How to Stop Your Phone From Calling 911 by Accident

Accidental emergency calls usually happen because a phone’s shortcut gets triggered in your pocket, a side button is pressed repeatedly, or a stuck screen/registers a squeeze. Fixing it is often a matter of changing a few settings and habits.

Below are safe, practical steps with short notes on what each change means for real emergencies (don’t completely remove your ability to call for help if you might need it).

Think about safety first

Before you disable shortcuts or auto-call features, ask yourself: How likely am I to need to call emergency services quickly? If you live alone, have a medical condition, or work in risky environments, you may want to keep at least one fast way to call for help. The tips below try to reduce false calls without making help hard to reach.

iPhone — turn off Emergency SOS auto-calls

iPhones have Emergency SOS features that can call automatically if you press the side button repeatedly or hold it with a volume button. To reduce accidental calls:

Open Settings → Emergency SOS (or just search “Emergency SOS” in Settings). Then:

• Turn Off the option labeled Call with Side Button (or “Call with Hold” on some versions).
• Turn Off Auto Call if present this prevents the phone from starting a countdown and calling automatically.
• Keep Emergency SOS available manually if you still want the ability to call via the Emergency screen.

Important: after disabling Auto Call, you can still call 911 manually by opening the Phone app or dialing. Also keep your Medical ID info updated so responders have vital details if you do call.

Android (general) — disable Emergency/SOS shortcuts

Android UI varies by manufacturer, but most phones offer an Emergency or Safety setting where auto-SOS can be toggled off.

Look for terms like Emergency SOS, Safety & Emergency, SOS, or Power button settings in Settings → Security & safety or Settings → System. Common actions:

• Turn off Auto SOS / Auto Call Emergency if available.
• Disable any setting that makes repeated presses of the power/side button call emergency services automatically.
• For phones that use the Power + Volume button as an SOS shortcut, disable that shortcut or change it to open a notification instead.

If you tell me your exact Android model (e.g., Pixel, Samsung Galaxy, OnePlus), I can give the precise menu path but these are the keywords to look for.