A new “Emergency SOS” feature on Apple’s iOS 11 could just save your life.

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The feature lets users discreetly call the police by hitting the lock/power button five times in quick succession. The update also allows you to notify emergency contacts when you call the police or emergency services. It could be invaluable to a pedestrian in danger while walking at night.

In order to enable the feature, users need to have updated their phone to the new iOS. Once your phone is running on iOS 11, go to settings and scroll down until you see “Emergency SOS” and hit the “autocall” button.

One agency that seeks to combat violence against women boasted to Mashable that the feature could be a "great piece of support for women at risk."

IOS 11 was released on June 5 at the Worldwide Developers' Conference. The updated system was launched on Sept. 19, and has received mixed reviews. As is often the case, those who updated their phones immediately noticed a few glitches, with some users even claiming that their battery life is being drained and the "slide feature" is misbehaving.

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The renovation of Jekyll Island's Great Dunes golf course includes nine holes designed by Walter Travis in the 1920s for the members of the Jekyll Island Club. Several holes that were part of the original layout where located along the beach and were bulldozed in the 1950s.(Photo by Austin Kaseman)

Credit: Photo by Austin Kaseman