phone with emergency services.
Tip 2: Use the "Stop Calling Emergency Services" button.
If you're already on the phone with emergency services, you can tap the "Stop Calling Emergency Services" button to end the call. This will also turn off SOS.
Tip 3: Disable the Hold Side Button feature.
If you're worried about accidentally activating SOS, you can disable the Hold Side Button feature. This will prevent SOS from being activated if you accidentally press and hold the Side button.
Tip 4: Be careful when using your iPhone.
The best way to prevent accidentally activating SOS is to be careful when using your iPhone. Avoid pressing the Side button or the Volume Up button and the Sleep/Wake button simultaneously. You should also make sure that your iPhone is locked when you're not using it.
By following these tips, you can easily turn off SOS on iPhone and prevent it from being accidentally activated.
Now that you know how to turn off SOS on iPhone, you can use this feature with confidence, knowing that you can easily turn it off if necessary.
Conclusion
SOS is a great feature on the iPhone that can help you get help in an emergency. However, you may wish to turn off SOS if you don't want to use it or if you're worried about accidentally triggering it.
In this article, we've discussed eight different ways to turn off SOS on iPhone. We've also provided a FAQ section and a tips section to help you better understand how to use this feature.
To summarize the main points:
- You can turn off SOS by opening the Settings app, tapping Emergency SOS, and toggling off Auto Call, Countdown Sound, and Hold Side Button.
- If you've accidentally activated SOS, you can turn it off by pressing the Side button 5 times quickly or by tapping the "Stop Calling Emergency Services" button.
- You can disable the Hold Side Button feature to prevent SOS from being activated accidentally.
- You should be careful when using your iPhone to avoid accidentally activating SOS.
By following these steps, you can easily turn off SOS on iPhone and prevent it from being accidentally activated.
We hope this article has been helpful. If you have any other questions, please consult the Apple Support website or contact Apple Support directly.
Thank you for reading!