Android phones are... ONCE AGAIN, not calling 911

[rcmaehl]

Summary

Google Pixel owners are reporting that their phones are unable to dial 911 or other equivalents 

 

Quotes

Quote

Google just launched the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. A disturbing number of users have been sharing reports of the problems... struggling to dial and connect to emergency numbers from their Pixel phones. A spate of Pixel owners on Reddit, as well as Google's own support forums, share their... tales of being unable to connect to emergency services. Calling 911 (or 000)... gets to the actual call screen, but the call never actually connects. Given how emergency calling is the one feature that you never want to see fail under any circumstances, these are pretty serious claims. The reports we've seen involve the Pixel 6a and the Pixel 6, dating back over the last few months. While this clearly isn't impacting everyone with a Pixel, even if just a small subset of users can't get emergency help when they need it, it's still an issue that needs attention as soon as possible.

 

My thoughts

It's been, less than a year since Google Patched the Microsoft Teams bug that prevented Emergency Dialing last time. It just seems like after multiple decades of having phones, dialing 911 would be figured out by now, or at least segmented from regular calling where other code changes can't break it. Sadly enough, this isn't just a Google Android issue, but an issue that has plagued even LineageOS and OpenGApps for those who would want to switch away. I guess if you want to be able to call 911, get an iPhone... just don't take it on a rollercoaster. 

 

Sources

Phone Arena

Android Police (Quote source)

Reddit Thread #1

Reddit Thread #2

Reddit Thread #3

Google Support Forum

[bmx6454]

I would hope someone is held accountable for such a bug. I know mistakes happen, but people could die in certain situations where they aren’t able to call 911..

[Dominik W]

So iPhones are calling 911 too much on roller coasters and Pixels are not calling at all. This is a funny (but also not funny) coincidence! 

 

But how does one manage to screw up a phone so badly it doesn't call 911? I understand the iPhones problem, that problem is a matter of training sensors and software to recognize roller coasters, but flatly refusing to dial 911? This seems whack. I hope they're already fixing that, but to be honest, if Pixel phones do that, their reputation is permanently damaged in my point of view. You can't have phones that don't dial 911. That is inexcusable.

[Lightwreather]

12 minutes ago, Kid.Lazer said:

That's about iPhones and the errant crash detection, this is about Pixels not connecting to 911. That's not the same thing.

Realised it just as I clicked post.

[manikyath]

with all our silly eu regulations, i believe we should invent a new punishment for this kind of issues.

 

any phone that fails to call the emergency number due to a bug that affects the entire production run, should have the word 'phone' stripped from any spec sheet and marketing material, and the company is legally required to use this material until the issue is resolved.

 

"the pixel 7 is our latest smart in the pixel series."

[Fasterthannothing]

Lol take your pick either one that calls too much or one that doesn't call enough. Good grief sometimes I feel like technology updates take us 2 steps backwards 

[Kid.Lazer]

1 hour ago, Lightwreather JfromN said:

Realised it just as I clicked post.

We all make mistakes.

[Dracarris]

Not an issue. Since there is no walled garden and mah freedam you can just sideload a custom 911 app or your own OS.

[mecarry30]

2 hours ago, rcmaehl said:

It's been, less than a year since Google Patched the Microsoft Teams bug that prevented Emergency Dialing last time.

Even that didn't fully fix it.

There are still issues with it, so even previous phones don't work properly.

[suicidalfranco]

1 hour ago, mecarry30 said:

Even that didn't fully fix it.

There are still issues with it, so even previous phones don't work properly.

dat Pixel quality.

 

And guess i won the bet

 

 

[Ydfhlx]

2 hours ago, Dracarris said:

or your own OS

 

5 hours ago, rcmaehl said:

an issue that has plagued even LineageOS and OpenGApps for those who would want to switch away

 

[Gamer Schnitzel]

911 is outdated. They should make (or better said should have 50 years ago) an app where you just press a button and all of your details, location, literally every single possible information about yourself is sent to the emergency services automatically. This should also lock your phone so you can no longer turn it off or turn disable the internet and if it is below a certain battery level it should turn off everything except the necessary to allow for it to continue being tracked. This is all common sense and would save 200% more lives than whatever they are doing currently. Not sure why you still have to "call" to get help.

[Dracarris]

27 minutes ago, Ydfhlx said:

 

 

even though it was obvious as clear day I probably should've still added /s

[staticpage]

I had a pixel 2 XL and google would push beta feeling updates to it all the time and tell Pixel users that we where first to get the updates. Many times I had problems with basic functions like a new camera update that would not let me use the cam under some conditions. I switched to galaxy Note and never had any problems ever again. I have a iPhone that work gave me and I am appalled by it's lack of support for some basic things Android does -like sideloading apps right from pastebin in the browser out of the box - so switching to the Apple phone is no bueno for me but I do believe the iPhone is limited to make it harder for an end user to break it. IE the iphone is limited but always works as a phone no matter what, the Android is so open you can brick it with the wrong app more of an enthusiast product. 

[starsmine]

42 minutes ago, Gamer Schnitzel said:

911 is outdated. They should make (or better said should have 50 years ago) an app where you just press a button and all of your details, location, literally every single possible information about yourself is sent to the emergency services automatically. This should also lock your phone so you can no longer turn it off or turn disable the internet and if it is below a certain battery level it should turn off everything except the necessary to allow for it to continue being tracked. This is all common sense and would save 200% more lives than whatever they are doing currently. Not sure why you still have to "call" to get help.

that is how 911 works in certain districts. 911 is not outdated because its always being added to.
its fair to say, not every area provides dispatch with the same tools and information, but many phones and dispatch communicate all of that.
But the rest of your statement is bullshit.

[Arika]

6 hours ago, rcmaehl said:

I guess if you want to be able to call 911, get an iPhone

Or literally any other Android phone that isn't a pixel.

[Helpful Tech Witch]

So.. everyones having issues with 911 right now

 

[Jtalk4456]

I may be misunderstanding something here, but reading this:

6 hours ago, rcmaehl said:

It's been, less than a year since Google Patched the Microsoft Teams bug that prevented Emergency Dialing last time.

is this not an issue on microsoft teams side vs google?

 

6 hours ago, manikyath said:

"the pixel 7 is our latest smart in the pixel series."

I think they have to also change the word smart to dumb.

"the pixel 7 is our latest dumb in the pixel series."

 

1 hour ago, Gamer Schnitzel said:

911 is outdated. They should make (or better said should have 50 years ago) an app where you just press a button and all of your details, location, literally every single possible information about yourself is sent to the emergency services automatically. This should also lock your phone so you can no longer turn it off or turn disable the internet and if it is below a certain battery level it should turn off everything except the necessary to allow for it to continue being tracked. This is all common sense and would save 200% more lives than whatever they are doing currently. Not sure why you still have to "call" to get help.

I'm all for the app sending details (if properly managed and secured), but the call is still very much necessary. 911 is not just there to dispatch, but to provide medical advice and calm direction/judgement while waiting for the emergency services. Eliminating the call would leave tons of people bleeding out or not getting CPR while help arrives. this would almost certainly kill many people. 

[Donut417]

7 hours ago, rcmaehl said:

e able to call 911, get an iPhone... j

That doesn't guarantee anything. Last time I had to call 911 on my iPhone it took 3 times for it to connect. I mean it wasn't anything too big, just the garage burning down. Im not sure if it was the phone, T Mobile or just an issue with the 911 system. 

[manikyath]

23 minutes ago, Jtalk4456 said:

I think they have to also change the word smart to dumb.

"the pixel 7 is our latest dumb in the pixel series."

it's still a smart, it can do a lot of things, just not do phone things.

[BlueChinchillaEatingDorito]

[Jtalk4456]

11 minutes ago, manikyath said:

it's still a smart, it can do a lot of things, just not do phone things.

i mean sure, but a phone that can't phone, thats pretty dumb in my book XD

[manikyath]

2 minutes ago, Jtalk4456 said:

i mean sure, but a phone that can't phone, thats pretty dumb in my book XD

it's not a phone anymore though, just a smart.

[Jtalk4456]

4 minutes ago, manikyath said:

it's not a phone anymore though, just a smart.

you got me there lol

[Sauron]

I don't understand why you'd have Android try to use apps that are not the default phone function for emergency dialing without being explicitly told. This is just really stupid design.