Apple’s iOS 13.5 will be able to automatically share medical information like blood type and food allergies with dispatchers during an emergency call
- A new feature will be able to automatically shared medical info with dispatchers
- The emergency feature will build upon Apple’s Medical ID feature
- Users in locations with Enhanced Emergency Data can automatically transmit information on blood type, food allergies, and current medications
- The feature will be rolled out on iOS 13.5 over the next several weeks
A new feature in Apple’s iOS 13.5 will be able to send users medical info to emergency call centers automatically.
According to Apple, the feature will start rolling out in iOS 13.5 over the next several weeks and will utilize information that users have inputted to their device’s Health app.
Specifically the feature will use information that’s entered into the Health app’s Medical ID section which contains data on blood type, food allergies, current medication, and more.
A new feature in iOS 13.5 (pictured) will be able to transmit users’ medical data to dispatchers during an emergency call automatically
If a user is in area that supports Enhanced Emergency Data – a system that delivers a caller’s location to dispatchers automatically – the feature will transmit data automatically.
Theoretically, the feature could help save time for emergency responders and also relay information in the event that a caller is unable to speak.
Information stored in Medical ID is encrypted on-device and according to Apple the feature will work for the Apple Watch Series 4 and 5 as well as any iPhone running iOS 13.5
The emergency feature will augment Apple’s Medical ID feature which is designed to make users’ crucial health data readily accessible to first responders.
When Medical ID is enabled first responders will be able to tap an icon at the bottom left of a phone’s lock screen to pull up information without having to unlock the device.
In addition to Apple’s coronavirus-tracking API’s a new feature inside an upcoming iOS update will reportedly make it easier for users to unlock their iPhones while wearing a protective mask.
As noted by a TechCrunch report, videos shared to Twitter show an updated unlock process in iOS 13.5 that brings users straight to the secondary manual passcode entry when Face ID detects that they’re wearing a mask.
This saves users the trouble of having to try and fail to unlock their device with Face ID and could also help avoid unsafe practices.