iPhone 12 Why is the iPhone SOS method so complicated?!

[mavidaru]

I don't own an iPhone, I just was to help someone with theirs over the phone because they said it was misbehaving.

However, when I looked up how force-shutdown worked, and saw that it had the SOS option on it:

How to Hard Reset or Force Restart iPhone 12

Apple's iPhone 12 mini, ‌iPhone 12‌, iPhone 12 Pro, and ‌iPhone 12 Pro‌ Max come in different sizes compared to its predecessor iPhone 11 series,...

www.macrumors.com

I was like... wait, why is getting the SOS screen such a chore?!

Like, if you're in a panic, you can't just push and hold down a recognizable power button, you know, the ones marked with the ubiquitous power button symbol:

You have to hold down the "side" button (there's buttons on both sides) and the Volume Up or Volume Down button to get the Power/SOS screen...

I just, I mean, what percentage of iPhone owners even know this?! What percentage of those people will remember the sequence in an emergency? What if an emergency is awkward and you miss or can't press one of the volume buttons as well as the power button?

Like, I'm glad Apple added an SOS option, but when it's been common to hard shut-off a phone by holding down the power button... is this really better?

Note: I'm open to an explanation as to why this is better.

 

[jav6454]

I found the option of holding down power to be the best.

 

[hg.wells]

That is the standard way to turn an iPhone off to stop the phone accidentally being turned off in someone’s pocket.

Kids also play with parents phones, so I’m guessing it also prevents accidental 911 calls being made.

The emergency button can also be found on the iPhones Lock Screen.

 

[now i see it]

When SOS was implemented way back when, it was so easy to accidentally trigger it that 911 was getting flooded with false alarms.
I think it’s how it is today (convoluted method) to minimize accidental triggers.

 

[russell_314]

Or you can just say "Hey Siri call 911" Now she might get confused and respond with "Okay calling grandma" but that's okay because then you can tell grandma to call 911 for you ?

 

[jagolden]

Because the single button hold down is too easily activated by accident resulting in thousands of wasted emergency calls.
That said, the iPhone method IS too much for emergency situations.

 

[JPack]

Because of this.

An Apple repair center accidentally called 911 about 1,600 times in four months — and no one knows why

Apple is aware of the problem and investigating it.

www.washingtonpost.com

 

[BugeyeSTI]

I've had the accidental activation with the presss and hold power button before so I immediately changed it to clicking the power button 5 times quickly and has worked really well for me. No more accidental calls to 911 since

 

[MacNerd01]

Can’t you activate it by repeatedly pressing the side button? This seems like a relatively easy and quick way to go about it.

 

[dk001]

Can’t you activate it by repeatedly pressing the side button? This seems like a relatively easy and quick way to go about it.

As of 15.5 - from release notes;

Phone​

Known Issues​

• Emergency SOS “Call with 5 Presses” is disabled for all users outside of India to fix an issue that caused this setting to unintentionally default for some users. (86189447)

 

[MacNerd01]

As of 15.5 - from release notes;

Phone​

Known Issues​

• Emergency SOS “Call with 5 Presses” is disabled for all users outside of India to fix an issue that caused this setting to unintentionally default for some users. (86189447)

Wow. Oooookay. I wouldn’t know, I thankfully haven’t had to use this feature at all yet ?

 

[Blowback]

I don't own an iPhone, I just was to help someone with theirs over the phone because they said it was misbehaving.

However, when I looked up how force-shutdown worked, and saw that it had the SOS option on it:

How to Hard Reset or Force Restart iPhone 12

Apple's iPhone 12 mini, ‌iPhone 12‌, iPhone 12 Pro, and ‌iPhone 12 Pro‌ Max come in different sizes compared to its predecessor iPhone 11 series,...

www.macrumors.com

I was like... wait, why is getting the SOS screen such a chore?!

Like, if you're in a panic, you can't just push and hold down a recognizable power button, you know, the ones marked with the ubiquitous power button symbol:

View attachment 2006135

You have to hold down the "side" button (there's buttons on both sides) and the Volume Up or Volume Down button to get the Power/SOS screen...

I just, I mean, what percentage of iPhone owners even know this?! What percentage of those people will remember the sequence in an emergency? What if an emergency is awkward and you miss or can't press one of the volume buttons as well as the power button?

Like, I'm glad Apple added an SOS option, but when it's been common to hard shut-off a phone by holding down the power button... is this really better?

Note: I'm open to an explanation as to why this is better.

I've know it for as long as I can remember . But then I at least glance through manuals.....

 

[FreakinEurekan]

As of 15.5 - from release notes;

Phone​

Known Issues​

• Emergency SOS “Call with 5 Presses” is disabled for all users outside of India to fix an issue that caused this setting to unintentionally default for some users. (86189447)

What’s “Disabled” is starting the call. 5 presses still gets you to the screen where you can CHOOSE to call… and the option to turn it on is still in Settings > Emergency SOS, it’s just disabled by default now (I never had it enabled, personally).

 

[FreakinEurekan]

why is getting the SOS screen such a chore?!

Like, if you're in a panic, you can't just push and hold down a recognizable power button, you know, the ones marked with the ubiquitous power button symbol:

We could debate easier/harder methods. But holding down a power button, to me, would not be an intuitive way to make an emergency call. It’d be a good way to force power off.

 

[burgman]

As of 15.5 - from release notes;

Phone​

Known Issues​

• Emergency SOS “Call with 5 Presses” is disabled for all users outside of India to fix an issue that caused this setting to unintentionally default for some users. (86189447)

Uhh, disabled doesn't mean removed does it. Just turn that option on in settings.

 

[burgman]

I don't own an iPhone, I just was to help someone with theirs over the phone because they said it was misbehaving.

However, when I looked up how force-shutdown worked, and saw that it had the SOS option on it:

How to Hard Reset or Force Restart iPhone 12

Apple's iPhone 12 mini, ‌iPhone 12‌, iPhone 12 Pro, and ‌iPhone 12 Pro‌ Max come in different sizes compared to its predecessor iPhone 11 series,...

www.macrumors.com

I was like... wait, why is getting the SOS screen such a chore?!

Like, if you're in a panic, you can't just push and hold down a recognizable power button, you know, the ones marked with the ubiquitous power button symbol:

View attachment 2006135

You have to hold down the "side" button (there's buttons on both sides) and the Volume Up or Volume Down button to get the Power/SOS screen...

I just, I mean, what percentage of iPhone owners even know this?! What percentage of those people will remember the sequence in an emergency? What if an emergency is awkward and you miss or can't press one of the volume buttons as well as the power button?

Like, I'm glad Apple added an SOS option, but when it's been common to hard shut-off a phone by holding down the power button... is this really better?

Note: I'm open to an explanation as to why this is better.

Simple answer it's not. Take some time and learn about iPhone settings, but that would remove an opportunity to poke at Apple and members, which seems to be your goal since joining.