In short
Open Settings, tap Privacy & Security and tap Safety Check. Emergency Reset stops sharing with all people and apps at once. Manage Sharing & Access lets you review people, apps and devices one by one. Quick Exit at the top right closes it at once.
Safety Check gathers in one place everything that gives other people access to you: shared location, shared albums and calendars, app permissions, devices signed in to your account, and your passcode. It was built for people leaving a controlling relationship, and it is useful for anyone after a break-up or when a device has been in someone else's hands.
The screenshots are from our iPhone 17e on iOS 27.0.1, in dark mode.
On our iPhone, the Safety Check row sits in Privacy & Security directly below Blocked Contacts, with the note "Protect your personal safety by staying aware of which people, apps and devices have access to your information."
On our iPhone, the Safety Check page shows two options, Emergency Reset and Manage Sharing & Access, with a Quick Exit button at the top right.
4 of 6 steps show a real screenshot from our iPhone 17e.
Steps
- 1
Check the requirements
Apple says Safety Check needs iOS 16 or later and an Apple Account with two-factor authentication, signed in on the iPhone.
To find the setting, open Settings, tap your name, then Sign-In & Security. On our iPhone the Two-Factor Authentication row sits under Security, below Change Password, and shows no On value next to it.
- 2
Open Settings, Privacy & Security, Safety Check
Scroll down in Privacy & Security and tap Safety Check. On our iPhone it is directly below Blocked Contacts.
- 3
Know the Quick Exit button
Quick Exit is at the top right of the Safety Check page. Apple says it closes Settings at once and returns to the Home Screen, and changes you have made up to that point are kept.
- 4
Enter your passcode
After you tap Manage Sharing & Access on the Safety Check page, our iPhone asked "Enter iPhone Passcode for “Settings”" with "Authenticate to access Safety Check." Enter your iPhone passcode.
Apple's guide says you then review the people you share with, the apps and their data, and the devices, trusted phone numbers, emergency contacts and passcode. Remove or change what you no longer want.
- 5
Use Emergency Reset when it has to be fast
Tap Emergency Reset on the Safety Check page. Apple's guide says it stops sharing with all people and all apps in one step, then takes you through your emergency contacts, signed-in devices, verification phone numbers and a change of your Apple Account password.
- 6
Check the result
When you have finished, open Manage Sharing & Access again to confirm that your changes were applied as you intended.
If you do not see this option
- There is no Safety Check row. Scroll further down in Privacy & Security; on our iPhone it is below Blocked Contacts. Apple says Safety Check needs iOS 16 or later, an Apple Account with two-factor authentication, and that you are signed in under Settings, [your name]. Source: Safety Check for an iPhone with iOS 16 or later (Personal Safety User Guide)
- Some options are missing. Apple says that with Screen Time restrictions on, or a device management (MDM) profile installed, you can still use Safety Check, but some options may not be available. Source: Safety Check for an iPhone with iOS 16 or later (Personal Safety User Guide)
- You are on an iPad or a Mac. Apple says to use its manual checklists instead: limit device and account access, manage location information and manage content. Source: Safety Check for an iPhone with iOS 16 or later (Personal Safety User Guide)
If this does not work
- You are asked for a passcode. On our iPhone, Manage Sharing & Access asked "Enter iPhone Passcode for “Settings”". Enter your iPhone passcode to continue, or tap the X at the top left to close the prompt.
- Safety Check works differently than described. Apple says it may work a little differently when Stolen Device Protection is on.
- What you shared from Fitness or Notes is not listed. Apple says that if apps such as Fitness or Notes were deleted, you may need to download them again to see what you shared.
- Something is still shared after Safety Check. Apple says Safety Check can't review non-Apple accounts, social media sharing, devices signed in to a different Apple Account, or an iPad or Mac that shares through other apps. Check those directly.
Good to know
People may notice when you stop sharing with them, for example because your location disappears from their Find My app. If that could put you in danger, speak to a support organisation or the police first and make a plan.
Safety Check covers Apple's own sharing. Accounts at other services, such as Google, WhatsApp or your bank, have their own lists of devices and sessions. Check them too, and change those passwords.
If you suspect a tracker: AirTag Found Moving With You: what the alert means and what to do.
App permissions in detail: how to see which apps can access your contacts and location on iPhone.
About this guide
- Device
- iPhone
- Shown on
- iOS 27.0.1 (iPhone 17e)
- App
- Settings
- Path
- Settings › Privacy & Security › Safety Check
- Real screenshots
- 4 of 6 steps
- Checked
- October 2026
- Sources
- 1 official, linked below
What changed: every screenshot is now our own iPhone 17e on iOS 27.0.1, dark mode, and the wording is checked against those screens.
Sources
Links checked October 2026. Menus and features can change with updates.What to do next
Tighten your iPhone privacy Step 1 of 7
- How to see which apps can access your contacts and location on iPhoneCheck which apps can see your contacts and location.
- How to stop apps from tracking you on iPhoneStop apps following you across other apps.
- How to view or turn off Significant Locations & Routes on iPhoneSee the places your iPhone remembers.
Did this guide work for you?
Sorry about that. What happened?