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Incident Messaging / Emergency Assistance Contact Setup and Usage

WARNING! The device allows you to send your location to an emergency contact. This is a supplemental feature and should not be relied upon as a primary method to obtain emergency assistance. The Garmin Drive™ app does not contact emergency services on your behalf.

CAUTION! This feature is supplemental and should not be relied upon as a primary method to monitor or secure your vehicle. 

The Incident Messaging feature, also known as Emergency Assistance, will send a message (along with a map link to your vehicle’s location) to your Emergency Assistance contact(s) if a severe incident is detected on your Garmin Dash Cam™ Live. This can be useful if you are not able to call or send a message in an emergency situation.

What Are the Requirements to Use Emergency Assistance?

  • LTE Connection:

  • Emergency Contacts:

    • You must enter emergency contacts from your phonebook into the Garmin Drive app.
    • Contacts must be able to receive text and/or email messages.
    • Contacts must accept and agree to receive messages before becoming an active contact.
  • Incident Detection:

    • You must enable Incident Detection in the Garmin Drive app.

See Emergency Contact and Incident Messaging setup and steps below.


Emergency Contact Setup Video Instructions


Emergency Contact Setup Written Instructions:

1. In the Garmin Drive app , select the settings gear.

Dash Cam Live Drive App Settings

2. Select Emergency Assistance.

Emergency Assistance

3. Type in your information, then tap on Add Emergency Contact.

Emergency Assistance information

4. Select your preferred emergency contact from your phone's contact list.

Emergency Contacts 1

5. Verify the number and tap on Import.

Emergency Contact Number 1

6. Tap Send if you are ready to send an Emergency Contact Request to your contact.

Send Emergency Contact

7. Send your text message. Your contact will then receive the Garmin emergency assistance request for them to accept.

    • Contacts must accept and agree to receive messages before becoming an active contact.

Emergency Contact message 

8. Access Emergency Assistance again with the above steps to:

    • Add up to 3 emergency contacts
    • Remove contacts
    • Review contacts and their status if opted-out 

Emergency Contact Opt-Out Steps:

After the contact has accepted, they can opt-out from receiving texts from incident messaging. They can go to their original request text and respond STOP, or text STOP to 'Emergency Contact Request  (Automotive) at the number linked here: Unsubscribing to SMS messages


Incident Messaging - Enabling/Disabling

1. In the Garmin Drive app , select the settings gear.

Dash Cam Live Drive App Settings

2. Select the vehicle, then select the camera name

Select Vehicle in Settings

Select Dash Cam Live in Settings

3. Scroll down the page to Incident Messaging. Slide the button left or right to enable/disable the feature.

Enable Incident messaging