The Emergency SOS feature on Android smartphones is a critical safety protocol designed to contact emergency services and notify designated contacts rapidly. Typically activated by pressing the power button five times in quick succession, this feature can be life-saving. However, it is also highly susceptible to accidental triggers. A tight pocket, a misaligned phone case, or simply fumbling with the device can easily initiate an unintended call to the emergency services, causing unnecessary panic and wasting valuable public resources.
This guide explains how to completely disable the hardware-based Emergency SOS activation on your Android device to prevent accidental distress calls.
Disable Emergency SOS on Stock Android (Pixel/Motorola)
If you are using a device running a stock or near-stock version of Android, such as a Google Pixel, the procedure to disable the hardware trigger is straightforward.
- Open the Settings app on your Android smartphone.
- Scroll down and tap on Safety & emergency.
- Tap on Emergency SOS.
- Locate the toggle switch labelled Use Emergency SOS or Call emergency services.
- Turn the switch to the Off position.
Disabling this setting ensures that rapidly pressing the power button will no longer initiate an automated countdown to contact emergency responders. You will still be able to dial emergency numbers manually via the standard lock screen dialler.
Disable Emergency SOS on Samsung Galaxy Devices
Samsung utilises a heavily modified interface known as One UI. Consequently, the menu paths for safety features differ slightly from standard Android deployments.
- Open the Settings app on your Samsung Galaxy device.
- Scroll down and select Safety and emergency.
- Tap on Emergency SOS.
- Toggle the switch at the top of the screen to the Off position.
If you prefer not to disable the feature entirely but wish to reduce accidental triggers, some Samsung models allow you to increase the required button presses from three or five up to a higher threshold, or to disable the automated countdown whilst keeping the quick-dial menu accessible.