Critical Flaw Found: Google Pixel Phones Unable to Call Emergency Services

Some Google Pixel users are still experiencing difficulties when trying to make emergency calls to 911. This issue has been ongoing since 2021, when a Reddit user encountered problems reaching emergency services from their Pixel 3 smartphone. The exact causes of this problem remain unknown. If you own a Pixel phone, you can reach out to your local non-emergency number and schedule a 911 test call. Detailed instructions on how to schedule a test call are available on the 911.gov website.

This situation is quite unusual. In December 2021, Google acknowledged the reports of failed 911 calls. Google attributed the problem to a glitch in the Android dialer and Microsoft Teams. Essentially, the Android dialer keeps a record of all registered "PhoneAccounts," which are applications and services capable of making phone calls. The issue stemmed from the Microsoft Teams app continually re-registering itself as a calling service, resulting in a buildup of excessive "PhoneAccounts" in the Android dialer. When attempting to call 911, Android searches for the most reliable available calling service. However, the surplus Microsoft Teams listings cause a stack overflow/underflow problem, leading to crashes in the Android dialer specifically on Pixel devices.

Google and Microsoft were able to patch the 2021 bug in early 2022. However, despite their efforts, some Pixel owners are still facing this issue. According to Android Authority, a Reddit user named u/10-1-100 has compiled a list of over 20 emergency call failures experienced by Pixel users since January 2022. These failures have occurred sporadically, even in recent months. The list includes multiple iterations of the Google Pixel smartphone, including the newer Pixel 7. Interestingly, other Android smartphones do not seem to be affected by this problem. Despite the various firmware updates that the Android operating system has received since 2022, the only common factor among the affected users is the use of Google Pixel devices.

Fortunately, this issue is not widespread, as most Pixel owners do not experience any problems when calling 911. Interestingly enough, there have been complaints from police departments about accidental 911 calls from the Pixel's Emergency SOS system over the past year. However, if your Pixel is affected by this bug, you will only discover it when you actually need to make an emergency call. For this reason, Pixel owners are advised to contact their local non-emergency number and schedule a test call to 911. For detailed instructions, please visit the 911.gov website. It should be unnecessary to mention, but it is both irresponsible and illegal to misuse the emergency 911 service. Please ensure you schedule your test call before making it. Additionally, it is important to note that just because the test call worked once, it does not guarantee that future calls will be successful. Google needs to investigate and resolve these issues promptly without any delays.

At present, there has been no acknowledgement or response from Google regarding the reports of failed 911 calls. We have contacted them for comment and will update this article with any new information we receive.

Source: Android Authority