What is Emergency SOS?
Emergency SOS (ESOS) is a safety feature that can alert emergency services if you are involved in a serious incident and are unable to call for help yourself. It uses your Dash Cam and smartphone to share your location and approved medical details, so help can reach you quickly - especially on quiet or rural roads.
How Emergency SOS works
Crash detection
When a high‑G‑force impact is detected, ESOS activates and the Dash Cam flashes red and blue.
The system starts a 120‑second countdown to confirm whether you need help.
The 120‑second countdown
During the countdown, the Dash Cam plays continuous audio announcements so you are aware an alert is preparing to send.
You can stop the countdown in two ways:
Press the Protect button on the Dash Cam.
Cancel the alert in the Nextbase App.
If you cancel the alert and are safe, no emergency call is made.
What happens if the countdown reaches zero
If the countdown finishes and you do not cancel:
An emergency request is sent from your phone.
You or a nominated contact will be called to confirm if help is needed.
If there is no response, emergency services are dispatched to your location.
The alert includes GPS location and any medical or vehicle details you have approved in the app.
Auto‑cancellation conditions
The countdown stops automatically if either:
The Dash Cam moves 50m from the crash site.
Your phone moves about 20 steps away from the impact location.
This helps reduce false alerts if you are able to move away safely after an incident.
Setting up Emergency SOS
Subscribe to the Nextbase Protect (or Protect Plus for iQ Dash Cams) service, as a subscription is required to enable Emergency SOS.
Open the Nextbase App (or the iQ app, depending on your model).
Go to the Emergency SOS section and follow the on‑screen steps.
Enter:
Your personal and vehicle details
Medical information such as blood type, allergies, and any important conditions
Confirm you agree to the terms and allow the required permissions (Location, Motion, etc.).
Once set up correctly, ESOS is ready to work if a qualifying impact occurs.
Do you need a smartphone?
Yes. A smartphone is required to use Emergency SOS, because:
Your phone receives the alert from the Dash Cam.
Your phone contacts the emergency‑services provider and sends your location and details.
Your phone must meet the minimum requirements below:
Android 10 or later
iOS 15 or later
Is Emergency SOS available in your country?
Emergency SOS is not available in every country. To check whether it is supported in your region, refer to the Nextbase “Is Emergency SOS available in my country?” article, which lists the current supported countries.
If your country is not listed, ESOS cannot be activated even if your Dash Cam supports the feature.