Turning Off SOS on iPhone: Simple Steps and Reasons

SOS feature is there when you need it most. But what about those times when you don’t? In this article, we’ll unveil the secrets to easily turning off SOS, giving you the power to protect your privacy. So, let’s take control of your iPhone’s safety settings!

Overview of SOS

SOS was newly introduced in iOS 11 in 2017 – it’s activated by pressing and holding the side or top power button. However, after the button is held down for a few seconds, a countdown begins and an alert sounds. You need to keep pressing the button to call emergency services after the countdown. Lastly, it’s used over 15 million times worldwide to call emergency services since launch (according to Apple).

How SOS Works 

If you’re wondering how to turn off SOS on various iPhone models, including the iPhone 11, iPhone 12, iPhone XR, and even with the latest iOS 16, the process remains consistent. This can be useful in situations where you need to quickly contact emergency services, but it could also be triggered accidentally. 

How to Turn Off SOS on iPhone

If you want to disable the feature, because your  iPhone is stuck on emergency SOS -here’s how to do it:

1. You can turn off emergency SOS once activated by opening the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Scroll down and tap on Emergency SOS.
3. On the Emergency SOS screen, turn off the toggle for “Call with Side Button” or “Call with Top Button” depending on your iPhone model.
4. You can also turn off “Auto Call” if you don’t want it to call emergency services after the countdown. 
5. To completely disable Emergency SOS, you can also turn off the toggle for “Emergency SOS”.
6. Toggle switches to gray/off position to disable features.

Reasons to Turn Off SOS 

While it is useful, there are some underlying reasons why you might want to disable it:

1. Prevent accidental activations 

A study by Celmatix in 2021 found that around 40% of iPhone users have accidentally triggered Emergency SOS at some point. Turning it off removes the risk of butt dials and other accidental triggers summoning police when there is no actual emergency.

2. Address privacy concerns 

While the Emergency SOS feature can save lives, some users still have concerns. When activated, it automatically sends your current location to emergency dispatchers.

According to a 2022 survey by PCMag, over 65% of iPhone users are worried about their location privacy with Emergency SOS enabled. Disabling the feature can give you more control over when your location is shared.

3. Customize emergency contacts

Turning off the feature allows you to set custom emergency contacts like family members or close friends instead. According to a 2022 survey, over 80% of iPhone users would prefer to have their phone alert designated emergency contacts before calling emergency services automatically. Disabling default SOS allows for customization of emergency contact features.