How to Set Up Emergency Contacts and SOS on Your Galaxy

Elena is 66 years old. She lives alone. She is healthy and active. She walks every morning. She gardens in the afternoon. She talks to her son every evening. But Elena thinks about one question. What if I fall and cannot reach my phone easily? What if I need help fast and I feel confused? She does not want to feel scared. She wants a simple plan. She wants her son and her neighbour to be easy to reach. She wants her phone to help her get help in an emergency. This guide helps you set up that plan. It is calm. It is slow. It is for setup only.

Emergency contacts are the people you want called or messaged in an emergency. They are usually close family or a trusted neighbour. Emergency SOS is a phone feature that can call for help and message your emergency contacts when you press a button in a set way. On Galaxy phones, that way is pressing the Side key five times. The Side key is the button on the side of the phone you use to turn the screen on and off. Setting up SOS does not mean you have to use it. It means the help is ready if you ever need it. Think of it like a fire extinguisher. You hope you never use it. You feel safer knowing it is there.

Please read this warning with care. Never test SOS by pressing it for real. Pressing the Side key five times for real may call your local emergency number. It may also send messages to your emergency contacts. That could send help to your home when you do not need it. It could worry your family. It could take help away from someone else who truly needs it. This guide explains setup only. It does not ask you to test SOS. Do not press the Side key five times to see what happens. Set it up. Leave it ready. Use it only in a real emergency.

Before you start, choose your emergency contacts. Choose two or three people you trust. Choose people who answer their phones. Choose people who live near you if you can. Tell them first. Say, I am adding you as an emergency contact on my phone. Is that all right? Make sure their numbers are saved correctly in your phone. Check the numbers with them. A wrong digit means the message goes to the wrong person. Sit in a quiet place. Take your time. You will not be asked to press SOS during setup.

Steps to add emergency contacts

Open Settings. Look for the gear icon. Tap it once.
Tap Safety and emergency. You may need to scroll down to find it. The words Safety and emergency should be in the list. Tap those words once.
Tap Emergency contacts. A new screen will open. It may show a list. It may be empty at first. That is normal.
Tap Add or the plus sign to add a contact. Choose a contact from your contact list. For example, choose your son, your daughter, or your trusted neighbour. Tap their name once. Check that the number shown is correct. If the number looks wrong, tap Cancel and check the contact in your Contacts app first.
Add a second contact in the same way. Tap Add again. Choose the next person. Check the number again. Add a third contact if you want one. Two or three contacts are enough. More contacts can mean more people get a message at once. Keep the list small and trusted.
Go back to the previous screen. Tap the back arrow at the top left. Your emergency contacts are saved. You do not need to tap a save button. The phone saves them by itself.
Check the list once more. Read each name slowly. Read each number. Are the names right? Are the numbers right? If one is wrong, remove it and add the correct contact. A correct list is more important than a fast setup.

Steps to set up Emergency SOS

Open Settings again. Tap Safety and emergency.
Tap Emergency SOS. A new screen will open. Read the words on the screen slowly. The screen explains what SOS does on your phone. It may say that SOS can call the local emergency number and share information with your emergency contacts.
Find the switch to turn on Emergency SOS. A switch looks like a small pill shape. When it is off, it is grey. When it is on, it is coloured. Tap the switch once to turn it on. Read any message that appears. Tap the button that agrees or confirms, only if you understand it. If you are unsure, stop and ask a family member to read it with you.
Look for the options on the SOS screen. The screen may let you choose what happens when SOS starts. It may ask if you want to send a message to your emergency contacts. It may ask if you want to share your location. Choose only what you understand and what you want. If an option is unclear, leave it as it is. Do not turn on every option at once. Simple is safer.
Note the way SOS starts. On Galaxy phones, Emergency SOS starts when you press the Side key five times. Remember this. Do NOT press it five times now to test it. Just remember the number five and the Side key. Tell your family that this is how it works. Tell them you have set it up, but you have not tested it, and you will only use it in a real emergency.
Check if the phone asks for medical information. Some phones let you add medical notes, such as allergies or medicines, that can be shown to helpers in an emergency. Only add information you are sure about. Only add it if you want helpers to see it. If you are unsure, leave it blank. You can add it later with help from family or your doctor. Never guess medical details.
Go back to the home screen. Your setup is done. Do not press the Side key five times. Leave SOS ready. Tell your emergency contacts that you have added them. Tell them what will happen if SOS is ever used. Ask them to keep their phones charged and with them when they can.

Steps to make help easier to reach on the lock screen

Stay in Safety and emergency if you can. Look for words about emergency information or medical information on the lock screen. The exact words may differ. Look for the idea: information that can be seen without unlocking the phone.
If you see such an option, open it. Add only simple, correct information. For example, you may add the name of a person to call and a note about a serious allergy, if you have one. Keep it short. Keep it true. Do not add passwords or bank details. Never add private codes here.
If you cannot find this option, do not worry. Emergency contacts and SOS are the main setup. Lock screen information is extra. Ask a family member to help you look another day if you want it. Do not tap random settings to find it.

Try it slowly: Elena and the Sunday talk with her son

Elena did not set up SOS alone. She waited until Sunday. Her son, Marco, came for lunch. After lunch, they sat together. Elena said, I want to set up emergency contacts. Will you help me, and will you be one of them? Marco said yes. He also suggested their neighbour, Ana, who lives two doors away. Ana had a key to Elena's house. Elena called Ana. Ana said yes too. Elena felt calm. She had chosen people she trusted. She had asked them first. That mattered to her.

Marco opened Settings. He tapped Safety and emergency. He tapped Emergency contacts. Elena chose Marco from her contacts. She checked the number. It was right. She chose Ana. She checked that number too. Then Marco tapped Emergency SOS. He read the screen aloud, slowly. Elena turned on the switch. She did not press the Side key five times. Marco said, Good. We set it up. We do not test it. Elena wrote a note on paper. The note said: SOS is on. Press Side key five times only in a real emergency. She put the note in a drawer. She told Ana what she had done. Now Elena walks each morning with more peace. She knows her phone has a plan. She knows Marco and Ana know the plan too. You can do the same. Choose trusted people. Ask them first. Set it up together. Do not test it for real.

Common mistakes

Testing SOS for real by pressing the Side key five times to see what happens, which may call the local emergency number and send worried messages to family when there is no emergency.
Adding emergency contacts without telling them, so they are shocked by a message in a real emergency and do not know what to do or where to go.
Saving a contact with a wrong or old number, so the emergency message goes to a stranger or to a number that no longer works, when a quick check would have caught the error.
Adding medical details from memory that are wrong or out of date, such as a medicine you no longer take, which could mislead a helper in an emergency.
Turning on every SOS option without reading them, including options you do not understand or do not want, instead of keeping the setup simple and only choosing what you understand.

Frequently asked questions

What number will SOS call?

SOS may call your local emergency number. The local number depends on where you live. Do not rely on one number from another country or from a website. Use the number that is correct for your own country and area. Ask family or check a trusted local source if you are unsure. This guide does not state one universal number, because the correct number differs by place.

Will my emergency contacts get a message?

Depending on the options you chose, SOS may send a message to your emergency contacts. The message may say you need help. It may share your location. Tell your contacts this in advance. Tell them to call you back first, and to call for local help if they cannot reach you and they believe you are in danger.

Can I turn SOS off again?

Yes. Open Settings. Tap Safety and emergency. Tap Emergency SOS. Tap the switch to turn it off. You can turn it back on later. If you turn it off, remember that the Side key five times will no longer start SOS. Tell your family if you turn it off, so they know the plan has changed.

What if I press the Side key five times by mistake?

Stay calm. If a call starts and it is not an emergency, stay on the line if you can and explain calmly that it was a mistake and you are safe. Do not hang up at once without speaking if the call has connected. Then message your emergency contacts and tell them you are safe and it was a mistake. Then ask a family member to help you check the SOS settings. Be extra careful with the Side key after that.

Should I add medical information to my phone?

Only if you want to, and only if the information is correct. Short, true notes about a serious allergy or a key condition can help a helper. Do not add long lists from memory. Do not add guesses. Ask your doctor or a family member to help you write it correctly. If you are unsure, leave it blank. Emergency contacts and SOS are enough on their own.

If the words on your screen look different

Menu words may differ by model, region, carrier, and One UI version. One UI 8, 8.5, and 9 all exist in October 2026. Some phones are A-series phones. Others are S-series phones. The words Safety and emergency, Emergency contacts, and Emergency SOS are the words to look for. If you cannot find them, open Settings and use the search box at the top. Type Safety and emergency or Emergency SOS. Tap the result that matches. If the SOS screen looks different, read it slowly before you tap anything. Do not press the Side key five times. Ask a family member to read the screen with you. Setup should be slow and calm. The search box in Settings is the safest way to find the right screen.