Emergency dispatchers suspect Android update is to blame for spike in accidental 911 calls

Emergency dispatchers in central Illinois and other states say they’ve seen a significant spike in accidental 911 calls in recent weeks – and they suspect an update to the Android mobile operating system is to blame.

The McLean County 911 Communications Center, or Metcom, has seen 415 separate 911 hangups since June 1, executive director Rhonda Flegel said Friday. That’s far more than is typical, she said. The Galesburg/Knox County 911 Center recently said it’s seen a similar spike since June 1.

“Right around that time, Android products released a software update, which turned on Emergency SOS – the feature that allows you to quickly access 911 services,” Flegel said.

Android is the mobile operating system built by Google and used by many device manufacturers, including Google itself. It’s unclear which devices or which versions of Android are impacted.

That Emergency SOS feature was added to Android 12 in 2021. When enabled, a user facing an emergency can simply press the phone’s power button five times or more to trigger an emergency action (like calling 911) after a 5-second countdown. Users can also turn off the feature.

Flegel said they suspect a recent Android update reset that setting for some users, leading to more accidental 911 calls after five power button pushes.

“The user might not be aware that they have contacted 911, so it increases pocket dials and hangup calls. And that starts the process of us calling back and tracing the call,” she said.

That can be time-consuming and a distraction for dispatchers.

“If you accidentally call 911, always remember to stay on the line and provide the dispatcher with the necessary information, even for a misdial,” Flegel said.

Metcom posted instructions to its Facebook page on Thursday to show Android users how to turn off the feature. Go to Settings > Safety & Emergency > Emergency SOS > Turn Off SOS Call. Even if you’ve disabled it before, with this update, you apparently have to go back into Settings and do it again, Metcom said.

Similar increases in accidental 911 calls have been reported in recent months in other states such as Minnesota, Florida and Wisconsin – even in the United Kingdom.

In response to questions from WGLT, a Google spokesperson offered this statement:

"Keeping Android users safe and public safety infrastructure available are top priorities. We are aware of reports from emergency services of increased unintentional emergency calling rates related to the 5-button-press emergency calling (“Emergency SOS”) feature. Android supports Emergency SOS because it can help users contact 911 more quickly in emergency situations," the Google spokesperson said.

"Android phone manufacturers who choose to offer Emergency SOS on their devices manage the implementation of the feature. To help these manufacturers prevent unintentional emergency calls on their devices, Android is providing them with additional guidance and resources. We anticipate device manufacturers will roll out updates to their users that address this issue shortly. Users that continue to experience this issue should contact their device’s manufacturer," the spokesperson said.

The City of Bloomington operates its own 911 call center, called the Emergency Communications Center. “In speaking with our dispatchers, they say there’s been no noticeable uptick in hangups that can be attributed to the update,” a city spokesperson said Friday.