iOS 13.5 Beta Adds Option to Share Medical ID Info During Emergency Calls

In addition to introducing Face ID changes for mask usage and the Exposure Notification API, iOS 13.5 adds a new feature for sharing Medical ID information.

medicalid1
Today's iOS 13.5 beta prompts users to review their Medical ID settings when opening the Health app, introducing options to share Medical ID info during an emergency call and on the Lock screen.

Based on the text accompanying the feature, enabling the option sends Medical ID information to emergency dispatchers who answer an emergency call. Apple says it will provide emergency services personnel with key info like allergies, language, and medical conditions.

iPhone and Apple Watch can automatically send the information in your Medical ID to the dispatcher who answers your call.

This can speed up the process of getting the care you need.

This feature can be toggled on when adjusting medical settings after updating, as can the option to provide access to Medical ID even when an iPhone is locked.

These settings can be adjusted in the Health section of the Settings app by tapping on Medical ID and then the "Edit" option.

medicalid2
According to Apple, when the Medical ID sharing feature is enabled, a call or text to emergency services shares location and encrypted Medical ID info with Apple.

Apple uses location to determine whether Enhanced Emergency Data is supported in your area, and if so, the Medical ID info is forwarded to a partner for delivery to medical services.

If Emergency Calls & SOS in Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services is disabled, the feature does not work.

Related Forum: iOS 13

Top Rated Comments

konqerror Avatar
38 months ago
Pretty sure it's an enhancement to an existing service where your device sends its location through a company called RapidSOS.

https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.nena.org/resource/resmgr/docs/Apple_Enhanced_Emergency_Dat.pdf

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RapidSOS
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
supercoolmanchu Avatar
38 months ago
Apple really went overboard stupid on this one.

This cultivated social awareness mentality that they appeared to be getting high on... downside with following any mob reaction (or basically any recent social trend) is that mob’s are ruled by emotion not logic.

The actual underlined, dotted I’d and crossed T’s, preliminary research findings won’t happen at least until next year. At which point the hysteria and clutter in the data always gets cleared, as it does in any ‘disaster’, and likely everything being done will have been for naught. The government never does anything right in a disaster, and their prep is equally laughable with any hindsight.

Nobody has saved any lives here, let’s stop pretending that anybody deserves any medals for social distancing or locking themselves away. Because hiding out of disease fear is the single most selfish, ugly reaction a person could have in a crisis. Those people chose to sit in their caves, while the world crashed, hoping to better pick thru the scrapes after.

All Apple is doing is enabling a horrendously poor social reaction by trying to make a trendy tool to continue into the skid. Worse it’s useless wishy, washy pop-sci-ish bloat with the abuse potential outweighing any supposed benefit.

Tim Cook should be ashamed of himself. He is a horrible person ruining actual technical innovation for the sake of his ego. Worse, he’s a reactionary ninny who often gets it wrong, and wastes investor money on ******** causes purely for the upkeep of his trendy brand name, “I care” persona.

“If saving trees” or “feeling accepted” is a feature you are looking for in a tech product... I’m sorry, you are just superstitious looking for deep personal validation and spiritual significant from a hammer.

As an investor, I think it’s time Apple bottom lines on all of Tim’s pet issues, how much more expensive is the iPhone with the features inspired by Tim overreacting to watching MSNBC on his exerbike? Whatever the savings are, $2 or 10 cents from the price of an iPhone... worth it.

Like what does the Watch cost just without the Breath function? Take that in a second.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DougieS Avatar
38 months ago
Looks like this is USA only. Don’t have this option in UK.

also just noticed the following, looks like health records are due soon for UK. Can anyone confirm when this first appeared in iOS?

Attachment Image
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 17 on Phone Feature

Gurman: iOS 17 to Provide Several 'Most Requested Features'

Sunday March 26, 2023 6:05 am PDT by
Apple changed the strategy for iOS 17 later in its development process to add several new features, suggesting that the update may be more significant than previously thought, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. In January, Gurman said that iOS 17 could be a less significant update than iPhone updates in previous years due to the company's intense focus on its long-awaited mixed-reality...
iOS 16

iOS 16.4 Will Add These 8 New Features to Your iPhone

Sunday March 26, 2023 8:06 am PDT by
Following nearly six weeks of beta testing, iOS 16.4 is expected to be released to the public as soon as this week. The software update includes a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone 8 and newer. To install an iOS update, open the Settings app on the iPhone, tap General → Software Update, and follow the on-screen instructions. Below, we have recapped eight new features and...
apple mixed reality headset concept by david lewis and marcus kane

Some Apple Employees Seriously Concerned About Mixed-Reality Headset as Announcement Draws Closer

Sunday March 26, 2023 8:25 am PDT by
Some Apple employees are concerned about the usefulness and price point of the company's upcoming mixed-reality headset, The New York Times reports. Apple headset concept by David Lewis and Marcus Kane Initial enthusiasm around the device at the company has apparently become skepticism, according to eight current and former Apple employees speaking to The New York Times. The change of tone...
Steve Jobs Theater dusk

Apple Reportedly Demoed Mixed-Reality Headset to Executives in the Steve Jobs Theater Last Week

Sunday March 26, 2023 5:53 am PDT by
Apple showcased its mixed-reality headset to the company's top 100 executives in the Steve Jobs Theater last week, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman explained that the "momentous gathering" is a "key milestone" ahead of the headset's public announcement planned for June. The event was intended to rally Apple's top members of...
top stories 25mar2023

Top Stories: iPhone 15 Pro Design Leak, iOS 16.4 Coming Soon, and More

Saturday March 25, 2023 6:00 am PDT by
We're still almost six months away from the official unveiling of the iPhone 15 lineup, but it seems like every day we're learning more about what to expect from the next-generation models. Notably, this week gave us our clearest look yet at what appear to be some changes for the volume and mute control hardware. iOS 16.4 and associated releases are also right around the corner with some new ...
iOS 16

Apple Releases iOS 16.4 With New Emoji, Safari Web Push Notifications, Beta Changes, Voice Isolation for Calls and More

Monday March 27, 2023 10:03 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 16.4, the fourth major update to the iOS 16 operating system that initially came out last September. iOS 16.4 comes two months after the launch of iOS 16.3, an update that added Security Keys for Apple ID. iOS 16‌.4 and iPadOS 16.4 can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. It can take a few minutes...
Hero0009

Best Apple Deals of the Week: Samsung's Smart Monitor M8 Gets Massive $250 Discount, Along With Year's Best AirPods Prices

Friday March 24, 2023 10:23 am PDT by
We saw a lot of great deals on Apple products and related accessories this week, including Samsung's iMac-like Smart Monitor M8 for $250 off, a 30 percent off spring sale at Anker, and the year's best prices on numerous AirPods models. All of these deals are still available to purchase right now, so we're recapping them and more below. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these ...
dynamic island

iPhone 15 Dynamic Island to Include New Integrated Proximity Sensor

Friday March 24, 2023 12:27 am PDT by
This year, all iPhone 15 models will include Apple's Dynamic Island that unifies the pill and hole cutouts at the top of the display, but there will also be a material change to the feature that wasn't included in the iPhone 14 Pro models. According to a new tweet by Apple industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the proximity sensor on the iPhone 15 series will be integrated inside the Dynamic Island ...