What should you put on a medical ID?
Put what a stranger or paramedic needs in the first minutes: your name, emergency contacts, serious medical conditions, allergies (especially to medications), current medications, and blood type if you know it. Apple's Medical ID has fields for conditions, allergies and medications, and Android's Safety app lets you add blood type, allergies, medications and emergency contacts. Keep it short, accurate and readable from the lock screen.
What to include, and how to set it up
01Start with emergency contacts
Add two people who will answer their phone and know your health history. Include their relationship to you. On iPhone, the same contacts receive a message with your location after you use Emergency SOS, so choose people who will act on it.
02List conditions that change treatment
Include conditions a responder must know about: diabetes, epilepsy, heart conditions, asthma, a pacemaker, pregnancy, or a bleeding disorder. Skip minor history that won't matter in an emergency. Plain words work better than abbreviations.
03Add allergies and medications
Drug allergies matter most, followed by severe allergies to foods or insect stings. List medications you take regularly, especially blood thinners, insulin and seizure medication. Update the list whenever a prescription changes.
04Make it visible when your phone is locked
On iPhone, open Health, tap your profile picture, tap Medical ID, and turn on Show When Locked. You can also turn on Share During Emergency Call so it's sent automatically when you call or text emergency services where that's available. On Android, in the Safety app, go to Your info and turn on Show when locked under emergency info access.
05Carry a backup that doesn't need a phone
A cracked or dead phone can't show anything. Carry a small card or ID tag with the same essentials. Our free emergency card tool creates one you can print and keep in a pocket or shoe.
Related questions
Is it safe to show medical information on my lock screen?
Anyone who picks up your phone can read it, which is the point in an emergency. Google warns about this directly. Include only what helps responders, and leave out things like your home address or ID numbers.
Should I include my blood type?
Include it if you know it for certain. Hospitals test blood type before a transfusion anyway, so it's helpful but not essential. Accurate allergies and medications matter more.
What belongs in the notes field?
Anything a responder should know that doesn't fit elsewhere, in plain words: "Type 1 diabetic, insulin pump on left hip," "Carries epinephrine auto-injector in running belt," or "Recent concussion, March 2026." Keep it to a few short lines. Leave out passwords, your home address and anything you wouldn't want a stranger to read.
Should the people I share my runs with know this too?
Yes. If one of your Guardians gets an SOS from Holler, they are the one calling 911 and answering the dispatcher's questions. Tell them your conditions, allergies and medications ahead of time. Step-by-step setup for your phone is in our guide to setting up Medical ID on iPhone.
How often should I update it?
Whenever a medication, diagnosis or emergency contact changes, and a quick review every few months. Out-of-date medications can mislead responders, and a contact who changed numbers can't be reached. A calendar reminder takes the effort out of it.
More safety questions
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Sources, checked September 2026: Apple Support: Set up your Medical ID in the Health app on your iPhone, Android Help: Get help during an emergency with your Android phone.
More safety answers, or see the safety guides.