Walkthrough: Set up the Emergency Lock Screen widget
In an emergency, the person holding the phone might not be you. It could be a paramedic, a teacher, or a stranger who stepped in to help. The Emergency widget puts the few details that matter most right on the Lock Screen, where anyone can see them at a glance, without your passcode and without opening the app. Available
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It shows only the basics a first responder needs in a hurry: your person's name and age, and their main diagnosis. Everything else stays private behind your lock.
This guide walks you through adding it.
Before you start
The widget shows information for the person you currently have selected in the app. Make sure that person's profile has at least a name and a diagnosis filled in, so the widget has something to show. You set this on the Person profile, and the same details power your person's Health & Communication Passport.
Open CareHaven once after you make any changes. The widget refreshes from the app, so a quick visit keeps it current.
Add the widget to your Lock Screen
This is something iOS does, the same way you would add any Lock Screen widget. Here is the path:
- Wake your iPhone and press and hold anywhere on the Lock Screen until the customize screen appears.
- Tap Customize, then tap Lock Screen.
- Tap one of the widget slots above or below the clock.
- Scroll to find CareHaven in the list, then choose Emergency Info.
- Pick the shape you want (the shapes are described below).
- Tap Done to save, then dismiss the customize screen.
That is it. Lock your phone and the widget is there.
The three shapes
When you add the widget, you choose how much it shows. The shapes match the slots iOS offers on the Lock Screen:
- Rectangular — the fullest view. It shows a small medical glyph, your person's name and age, and their first diagnosis. This is the one most worth using if you have room for it.
- Circular — a compact glyph that fits a small round slot. It signals at a glance that emergency info is here.
- Inline — a single line of text that sits just above the clock.
You can use more than one if your Lock Screen has the space. If you only add one, the rectangular shape carries the most useful detail.
What a first responder sees
When your phone is locked and someone glances at the Lock Screen, the rectangular widget shows your person's name and age, and their main diagnosis. That is enough to point a paramedic or a teacher in the right direction without unlocking anything. A dedicated allergies line is on the way. Coming soon
If you have not set up a person yet, the widget gently prompts you with a note to open CareHaven and get started, so it is never just blank.
When someone with Face ID taps the widget, the phone unlocks and CareHaven opens. For your person's full emergency details and contacts, keep the Health & Communication Passport and your Safety & crisis plans up to date, and use the in-app SOS screen to reach your emergency contacts with one tap.
Keeping it current
The widget pulls from the app, so it stays fresh when you do. Each time you open CareHaven, it republishes what the widget shows, and the Lock Screen catches up within a few seconds. If you add a new diagnosis, just open the app once afterward and the widget updates to match.
A note on privacy
The widget is built to show only the few things a stranger genuinely needs in an emergency. It deliberately leaves out the rest. Your full address, your complete medication list, your notes, your plans, none of that appears on the Lock Screen. The app keeps your sensitive information behind your lock, exactly where it belongs. You can read more about how CareHaven protects your data on the Privacy & security page.
If your phone uses an Always-On display, the widget's details are hidden while the screen is dimmed and reappear when you pick the phone up.
If you have more than one person
Right now the widget follows the person you currently have selected in the app. The ability to pin the widget to a specific person, so it always shows the same person no matter who is selected, is on the way. Coming soon
Related
- Safety & crisis plans — do-this-now plans for the moments that matter
- Caregiver tools (for you) — including the Health & Communication Passport
- Across your Apple devices — widgets, Watch, and more
- Privacy & security (in depth) — what stays on your device and why