Set up iPhone Medical ID for a chronic condition: Apple's steps, what to put in the fields, who can see it, and how Emergency SOS works
Set up iPhone Medical ID for a chronic condition: Apple's steps, what to put in the fields, who can see it, and how Emergency SOS and contacts work.
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If you live with a chronic condition, you want someone to know in an emergency, even if you cannot answer. The iPhone has Medical ID in the Health app for that. You keep your history and documents in Sam and share them with the people you choose via Friends & Family. The sharing is read-only, and you can revoke it at any time. This text shows the setup, a checklist for the fields, and the limits.
Medical ID is an Apple function, and the setup steps come from Apple's own guides. This text cannot promise that someone looks at it in an emergency. Paramedics can often open Medical ID, but whether that happens is not guaranteed in every region and situation. It is not a substitute for medical care.
How do you set up Medical ID on the iPhone?
To set up Medical ID, open the Health app, tap your profile picture, then Medical ID and Get Started. Add your conditions, medications, allergies and an emergency contact, then choose your two switches. Apple describes the path in the Health app like this:
- Open the Health app and tap the Summary tab.
- Tap your profile picture at the top, then tap Medical ID.
- Tap Get Started or Edit.
- Enter your details. For each field you tap Add or Edit.
- Add an emergency contact.
- Decide on the two switches, Show When Locked and Share During Emergency Call.
- Tap Done.
The names come from Apple's English guides and the iPhone User Guide. Menu names change with new iOS versions, so check them on your own device.
What belongs in the Medical ID with a chronic condition?
Apple names medications, allergies and conditions as details you can add, plus emergency contacts. Which of these matter for you depends on your condition. Prepare the details before you type them. The table helps.
| Field in the Health app | What you prepare in advance |
|---|---|
| Medical conditions | The diagnosis in the words of your doctor's letter, not from memory |
| Medications | The names as on your medication list. Ask your doctor whether a dose belongs on the card |
| Allergies | Also intolerances to medicines |
| Blood type | Only if you know it and your Medical ID offers the field |
| Emergency contacts | Name and relationship of the person. Tell them in advance that you added them |
On top come four steps that are not fields:
- Decide deliberately whether Show When Locked should be on. The pass is then visible without unlocking.
- Turn on Share During Emergency Call if you want. Read the section on regions further down.
- Test it: lock the iPhone, tap Emergency, then Medical ID. Read what is there.
- Put a paper card in your wallet. More on that below.
For some conditions, patient organisations give first-aid guidance. Which of it belongs on your card you agree with your doctor or nurse. For any condition, a good starting question is: "What does a paramedic need to know about my condition?" Write the answer into your medical conditions field.
Who sees the Medical ID, and how does a first responder open it?
If Show When Locked is on, a first responder opens the pass, per Apple, in a few steps. On the screen for the code they tap Emergency and then Medical ID. Apple writes that the pass can also appear on the lock screen of the Apple Watch.
That has two sides. With the switch on, any person who holds your iPhone can read the pass. Without it, the pass stays hidden. This choice is only yours.
Whether someone thinks of opening the pass in an emergency, no one knows in advance. Plan so that your protection does not rest on this one possibility alone.
What happens with Emergency SOS, and does sharing work during a call?
Emergency SOS is a separate function. On the iPhone you press and hold the side button and either volume button until the Emergency SOS countdown ends, then release. Or you enable Call with 5 Presses in Settings under Emergency SOS. On the Apple Watch you press and hold the side button until the Emergency Call slider appears.
After an emergency call, the device sends your emergency contacts a text message with your location, unless you cancel. If you started the countdown by accident, just release the button. If the call has gone through but you do not need help, do not hang up. Wait until a responder answers and explain that you do not need help.
Apple's Fall Detection for Apple Watch and Crash Detection for iPhone 14 or later are separate. Apple says they can reach emergency services for you during a hard fall or crash, for example after the watch sees you stay still. More in Apple Watch fall and crash detection.
Whether Medical ID is shared during an emergency call depends on the region. Apple says Enhanced Emergency Data is not available in all countries or regions, and cites emergency data services in countries such as the US, Canada, the UK and Ireland. Do not rely on it in every region. Check the current country list on Apple Support before you count on it. Apple also writes that it cannot read the Medical ID once it is shared with emergency responders. If you turn off Emergency Calls and SOS under Location Services and System Services, sharing stops.
In an emergency you call your local emergency number: 112 in the EU, 999 in the UK, 911 in the US. If it is urgent but not an emergency, call 111 in the UK or ask your doctor, rather than using 999.
Which paper card also belongs in your wallet?
A battery can be empty, an iPhone can be lost. A card in your wallet depends on neither. Write your name, your condition, your medications, your allergies, your blood type if you know it, and the name of an emergency contact on it. Some organisations offer medical alert cards and ID jewellery for this. Keep it with your ID so it is easy to find. Whether and how you get one, you see on the organisations' pages. No such card is legally required.
Medical ID, Apple Health sharing, emergency contact: who sees what?
Four ways give someone access to details about you. They are independent of each other.
| Way | Who sees what | Who controls it |
|---|---|---|
| Medical ID on the locked screen | Whoever holds your iPhone sees the pass via Emergency | You, via the switch in the Health app |
| Emergency contact at Emergency SOS | The person gets a text with your location after an emergency call | You, via the entry and by cancelling |
| Sharing in the Health app | People in your contacts see shared health data, per Apple also your Health notifications such as high heart rate | You, until you tap Stop Sharing |
| Friends & Family in Sam | A person sees the areas you share, read-only and not live. They need Sam and get no messages about your values | You, per person and revocable at any time |
With Apple's sharing, removing a person from your contacts is not enough; you have to tap Stop Sharing. How you prepare wearable data for a doctor conversation is in how to share wearable health data with your doctor.
Sharing during a call, the Medical ID on the locked screen, and Friends & Family are three separate things. Friends & Family does not replace Medical ID, and Medical ID shows no history.
How do you keep the Medical ID up to date?
Attach the update to something that happens anyway. After any appointment where your diagnosis or medication changes, open the Medical ID and the paper card. The words sit in the new doctor's letter. The doctor visit checklist for a chronic condition helps you prepare for the appointment.
Tell your emergency contacts when something changes. Test the pass every few months through the locked screen.
Keep your history and documents ready for a trusted person in Sam
Medical ID holds what counts in a minute of emergency. You keep the rest of your story in Sam, where you can share it with the people you choose.
- Instead of screenshots in a chat: a person you choose reads along with your history, and you can remove their access at any time.
- Instead of piles of paper: doctor's letters, lab values and findings sit in the Health Vault.
- Instead of memory at the appointment: for eight conditions the doctor report as a PDF sums up the period you choose.
Sam does not replace the Medical ID or the emergency call. Friends & Family sends no messages about your values, and Medical ID in the Health app stays an Apple function.
Try Sam HealthSam is a wellness companion, not a medical device. The app does not diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any condition or health state. Always consult qualified professionals for medical decisions.
Related reading
- Apple Watch fall and crash detection
- Sharing Apple Health data with partner or family
- Doctor visit checklist for a chronic condition
- How to share wearable health data with your doctor
Sources
Updated: October 2026
- Apple Support: Set up your Medical ID in the Health app on your iPhone (published 10 March 2026)
- Apple Support: Use Emergency SOS on your Apple Watch
- Apple Support: Make an emergency call on your iPhone
- Apple Support: Use Fall Detection with Apple Watch (published 6 May 2026)
- Apple, iPhone User Guide: Set up and view your Medical ID
- Apple, iPhone User Guide: Share your data in Health on iPhone
- NHS: When to call 999 (last reviewed 3 February 2023)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I find Medical ID on the iPhone?+
Open the Health app, tap your profile picture, then tap Medical ID. Apple also lists this as part of the Health app on the Summary tab.
Can anyone see my Medical ID?+
Only if you turn on Show When Locked (lock screen) or Share During Emergency Call (emergency services). With the first, a first responder can open it through Emergency on the code screen, per Apple. Both switches are your choice.
Is Medical ID shared automatically during an emergency call?+
Not everywhere. Apple says Enhanced Emergency Data is not available in all countries or regions, and cites services in countries such as the US, Canada, the UK and Ireland. Check the current country list on Apple Support and do not rely on it.
What belongs in the Medical ID?+
Apple names conditions, allergies, medications and emergency contacts as details you can add. Which ones matter for your condition you agree with your doctor or nurse.
Does the iPhone message my emergency contacts?+
After an emergency call, the device sends your emergency contacts a text message with your location, unless you cancel. It does this for Emergency SOS and for Apple Watch after a detected fall.
Do I also need a paper card in my wallet?+
It does not replace Medical ID, but it helps if the battery is empty or the phone is lost. A small card with your condition, medications, allergies and an emergency contact depends on neither.
Can Apple read my Medical ID?+
Apple says it cannot read your Medical ID information when it is shared with emergency responders.