If you’re anavid traveler and you own an iPhone, take note: There’s a little-known featureon your smartphone’s built-in Health App that might just save your life.

Available oniPhones with iOS8 or later operating system, the Medical ID feature allows youto display important medical information and emergency contacts on your phonewithout it being unlocked. This feature is especially important when youtravel, and in particular if you're traveling alone or have a medical issue orserious allergy.

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Within theHealth app, you can enter information like your name, age, birthday, bloodtype, allergies, medical conditions, medical notes, current medication, height,and weight; you can also specify whether you’re an organ donor, as well as providethe name your doctor and any other emergency contacts.

You can enteras little or as much information as you want (although if you’ve found yourselfin an emergency situation alone, you’ll probably default to “the more thebetter”). All of this information can be entered via the Health app.

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Abroad

To access the

Medical ID feature in the event of an emergency, select “Emergency Call”

on the unlock screen and find “Medical ID” in the bottom left hand

corner. (Yes, this means that anyone who has your phone can find out your full

name, birthday, and other personal information; you can turn this feature on

and off by toggling the “Show When Locked” option in the Medical ID

edit screen.)

I always keep

this feature on while traveling. If my phone were to be lost or stolen, I can remove

my personal information from the Health app by erasing it via the “Find My

iPhone” feature.

The Medical ID feature gives me peace of mind that if I were ever in an

emergency situation while traveling, I’d know that first responders would be able

to access my basic (yet important) medical information.

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Read the original story: This Secret iPhone App Could Save Your Lifeby Ashley Rossi, who is

a regular contributor to SmarterTravel.