com.samsung.android.emergency Copy

A Samsung package whose English label in our sample is "Emergency SOS", with localised equivalents such as "Notfall-SOS" recorded in other locales. A single signing key has been observed for it, classified as a Samsung OEM key that also signs framework components. Samsung documents Emergency SOS as triggering on pressing the side button five times in a row, sending alerts to designated emergency contacts that can include location, photos and voice recordings, with location updates continuing for up to 24 hours after activation. Its provenance record fits that role, holding CALL_PRIVILEGED, MANAGE_OWN_CALLS, coarse location, contacts access and Samsung's own emergency contact permissions. It also holds android.permission.SATELLITE_COMMUNICATION, which is recorded here as an observation about the package's declared permissions; what satellite functionality, if any, is reached through this package could not be sourced. Version note, and it changes what an administrator can do. Samsung's UK support article states that Galaxy devices on One UI 5.0 or higher have an Emergency SOS function triggered by pressing the side button five times, and that after the June 2023 software update it is not possible to turn off Emergency SOS automatic dialling; before that update the switch could simply be turned off. Samsung's suggested workaround on updated devices is to enter a null number to dial, and it warns that doing so also means the Emergency SOS shortcut can no longer place a real emergency call. Separately, this package does not appear in Samsung's Common Criteria mode application list for the Galaxy S21 5G on Android 11, and this site's roll-up reports a minimum target SDK of 33 and an oldest version name of 15.1.00.36 for it. Those roll-ups are minimum and maximum values across observations rather than a per-device listing, and the Knox list covers one model, so together they suggest a later appearance on at least some devices without establishing when Samsung introduced the package across the Galaxy range or whether it took over a role previously filled by another package. For Android Enterprise and EMM work there is a documented administrative control, which is unusual for this part of the platform and worth knowing. Samsung's Knox Service Plugin exposes an Advanced Restriction policy "Allow SOS call with side key pressing", which Samsung describes as: set False to disable the default side key behaviour to make SOS calls when pressed 5 times consecutively. Samsung states that policy requires Knox 3.11 or higher and that advanced restriction policies need a free Knox Platform for Enterprise Premium licence. Given that the in-device switch was removed by the June 2023 update, that policy is the supported way to stop accidental SOS calls on a managed Samsung fleet, so prefer it over disabling the package, and weigh the safety consequence of removing an emergency function from a device someone carries.

• Use your Galaxy phone or tablet in emergency situations - Samsung Support →
• How to turn off Emergency SOS on your Galaxy phone - Samsung UK Support →
• Advanced Restriction policies - Samsung Knox Documentation (Knox Service Plugin) →
• Galaxy S21 5G(G991B) Application List - Samsung Knox Documentation (Common Criteria mode) →
• Package provenance for com.samsung.android.emergency - Android System App Database →

• Signed by the device maker's own signing key (Samsung), so it is an OEM preinstall, and that single certificate is consistent across all 20 device profiles. It also signs the Android framework, so it is a platform-level key on its device(s). Inferred from the certificate appearing only on Samsung devices (508 packages, 10196 observations).
• Its largest observed manifest declares 43 permissions: 4 runtime (user-granted), 12 signature or system-level, 8 install-time and 19 vendor or uncatalogued.
• Never reported as user-facing, so it runs as a background or system component rather than an app the user opens.