- Google plans to change its Emergency SOS feature on the Pixel Watch
- The code suggests that it is considering introducing an additional gesture into the process
- This appears to be aimed at reducing the frequency of accidental emergency calls.
New code spotted in the latest Pixel Watch app appears to suggest that Google is working on a change to its Emergency SOS feature that will make pocket-dial emergency services less likely in the future.
While emergency SOS features on the best iPhones, smartwatches, and devices like the Google Pixel Watch 3 can be indispensable in life-or-death situations, adding easy access to emergency calls from of a smart device inevitably leads to accidental calls. A quick look at Reddit will show you Pixel Watch and Apple Watch users experiencing the issue.
To that end, Android Authority reports that Google is preparing a new “Touch and hold to call” option that should reduce these accidental calls. Specifically, strings (lines of code) reveal the name of the feature and how it works: “On your watch, quickly press the crown 5 times, then touch and hold the screen for 3 seconds to call for help. “
It looks like this new feature will be one of two options for emergency call settings, as there is also an “auto call” option listed that will always dial 911, 999, or the emergency number wherever you are, after pressing the crown five times.
Fighting malicious emergency calls
As mentioned, calling emergency services from your smartphone or smartwatch is not a new phenomenon.
When Apple first introduced crash detection on the iPhone 14 in 2022, the company quickly found itself facing complaints about calls being triggered in non-emergency situations. Notably, a 911 dispatch center near a Cincinnati amusement park received six such calls from iPhone owners riding roller coasters.
Later that year, a dispatch center at a Colorado ski resort responded to 71 automated calls from iPhones and Apple Watches in a single weekend.
As you can imagine, the problem lies in a massive drain on emergency resources. Calls are broadcast over the airwaves of dispatch centers and emergency responders are usually dispatched to accidental calls to verify the location. “We don’t make a habit of ignoring calls,” a dispatch manager told the Colorado Sun in 2022.
In 2021, the Wisconsin County Sheriff’s Office revealed that it received more than 700 accidental 911 calls triggered by iPhones in a single year, revealing the one thing you should do. Never do if you accidentally call 911.
The next time you accidentally dial 911, stay on the line and let the dispatcher know you’re okay – don’t hang up.
There’s no time frame for when this leaked feature will be released, but with the code present in the latest beta version of the Pixel Watch app, it’s unlikely to be far away.
