How to Use the iPhone Hidden Medical ID Feature in an Emergency

If you are involved in a severe accident and arrive at the hospital unconscious, paramedics and emergency room doctors have very little time to figure out your medical history. If they do not know about your severe penicillin allergy or your underlying heart condition, standard emergency treatments could be fatal.

In the past, people wore physical medical alert bracelets. Today, Apple has built a digital equivalent directly into the iPhone operating system. The “Medical ID” feature allows you to store your critical health information, blood type, allergies, and emergency contacts in a secure profile that first responders can access without needing your passcode to unlock your phone.

This guide explains how to set up and use the lifesaving Medical ID feature on your iPhone.

Step 1: Set Up Your Medical ID Profile

Your Medical ID is configured through the built-in Apple Health app.

1. Open the Health app on your iPhone (it has a white icon with a small red heart).
2. Tap on your Profile Picture (or initials) in the top right corner of the Summary screen.
3. Under the “Medical Details” section, tap on Medical ID.
4. Tap Edit in the top right corner.
5. Fill out any critical information a doctor would need to know if you were unconscious. This includes:
   • Medical Conditions (e.g., Diabetes, Asthma)
   • Medical Notes
   • Severe Allergies & Reactions (Crucial for medications like Penicillin or Latex)
   • Current Medications
   • Blood Type
   • Organ Donor Status

Step 2: Add Emergency Contacts

Scroll down to the bottom of the editing screen to the Emergency Contacts section.

1. Tap the green Add Emergency Contact button.
2. Select a person from your address book (e.g., your spouse, parent, or close friend).
3. Specify their relationship to you.

If you ever use the iPhone’s Emergency SOS feature to call 911, your phone will automatically send a text message to these specific contacts containing your current GPS location.

Step 3: Enable Lock Screen Access (Crucial)

The entire system is useless if a paramedic cannot access it while your phone is locked. You must ensure the lock screen bypass is enabled.

1. While still in the Edit screen of your Medical ID, scroll to the very bottom.
2. Under “Emergency Access,” ensure the toggle switch for Show When Locked is turned On (green).
3. Tap Done in the top right corner to save your profile.

How First Responders Access the ID

If someone finds you unconscious, they will try to wake your phone. When Face ID or Touch ID fails (because your eyes are closed or they are not you), the iPhone will prompt them for a passcode.

At the bottom left of the passcode screen, there is a button labeled Emergency. When a paramedic taps that button, they are taken to the emergency dialer. In the bottom left corner of the dialer, they will see a red button labeled * Medical ID.

Tapping that button instantly reveals your name, age, allergies, medications, and the phone numbers of your emergency contacts, all while keeping your text messages, photos, and emails completely securely locked behind your passcode.