How to turn off Emergency SOS on iPhone, Android and Samsung

Before you switch it off

Most people who search for this have had a pocket dial: a phone pressed against a bag, a child playing with the buttons, a case that squeezes the side key. The fix is usually narrower than turning everything off. Pick the trigger you actually use, switch off the one that misfires, and keep a deliberate way to call for help. If a call to emergency services has already started by mistake, Apple and Google both say the same thing: don't hang up, wait for the responder and explain that you don't need help.

The steps below follow Apple's iPhone User Guide (iOS 27; the iOS 26 guide shows the same switches), Apple's Apple Watch and Crash Detection pages, Google's Android help, and Samsung's US and UK support pages, read on 7 November 2026. If the reason you want SOS quieter is that you'd rather alert your own people than 911 for everyday worries, Warden (top pick) gives your circle its own two-second SOS; that part comes after the steps.

iPhone: turn off the Emergency SOS shortcuts

Apple lists the switches under one menu (Apple: Contact emergency services):

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Emergency SOS.
3. Turn off Call with Hold and Release to stop the side button plus volume button hold from starting the countdown.
4. Turn off Call with 5 Presses to stop five quick side-button presses from starting the countdown.

Apple doesn't describe a switch that removes the Emergency Call slider itself, and you wouldn't want one: you can still drag it to call, and on the Passcode screen you can still tap Emergency and dial.

Turn off automatic calls after a car crash

Crash Detection is on by default on iPhone 14 or later with iOS 16 or later. If it calls during roller coasters or off-road driving, Apple says (Apple: Crash Detection):

1. Open Settings > Emergency SOS.
2. Turn off Call After Severe Crash.

Turning it off on one paired device turns it off on your other paired devices too.

Stop the text to your emergency contacts

After an emergency call ends, Apple says your iPhone texts your emergency contacts with your location "unless you choose to cancel", so the cancel option appears at that moment. To stop it happening at all, remove contacts in the Health app: tap your picture > Medical ID > Edit, then remove them under Emergency Contacts (Apple: Medical ID). We'd advise against it; the full how-to is in emergency contacts on iPhone.

iPhone in India

Apple's India steps use three side-button presses (or side plus volume with Accessibility Shortcut), and by default iPhone plays a warning sound, starts a countdown and then calls. The same Settings > Emergency SOS screen holds the switches.

Apple Watch: turn off Hold Side Button

Holding the Apple Watch side button starts a loud countdown, even in Silent Mode. Apple's steps (Apple Watch: Contact emergency services):

1. On the watch, open Settings > SOS > Hold Side Button, then turn off Hold Side Button.
2. Or on your iPhone, open the Apple Watch app > My Watch > Emergency SOS, then turn off Hold Side Button to Dial.

You can still call with the Emergency Call slider. For crashes, the Apple Watch app has its own Call After Severe Crash switch under My Watch > Emergency SOS (Apple).

Pixel and stock Android: turn Emergency SOS off

Google's steps for Android 12 and later, including Android 14, 15 and 16 on Pixel (Google: Get help during an emergency):

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap Safety & emergency > Emergency SOS.
3. Under How it works, tap the Settings icon.
4. Tap Turn off Emergency SOS.

Keep SOS but stop false alarms

Same screen, different choice: under How it works, tap the Settings icon and pick Touch & hold to start actions. Now five presses only bring up the red circle, and nothing happens until you hold inside it for 3 seconds. Start actions automatically is the other option, with a 5-second countdown. If the alarm sound is the problem, set it up again with Play alarm sound off.

Stop emergency sharing that is already running

1. Open the Safety app.
2. At the top left, tap Emergency sharing > Stop > Stop sharing.

Google says emergency sharing ends by itself after 24 hours anyway, and your contacts get a text when it ends.

Samsung Galaxy (One UI): what you can and can't switch off

Samsung's UK page is explicit that it depends on your software (Samsung UK: How to turn off Emergency SOS).

Software from before June 2023

1. Open Settings > Safety and emergency > Emergency SOS.
2. Tap the switch to turn Emergency SOS off.

Software from June 2023 or later

Samsung says automatic dialing can no longer be turned off. What you can do instead (Samsung US):

1. Open Settings > Safety and emergency > Emergency SOS.
2. Turn on Require swipe to call. After five side-key presses you must swipe the SOS Call icon; an accidental press sequence alone won't call.
3. Tap Countdown and pick a longer time, so you have room to cancel.
4. Turn Play warning sound off if the noise is what bothers you.
5. Turn off Send SOS to emergency contacts if contacts are getting messages you didn't mean to send.

Samsung's UK page also describes entering a blank "null" custom number under Emergency number to call to effectively disable the call, and warns that you then can't use the shortcut for a real emergency. We don't recommend it: Require swipe to call plus a longer Countdown stops pocket calls and keeps the shortcut working.

Which switch fixes which problem

Per Apple, Google and Samsung support pages as of 7 November 2026.

Troubleshooting

I turned it off but it still called. On iPhone, check both switches: holding side plus volume and five presses are separate. Crash Detection is a third, separate switch. On Samsung, a June 2023 or later update means the switch is gone; use Require swipe to call.

There's no Emergency SOS menu on my Android. Google says Emergency SOS needs Android 12 or later, and the Personal Safety app is only on some Android devices. On Samsung, look under Safety and emergency (Samsung's own name).

I see "SOS" next to the signal bars and want it gone. That's a network status, not a setting. Apple says it means you're off your own carrier's network but can still call emergency services. Turn Airplane Mode on for 15 seconds and off, restart, or contact your carrier (Apple).

My child keeps triggering it. Prefer Touch & hold (Android) or Require swipe to call (Samsung) over switching it off, so the feature still works for them in a real emergency. Show them how to cancel.

I want to stop location updates going to my contacts. On Android, stop Emergency sharing in the Safety app. On iPhone, Apple only says updates run "for a period of time"; it doesn't describe a separate stop button on the page.

Warden (top pick): an SOS for your circle that doesn't dial 911

Turning off the phone's shortcut solves pocket calls, but it can leave you without a quick way to say "I need you" to the people closest to you. Warden's SOS is separate from the phone's:

1. Create a circle in Warden and invite your partner, family or friends (up to 10 people; invitees join free).
2. Each person turns sharing on, on their own phone, after seeing what the circle sees.
3. To raise an alarm, open Warden and hold SOS for two seconds. It's a deliberate press inside the app, so it doesn't misfire from the side buttons.
4. Everyone in your circles gets an alert with your current or last known position, even if your sharing was paused.

It reaches your circle only, never emergency services, and has no crash or fall detection. Keep the phone's Emergency SOS slider for 911; use Warden so your people know. iPhone (iOS 17+) and Android (8.0+) work in one circle.

Should you turn Emergency SOS off at all?

Usually not fully. The slider or the Lock Screen Emergency button still works on every iPhone, but in a struggle or a fall you might not manage a slider. A practical middle ground:

• iPhone: keep Call with Hold and Release on and switch off Call with 5 Presses if that's what misfires (or the other way round).
• Pixel: switch to Touch & hold to start actions rather than off.
• Samsung: Require swipe to call plus a 10-second Countdown.
• Everyone: keep at least two emergency contacts saved; see how to set up emergency contacts.

For how each phone's SOS works when you need it, read Emergency SOS on iPhone and Android. For walks home, Check In on iPhone or a walk-home app can do the checking for you.

FAQ

How do I turn off Emergency SOS on iPhone?

Open Settings > Emergency SOS and turn off Call with Hold and Release and Call with 5 Presses. You can still call emergency services with the Emergency Call slider or the Emergency button on the Passcode screen.

How do I turn off the auto call on iPhone?

The automatic call comes from Call with Hold and Release (holding the side and volume buttons) or Call with 5 Presses; switch off the one that triggers. If the calls happen after bumps or rides, turn off Call After Severe Crash in Settings > Emergency SOS.

What is Call with Hold and Release?

It's the iPhone setting that starts the emergency countdown when you hold and then release the side button and a volume button. With it off, holding the buttons doesn't start the automatic call.

How do I turn off Emergency SOS on Android?

On a Pixel or stock Android 12 or later, open Settings > Safety & emergency > Emergency SOS, tap the Settings icon under How it works, then tap Turn off Emergency SOS. You can instead choose Touch & hold to start actions to stop false alarms.

Why can't I turn off Emergency SOS on my Samsung?

Samsung says that after its June 2023 software update, automatic dialing can't be turned off. Use Require swipe to call and a longer Countdown in Settings > Safety and emergency > Emergency SOS instead.

How do I turn off Emergency SOS on Apple Watch?

On the watch, open Settings > SOS > Hold Side Button and turn it off, or on iPhone open the Apple Watch app > My Watch > Emergency SOS and turn off Hold Side Button to Dial. The Emergency Call slider still works.

What should I do if I called 911 by accident?

Don't hang up. Apple and Google both say to wait until a responder answers and explain that you don't need help.

Does turning off Emergency SOS stop Warden's SOS?

No. Warden's SOS is a separate two-second hold inside the app that alerts your circle, not emergency services, so changing the phone's SOS settings doesn't affect it.