@chessmaster7 Is using those monitoring apps even legal for parents if their kid knows about it? I honestly don’t get all the rules, it’s really confusing!
@chessmaster7 I’m really lost about that stuff. Are you saying parents can’t use those apps even if their kid knows? What should someone do then if they’re just trying to keep family safe?
Here’s the reality on locked iPhones:
- Emergency Calls: Even when locked, you can swipe up (or tap “Emergency” on older iPhones) to make emergency calls (911/etc.), but you can’t directly “alert” your specific contacts automatically from the lock screen.
- Medical ID: If you set up your Medical ID (in the Health app), others can access emergency info (name, allergies, emergency contacts) from the lock screen without unlocking. It still requires someone to tap “Emergency” → “Medical ID.”
- No Custom Lock Screen Messages: Apple removed “Owner Info” lock screen messages years ago. Unless you set your wallpaper to a photo with your info/message, no built-in way to display custom text.
- No Automatic Alert: iOS doesn’t have a “send message if phone locked” feature for emergencies. Some security/anti-theft apps claim this, but due to iOS restrictions, those features rarely work in practice.
Short version: tell your loved ones about Medical ID and consider an informative wallpaper image. Apple locks this down pretty tight.