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How {And Why} To Add An ICE App To Your Smart Phone
In Case Of Emergency

Here is both why you should add an ICE app to your smart phone, that shows on the lock screen, and how to do it, as well as back up ways to provide information in the case of an emergency.

Here is both why you should add an ICE app to your smart phone, that shows on the lock screen, and how to do it, as well as back up ways to provide information in the case of an emergency {on Home Storage Solutions 101}use this Pin it button to save to Pinterest

No one wants an emergency situation to occur, but unfortunately they can happen, and it is best to be prepared, especially when that preparation is relatively easy to do.

Today's Declutter 365 mission is to fill out an emergency contacts list and post or store it in some strategic locations around your home and inside your car.

Here is both why you should add an ICE app to your smart phone, that shows on the lock screen, and how to do it, as well as back up ways to provide information in the case of an emergency {on Home Storage Solutions 101} #ICEApp #AppReviews #EmergencyPreparednessuse this Pin it button to save to Pinterest

In addition, though, if you are unable to communicate, you should also have certain information, known as ICE information (which stands for "in case of emergency") available where people have been trained to look for it, your wallet and smart phone.

This information would include the main person to contact for you in the case of an emergency, and any pertinent medical information medical personnel would need to know quickly.

Why Adding ICE To Your Phone Contacts Isn't Enough

I've actually seen a lot of people suggest that you add ICE as one of the contacts within your smart phone, and that's not a bad idea except when you think it through how can emergency personnel, or strangers, get into your smart phone contacts without your pass code for the lock screen?

Most days it's more important that your phone have a lock screen, and that you need a pass code to open it up and access information than it will be to have your ICE information, so I would never suggest you keep your phone unlocked.

Therefore, if you want to add your ICE information to your smart phone it must be accessible to everyone even on the lock screen.

How To Add An ICE App To Your Phone

Because you need everyone to be able to access ICE information even without knowing your smart phone pass code, you should use a special type of ICE app to provide medical first responders and others with this information.

You will need to be careful to choose an app that does allow access even in the lock screen, because unfortunately there are some apps available, especially for Android, that are not designed this way.

If you've got an iPhone adding your ICE information to your phone is simple, and you use the free app which comes pre-installed on your phone (and cannot be deleted) called "Health." Once you add the information in the "Medical ID" section of the app it is programmed to show up even on the locked screen when someone clicks the "emergency" button on that screen, as long as you have marked you want it to appear that way.

If you've got an Android or Windows phone you need to be more careful which ICE app you choose since those companies have not created an easy solution for you the way Apple has.

I found a very helpful article with information about how to add an emergency contact to the lock screen of several different types of phones from PC Magazine, here. Check out the instructions in that article for more details and suggestions of which apps or hacks might work best for you. The article also has more information about how to add information to the Health app for iPhones.

Here's An Example Of Why Having The Info On Your Lock Screen Is Important

I got this comment on the Facebook page recently, which showed why having this information on the lock screen is so important.

A reader, Cynthia, said:

I have a line on my lock screen that says, "If found, please contact (xxx) xxx-xxxx." I'm so glad I had it when I got in my motorcycle accident. Bystanders were able to call my husband who got to me before the ambulance left the scene. Definitely worth the few minutes it took to complete. (Although I was knocked unconscious for a bit, the accident wasn't too bad. Nothing broken, just cuts and scrapes on exposed skin. As always, I was wearing my helmet, leather jacket, jeans, gloves, and boots.)

I'm so glad Cynthia ended up being OK, but while she was unconscious it was her earlier actions, to put the information where it could be accessed, that helped her communicate at that moment. Make sure you do the same!

Alternative Way To Provide ICE Information: Wallet Card

ICE wallet card, to fill out and keep in your wallet in case of emergency {featured on Home Storage Solutions 101} #ICEApp #AppReviews #EmergencyPreparednessClick here to purchase ICE cards

Of course, when all else fails you can always rely on alternative methods for conveying ICE information, and that includes the trusty ICE card that you place in your wallet.

If you're a belt and suspenders type of person who wants a back up method beside your smart phone to convey this information (such as if your smart phone is damaged in the emergency), you don't want to be bothered trying to add information to your smart phone, or you don't have a smart phone, I encourage you to add an ICE card to your wallet.

Really, you should have an ICE card or enter smart phone information for every member of your family who has a smart phone or carries a wallet!

You can get ICE cards for your wallet here, through my referral link on Amazon.

Want To Do More Decluttering Missions? Get Started With Declutter 365 Today!

Declutter 365 missions: 15 minute missions for your entire home

Once you declutter one type of item in your home I bet you'll want to declutter some more. After all, decluttering gives you a great reward for even a small investment of time and energy.

The Declutter 365 system is designed to help you declutter, over the course of a year, your entire house, with just 15 minutes of decluttering each day!

Hundreds of thousands of people use this proven system to get rid of their clutter, and bring peace and calm back to their homes.

Declutter 365 works to guide you to clear the clutter without overwhelm, focusing on just one small area at a time, and without making a huge mess in the process, so you see consistent forward progress without all that "messy middle" that makes it even harder to function in your home than before you started.

In addition to building a daily decluttering habit, the Declutter 365 program, along with the accompanying 52 Week Organized Home Challenge, teaches you the skills, habits, routines, and mindsets necessary to maintain the clutter free and organized state of your home from now on, so it'll never be as messy and cluttered as it is right now, ever again.

If you haven't already, make sure to get your copy of this year's Declutter 365 annual calendar here (it's FREE!), find today's date, and do 15 minutes of decluttering on the day's mission. Then, repeat again tomorrow, and again and again. Over the course of the next year, if you do this 15 minutes per day, you'll declutter your whole house!


Click here to take me to this year's Declutter 365 calendar

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