You need to know about this important iPhone Health app hack

It could save your life

A health worker in the US has recently been singing the praises of the Health app found on all up-to-date iPhones, and we have to say, for an app we've never really considered using, this is pretty interesting news. For the uninitiated, the Health app is completely free to use and is actually really important to know about, as it could end up saving your life...

So, how does it work?

Writing on Facebook, Julia Thompson said: 'Working in a public hospital and seeing patients in ER all the time, I see many patients come in and we have had no way of knowing who they are, or how to contact their next of kin, or their medical history! And their phones are locked! But many people don't realize that you can set up something called a 'Medical ID' on your iPhone if you have the health app (free with phone). I didn't even realize this when I got my own iPhone!'

'This information can be accessed even while the phone is locked by clicking on the emergency options and can display things like name, date of birth, emergency contacts, medical conditions and even blood type and donor status. You can even add notes! I believe Android [users] have an app called ICE ('in case of emergency') that works similarly....'

This feature is SO useful, right?

How do you set up your own Medical ID?

To set up your Medical ID, simply open the Health app and tap the Medical ID icon in the bottom right hand of the screen, edit and input your information. The most important bit is to make sure you select 'Show in Lock Screen' so that, in an emergency, your medical information can be accessed without needing your passcode. When somebody swipes to the passcode screen, an 'Emergency' option can be seen in the bottom left hand corner. The below video is a handy guide.

Be sure to update your Medical ID in the Health app now, as you never know when you could be in need of this feature yourself.

Pretty good for an app we didn't even really know about, right?