iPhone Emergency SOS feature just saved a woman from attempted sexual assault

In 2019 alone, there were multiple reports of various gadgets that saved people's lives. Most of these appear to be from Apple and its various features that unexpectedly functioned as intended. It appears that products from the Cupertino tech group have a knack of helping out when its least expected. While most of the stories that were published last year focused on the Apple Watch, this time, it is the iPhone's time to shine as one woman was reportedly saved from attempted sexual assault by her smartphone.

In a published report by Fox 8, the woman credited her iPhone for saving her from an attacker. She wanted to stay anonymous but explained the details of what transpired. According to her, it transpired when she was about to make her way home via an Uber ride when the suspect approached. "This guy came up to me and said. 'I lost my phone... can you help me find my phone?'" She thought he was not a threat due to his demeanour, but what happened afterwards came as a shock.

"I wasn't suspecting he was bad. He was a very normal, nice looking guy," said the woman. "I was like, 'where are your friends? Why are you alone?'," she added. The assailant allegedly claimed he was not from the area and that he was in the military. Moreover, he also noted that he had a brother that's currently serving in the armed forces as well. What followed after would have turned out badly for her if it wasn't for the Emergency SOS function of the handset.

After accompanying the man to a secluded area near the beach, she began to grow suspicious of his motives. After pretending to have lost his phone in the sand, she offered to help him by lending him her iPhone in order to use the "Find My" app. He apparently had trouble navigating the app which led her to attempt to escape. After being tackled, she had the presence of mind to press the power button and volume down to activate the feature.

The 911 dispatcher was able to hear her struggles and immediately sent the authorities to her aid. The suspect was eventually tracked down after he fled the scene and apprehended. Apple initially enabled the Emergency SOS feature on WatchOS in 2016. It eventually made its way to the iPhone about a year after. Owners are encouraged to configure this feature for additional safety and can be active by pressing the power button five times.