Android emergency function causes confusion by accidentally calling the police

Launched with Android 12 in 2021, Emergency SOS, an emergency system feature that users can trigger to seek help from authorities, is causing some confusion in the UK. According to this AndroidCentralThe vehicle was “accidentally” activated by several people, which blocked emergency lines in the area, preventing the police from knowing who really needed help and who didn’t.

Android Emergency SOS was created to assist people seeking help in extreme situations, but Scottish police have reported that many have enabled the feature to call the number 999 (like the emergency code and 190 in the country). in Brazil), without really needing it. Note that the user has to quickly press the device’s power button five times to turn on the tool.

Scottish police even had to use their Twitter profiles to alert citizens of Emergency SOS related cases.

BT is reporting a significant spike in accidental calls to 999 after an Android update triggered an SOS with 5 presses of a button on the side of your phone.

(1/4) pic.twitter.com/vr5YqdQ6Em

— Police Scotland (@PoliceScotland) 21 June 2023

Google has already promised to fix it

As the Scottish police agency pointed out, the accidental links could be related to a recent Android update that will also update the feature. In this scenario, authorities instructed people who called 999 to stay on the line even if they didn’t get an immediate answer. That way, the police can make sure the call is not accidental and can provide assistance if needed.

Finally, police in Scotland are also trying to guide Android users to disable the feature when they don’t need it. To do this, they need to access the phone’s settings menu, select the “Security & Emergency” option, enter “Emergency SOS” and disable the functionality. Call again if necessary.

In response to the lawsuit, Google has confirmed that it will make changes to the tool and release an update “in the coming days.” The update will need to be released to different manufacturers and devices to fix the issue.