Android & Emergency Preparedness

Safety features may not be the first thing that come to mind when you think about your mobile phone, but when an emergency strikes, your phone has a lot to offer. Android phones include a variety of safety features designed to help keep you secure in different situations. Whether it's reaching out for help, notifying loved ones, or providing important information during an emergency, these tools make sure you have support whenever you need it.

Have an iPhone? Head over to our iOS and Emergency Preparedness page.

Download Google's Personal Safety app

Personal Safety App icon

The Personal Safety app can quickly get you in touch with help in an emergency. The app offers the following safety features:

Emergency SOS - allows you to quickly get in touch with 911 and certain people without having to unlock and dial the phone or send a text.
Car crash detection - automatically sends an alert to emergency services if your phones senses your were in a car accident.
Emergency Sharing - allows you to share location and status updates with your trusted contacts for 24 hours
Safety checks - allows you to share your location and status updates with your trusted contacts for a designated period of time. If you do not check in an alert is sent with your current location.
Crisis Alerts - notifies you about natural disasters and public emergencies affecting your area.

Prepare for an emergency

Adding emergency contacts lets you use your phone to quickly call someone who can help if you get lost or hurt. You can call or text your contacts without having to unlock your phone, saving time for you and the first responders trying to help you.

Personal Safety app:

Open the Safety app.
Tap Your Info in the bottom right corner.
Tap Emergency contacts , then tap + Add contact
Choose a person from your contacts list.

Samsung Phones:

Open the Settings app.
Scroll down and tap 'Safety & Emergency'.
Tap Emergency contacts, then tap + Add contact
Choose a person from your contacts list.

The medical information feature on your phone stores important details about your health like if you're allergic to something or if you need special medicine. Once you add your medical information it becomes available from your phone's lock screen. This information is important to share with first responders and having this information on your phone helps them take care of you.

Personal Safety app:

Open the Safety app.
Tap Your Info in the bottom right corner.
Tap Medical Information.
Add your Information.

medical information screen

Samsung Phones:

Open the Settings app.
Scroll down and tap 'Safety & Emergency'.
Tap Medical Info.
Add your information.

Opting in to receive crisis alerts let's you get notified about natural disasters or local emergencies.

safety app icon Feature is only available with the Personal Safety App.

Personal Safety app:

Open the Safety app.
Tap Features in the bottom middle of the screen.
Scroll down and tap Crisis Alerts .
Turn on Crisis alerts.

Crash detection on your Android phone will call 911 and alert your trusted emergency contacts when your phone thinks you have been in a severe car crash.

safety app icon Feature is only available with the Personal Safety App.

Personal Safety app:

Open the Safety app.
Tap Features in the bottom middle of the screen.
Scroll to Car Crash Detection.
Tap Setup.

Crash Detection Screen

Get help in an emergency

Press the power button on your phone five or more times to call for help if you get hurt or feel unsafe.

Your phone will:

Call emergency services and share your location (enabled by default)
Share your information with your trusted emergency contacts (must be enabled)
Record a video using the phones camera (must be enabled)

Personal Safety app:

Open the Safety app.
Tap Features in the bottom middle.
Tap Emergency SOS.
If prompted, Turn on Emergency SOS.
Tap Call emergency services.
Turn on Share info with emergency contacts.
Add contacts if prompted to.

Samsung Phones:

Open the Settings app.
Scroll down and tap 'Safety & Emergency'.
Tap Emergency SOS.
Optional: Tap Require swipe to call.
Tap Send SOS to emergency contacts.
Add contacts if prompted to.

Safety check let's you set a period of time during which your trusted emergency contacts are updated on your location. The feature is useful for activities such as going for a run or when commuting in a new location. When time expires, a 60 second countdown begins during which safety check provides options to confirm you are OK, start emergency sharing or call 911. Emergency sharing is activated automatically following the countdown.

safety app icon Feature is only available with the Personal Safety App.

Personal Safety app:

Open the Safety app.
Tap Home in the bottom right corner.
Tap Safety Check.
Tap Setup.
Choose a reason for the check (e.g. Hiking).
Choose a duration.
Tap Next.
Tap Start.

Safety Check Screen

Usually, you call 911 on the phone, but sometimes you might not be able to talk. If you can’t talk, like if you're too scared or if you need to be quiet, texting 911 also lets you get help quickly.

How to Text 911

Always call 911 if you can. Text only if you can't talk or it isn't safe to talk.
To text 911 open the texting app on your phone, just like when you send a message to your friends or family. Instead of typing a name, you type "911."
When texting 911 you tell the operator what’s wrong and where you are. For example, you might type, “There’s a fire at my house at 123 Main Street.”

Texting 911 is not available everywhere so it is important to check availability where you live in Colorado.

The following Colorado counties do not currently support sending texts to 911:

Baca
Bent
Crowley
Gilpin: The city of Blackhawk allows texting 911 but the surrounding areas do not.
Huerfano
Kiowa

If you text 911 in a place that does not support text to 911, y ou will receive a reply like the one below.

automated reply. Please make a voice call to 911. There is no text to 911 available at this time.

Take Action

pdf

Make a family communication plan

Record your family's medical and contact information (pdf) and where to meet in an emergency.

Use your phone wisely

Texting your contacts is best! Keep voice calls short.
Conserve your battery
Have back up batteries and chargers.
If possible, use email and social media to communicate that you are OK.
If you place a call to emergency services by mistake, do not hang up. Tell the emergency operator that the call was accidental and that you do not need assistance.

Signup for emergency alerts

Stay informed before, during and after a disaster by signing up for emergency alerts through your Colorado county.

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Android & Emergency Preparedness

Download Google's Personal Safety app

The Personal Safety app can quickly get you in touch with help in an emergency. The app offers the following safety features:

Prepare for an emergency

Personal Safety app:

Samsung Phones:

Personal Safety app:

Samsung Phones:

Most Android devices:

Personal Safety app:

Personal Safety app:

Get help in an emergency

Personal Safety app:

Samsung Phones:

Personal Safety app:

Samsung Phones:

Personal Safety app:

How to Text 911

Take Action

Make a family communication plan

Use your phone wisely

Signup for emergency alerts

Center for Inclusive Design and Engineering (CIDE)

Android & Emergency Preparedness

Download Google's Personal Safety app

The Personal Safety app can quickly get you in touch with help in an emergency. The app offers the following safety features:

Prepare for an emergency

Emergency Contacts

Medical Information

Wireless Alerts

Crisis Alerts

Car Crash Detection

Get help in an emergency

Emergency SOS

Emergency Sharing

Safety Check

Text 911

Take Action

Make a family communication plan

Use your phone wisely

Signup for emergency alerts

Center for Inclusive Design and Engineering (CIDE)