Did Emergency SOS just go off on your phone? If the countdown is still running, you can usually cancel it before your phone calls emergency services. If the call has already connected, don’t hang up. Stay on the line and tell the dispatcher it was an accident.
Knowing how to turn off Emergency SOS once activated really means handling three different moments: stopping the countdown, dealing with a call or alert that already went out, and changing your settings so it doesn’t happen again. This guide walks through all three on iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel and other Android phones, using the menu names on current software.
Quick answer: how to stop Emergency SOS right now
Find your situation below and do that first. Detailed steps for each phone follow.
| Your situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| The countdown is running | Let go of the buttons you’re holding, or use the cancel control on screen before the call connects. The exact control depends on your phone and SOS settings. |
| The call has connected | Stay on the line and tell the dispatcher it was an accident. Don’t hang up. |
| Contacts are getting your location | iPhone: tap the status bar, then Stop Sharing Emergency Location. Pixel: open Personal Safety and tap Stop. Then text your contacts. |
| SOS keeps going off by itself | Turn off or soften the shortcuts in Settings for your phone, below. |
| The status bar shows “SOS” or “SOS Only” | That means no carrier signal, not an emergency call. Fix your connection instead. |
How to cancel Emergency SOS on iPhone
To cancel Emergency SOS on an iPhone, stop it before the countdown reaches zero. How you do that depends on which shortcut started it.
- You’re holding the side button and a volume button: let go of both buttons before the countdown ends. Apple’s iPhone User Guide on Emergency SOS explains that this shortcut calls only after the countdown ends and you release the buttons.
- You pressed the side button five times: use the stop or cancel control on the countdown screen before it reaches zero. Its label can vary by iOS version.
- The sliders are showing but there’s no countdown: don’t drag the Emergency SOS slider. Tap Cancel at the bottom of the screen to close it.
- The call has already connected: stay on the line and tell the dispatcher it was an accident. See what to do after an accidental emergency call below.
In India, iPhone starts Emergency SOS when you quickly press the side button three times, not five. The same cancel steps apply.
After you use the Emergency SOS shortcut, your iPhone asks for your passcode before Face ID or Touch ID works again. This happens even if no call was made, so it isn’t a sign that something is wrong.
How to stop sharing your emergency location on iPhone
If Emergency SOS already placed a call, your emergency contacts probably got a text with your location, and they keep getting updates. Stopping those updates is often what people really mean by turning off Emergency SOS once activated.
After an emergency call ends, iPhone texts your emergency contacts unless you cancel that alert. It sends your current location, then updates them whenever your location changes for a period of time, as Apple’s iPhone User Guide explains. If Location Services was off, iPhone turns it on temporarily to send that location, according to Apple’s Emergency SOS privacy notice.
To stop the location updates:
- Tap the status bar at the top of your iPhone screen.
- Select Stop Sharing Emergency Location.
If you leave sharing on, iPhone reminds you every four hours for 24 hours. On Apple Watch, tap Stop Sharing in the notification instead. Both details come from Apple’s Emergency SOS privacy notice.
The automatic text doesn’t tell your contacts it was a mistake. Send them a quick message yourself so nobody panics or drives over.
How to turn off Emergency SOS on iPhone so it doesn’t trigger again
You can’t remove Emergency SOS from an iPhone completely, but you can turn off the shortcuts that set it off by accident.
- Open Settings.
- Tap Emergency SOS.
- Turn off Call with Hold and Release.
- Turn off Call with 5 Presses.
These labels match Apple’s current iPhone User Guide. Some iOS versions show the second one as Call with 5 Button Presses. Here is what each setting on that screen does.
| Setting | What it does | Turn it off if |
|---|---|---|
| Call with Hold and Release | Holding the side and volume buttons starts a countdown, then calls when you let go | SOS starts in your pocket, bag or when you grip the phone |
| Call with 5 Presses | Pressing the side button five times quickly starts a countdown | You often press the side button repeatedly, or a stiff case presses it |
| Call Quietly | Silences the alarm, flashes and VoiceOver during the countdown | Leave it off if accidental calls worry you: a silent countdown is easy to miss |
| Call After Severe Crash (iPhone 14 and later) | Calls emergency services after a detected severe car crash | Only if roller coasters or sports keep triggering it. It can save your life in a real crash |
Older iOS versions used different names. Before iOS 16.3, Call with Hold and Release was called Call with Hold, and Call Quietly was a Countdown Sound switch that worked the opposite way, as Gadget Hacks’ iPhone Emergency SOS walkthrough documents. Even older iOS versions used Call with Side Button and Auto Call.
Turning these off doesn’t remove your ability to get help. Holding the side and volume buttons still shows the Emergency SOS slider, and dragging it places a call, as Laptop Mag’s iPhone SOS guide confirms. You can also tap Emergency on the passcode screen and dial your local number, a method covered in Apple’s iPhone User Guide.
Apple Watch: open Settings on the watch, tap SOS, tap Hold Side Button, then turn it off. You can still call with the Emergency Call slider. These steps are in Apple’s Emergency SOS guide for iPhone and Apple Watch.
How to cancel and turn off Emergency SOS on Samsung Galaxy
On Galaxy phones with One UI 5.0 or later, pressing the side button five times quickly starts Emergency SOS, according to Samsung’s Emergency SOS support page. To cancel, use the cancel control on the countdown screen before it reaches zero. If the call connects, stay on the line and explain it was an accident.
To change the feature, open Settings > Safety and emergency > Emergency SOS. Depending on your model and One UI version, you may see an option to disable automatic dialing. If no off switch is available, adjust the countdown or confirmation settings to reduce accidental calls.
- If you see an on/off switch: tap it to turn Emergency SOS off, as shown in Samsung’s steps for turning off Emergency SOS. Samsung UK says this switch remains on phones that haven’t received its June 2023 software update.
- If there’s no switch: this is normal on some newer software. Samsung’s UK guide says automatic dialing can’t be turned off after the June 2023 update. Use the controls listed on Samsung’s US Emergency SOS support page instead:
- Require swipe to call: turn it on, and after five presses the phone waits for you to swipe the SOS Call icon instead of calling automatically.
- Countdown: pick a longer time so you have more seconds to cancel.
- Play warning sound: keep it on so you notice when a countdown starts.
Don’t use a fake emergency number. Samsung UK mentions setting a non-working custom number as a workaround, but warns that the shortcut then can’t make a real emergency call. A longer countdown is the safer fix.
Stop SOS alerts to your contacts: on current One UI, the Send SOS to emergency contacts switch sits on the same Emergency SOS screen. When it’s on, Samsung’s US support page says your phone sends your location, a photo and a voice recording, then location updates every 15 minutes for 24 hours until the alert is stopped. Older One UI versions list this as Send SOS messages directly under Safety and emergency, as Android Authority’s Emergency SOS guide shows. Calling and messaging are separate settings, so check both.
Never disable Samsung system apps to stop Emergency SOS. It isn’t a supported method and can break other phone features.
How to cancel and turn off Emergency SOS on Google Pixel
A Pixel starts Emergency SOS when you press the power button five times or more, according to Google’s Pixel emergency help page. How you cancel depends on how it’s set up:
- Touch & hold mode: nothing happens unless you touch and hold the red circle for 3 seconds. Simply don’t.
- Automatic mode: a 5-second countdown starts. Use the cancel control at the bottom of the screen before it ends.
To turn off Emergency SOS on a Pixel, follow Google’s steps:
- Open Settings.
- Tap Safety & emergency > Emergency SOS.
- Under “How it works,” tap the Settings icon.
- Tap Turn off Emergency SOS.
Prefer to keep it? Follow the same path and choose Touch & hold to start actions instead of Start actions automatically. That adds a confirmation step, which stops most pocket triggers without losing the feature.
Stop sharing your location: open the Personal Safety app, tap the emergency sharing info, then tap Stop. Emergency sharing also ends by itself after 24 hours, per Google’s emergency sharing instructions.
Car Crash Detection went off? You have 60 seconds to respond. Say “Cancel” or tap I’m OK, and the phone won’t call, as Google’s Car Crash Detection instructions explain. You can manage the feature in the Personal Safety app under Features > Car Crash Detection.
How to turn off Emergency SOS on other Android phones
On many Android phones, open Settings > Safety and emergency > Emergency SOS. If your phone uses different menus, search Settings for “Emergency SOS.” Some models let you disable the shortcut, while others offer countdown or confirmation controls.
Names vary by brand and Android version. Older software may keep the feature under Advanced settings, and vivo labels the switch SOS Call, according to Android Authority’s Emergency SOS guide.
Some phones also let you turn off Call emergency services under Emergency actions. SOS then alerts your contacts without dialing emergency services.
What to do if you accidentally called emergency services
If Emergency SOS connected you to emergency services by mistake, don’t hang up. Apple’s iPhone User Guide and Google’s Pixel emergency help page give the same advice: wait for a responder, then explain that you don’t need help. This works the same whether you dialed 911 in the US, 112 in Europe or 999 in the UK.
- Stay on the line until a dispatcher answers.
- Say clearly that Emergency SOS went off by accident and everyone is safe.
- Answer any questions. They may confirm your location and check that you’re genuinely safe.
- If you already hung up, expect a callback and answer it. After an emergency call, iPhone briefly disables Do Not Disturb, Silence Unknown Callers and Screen Time so emergency services can reach you, according to Apple’s iPhone User Guide.
An honest accident is not the same as a prank call, and you’re unlikely to get in trouble for one, as Android Authority notes. Once the call ends, stop location sharing and let your emergency contacts know you’re fine.
Why does my phone say SOS or SOS Only?
“SOS” or “SOS Only” in the status bar does not mean Emergency SOS is active. Apple’s support page on SOS and No Service explains that your phone isn’t connected to your carrier’s network, but you can still make emergency calls in supported countries. Turning off the Emergency SOS settings above won’t remove it.
To get your normal signal back, try these in order:
- Move to an area with better coverage.
- Turn Airplane Mode on, wait a few seconds, then turn it off.
- Restart your phone.
- Check that your cellular line or SIM is turned on in Settings.
- Install any carrier settings or software update.
- Contact your carrier if the message stays.
How to prevent accidental Emergency SOS calls
Most accidental Emergency SOS calls come from button presses in a pocket or bag, crash detection on rides, or a smartwatch. These habits cut them down without leaving you unprotected.
- Add a confirmation step. On Pixel, choose Touch & hold to start actions. On iPhone, turn off the two button shortcuts and use the slider. On Samsung, turn on Require swipe to call or set a longer countdown.
- Keep the alarm on. A loud countdown is the easiest way to notice an accidental trigger, so leave Call Quietly off unless you need discreet calling.
- Check your case. Stiff or tight cases can hold down the side and volume buttons together.
- Know how crash detection behaves. After a detected crash, iPhone shows an alert for 10 seconds, then runs a second 10-second countdown with loud sounds before calling, according to Apple’s Crash Detection guide. Cancel the alert during either stage. Pixel gives you 60 seconds.
- Set up your watch too. On Apple Watch, turn off Hold Side Button. To stop crash calls from the watch, go to SOS > Crash Detection and turn off Call After Severe Crash, as Apple’s Apple Watch Crash Detection steps show.
- Never test it for real. Don’t trigger Emergency SOS just to see if your settings worked. Pixel’s Emergency SOS setup includes a Try a demo option for practice, as Tom’s Guide shows.
Only turn features off as far as you need to. If one change stops the accidental calls, leave the rest on.
Frequently asked questions
Can I completely turn off Emergency SOS?
It depends on your phone. Pixel has a full off switch, and some other Android phones do too. iPhone only lets you turn off the shortcuts, and the Emergency SOS slider always stays available. Samsung varies by model and One UI version: some Galaxy phones have a switch, while others only let you change the countdown and confirmation settings.
Will my emergency contacts be notified if I cancel the countdown?
If you cancel Emergency SOS before its emergency actions begin, contacts generally won’t receive a new SOS alert. However, notifications depend on your phone, your settings and whether emergency sharing has already started. On iPhone, Apple’s iPhone User Guide says contacts are texted after an emergency call ends. On Pixel, it depends on which actions you turned on, such as calling, sharing your location or recording video, as Google’s Emergency SOS setup guide explains.
Will I get in trouble for accidentally calling 911?
Generally not, as long as you stay on the line and explain it was an accident. Deliberate false calls are treated very differently.
Why did my phone call emergency services by itself?
The usual causes are pressing the side or power button five times, squeezing the side and volume buttons in a pocket, crash detection during a bumpy ride, or a smartwatch’s fall or crash detection.
How long does iPhone share my location after Emergency SOS?
Updates continue for a period after the call. iPhone reminds you every four hours for 24 hours until you tap Stop Sharing Emergency Location.
Why does my iPhone ask for my passcode after Emergency SOS?
Using the Emergency SOS shortcut turns off Face ID or Touch ID until you enter your passcode. It’s a security feature, not a fault.
Why didn’t Emergency SOS start on my Pixel?
Pixel’s Emergency SOS doesn’t work in Airplane Mode or when Battery Saver is on, according to Google’s Pixel emergency help page. You can still dial your local emergency number manually.
What if my phone is stuck in Emergency SOS mode?
If the Emergency SOS screen won’t close, first check whether an emergency call is still connected. If it is, speak with the dispatcher before ending the call. Otherwise, try closing the screen or restarting your phone. If your iPhone displays “SOS” or “SOS Only” in the status bar, that’s a cellular connectivity issue rather than an active Emergency SOS call.
Final thoughts
Turning off Emergency SOS once activated comes down to timing. Cancel during the countdown, stay on the line if a call connects, then stop location sharing and adjust your settings. Change only what you need to, because Emergency SOS is still worth having when something real happens.
Louis Mugan is a seasoned technology writer with a talent for turning complicated ideas into clear, practical guidance. He focuses on helping everyday readers stay confident in a world where tech moves fast. His style is approachable, steady, and built on real understanding.
He has spent years writing for platforms like EasyTechLife, where he covers gadgets, software, digital trends, and everyday tech solutions. His articles focus on clarity, real-world usefulness, and helping people understand how technology actually fits into their lives.
Outside of his regular columns, Louis explores emerging tools, reviews products, and experiments with new tech so his readers don’t have to. His steady, friendly approach has made him a reliable voice for anyone trying to keep up with modern technology. get in touch at louismugan@gmail.com
