Many of us with long term health conditions carry around emergency information. The information could be a simple list of contacts or medical information. This information can be in bracelets, pendants or notes in our pockets.
Most people have a smart phone now. It was an obvious to put this type of information on the phone. Most smart phones now have In Case of Emergency (ICE) systems. They vary from a list of contacts to storing important medical information.
It’s important for everyone to know about these systems especially disabled people and first responders. Unfortunately there is no standard for accessing this information.
For security purposes, many mobile phone owners lock their mobiles. Locking the phone requires a passcode, pattern or finger print to access the device. To avoid having to remove the security, many manufacturers provide access to the ICE information on the lock screen.
All modern smart phones have some system available either built in or as downloadable app. Before you start you need to know the make and model of phone and what software version it has.
Apple iPhone
If you have an iPhone here is how to Find the software version on your iPhone. You should also note the iPhone version e.g. iPhone 5. If you have an iPhone with iOS 11 or later follow these instructions on the Apple website:
For older iPhones you will need to download and set-up an app.
Android Phone
On Android phones there are different instructions depending on manufacturer, model and Android version. I have written a guide to finding the version of Android of your phone. Some of the lager manufacturers like Samsung and Huawei have their own customised version of Android.
Standard Android 7.0 or later
From version 7.0 of Android there are dedicated settings for ICE information. Standard (sometimes called stock) Android is used in phones from Motorola and Google.
I have written a guide for adding ICE information on modern Android phones. The instructions were written using a Motorola Moto G5 running Android 8.1.0.
Samsung Phones
If you have a Samsung phone Galaxy S8 or later see https://www.samsung.com/uk/support/mobile-devices/how-do-i-add-medical-information-to-my-lockscreen-on-my-samsung-galaxy-s8-or-s8/
Older Android phones
On older Android Phones and Samsung Phones see the instruction on the wikiHow website https://www.wikihow.com/Add-ICE-to-Your-Cell-Phone.