It’s not Android’s equivalent to the iPhone’s emergency SOS via satellite, but it’ll do for now. Google announced that later this year, Google Messages will let you text 911 from your Android device, even when SMS isn’t available. The company is teaming up with RapidSOS to enable the service via RCS. It will begin rolling out the ability in the U.S. this winter.
When you text, you can send high-resolution images and videos so that first responders can see where you’re at and what’s happening. You can also share your location with the dispatcher and any additional information you make available through the Android Emergency Location Service (ELS).
Until researching this piece, I was woefully unaware that you could text emergency services for help since, the last I heard, it was rarely supported throughout the United States. It’s still not widely available; only 53% of emergency call centers have the infrastructure to handle photos and text messaging, which is where RapidSOS seems to be able to bridge the gap.
Google says its goal is to make RCS “the standard for emergency services texting everywhere.” It mentions “inviting the ecosystem” to partner with it, which seems an interesting way to call out Android manufacturers to implement something like this.
Or maybe it’s calling out to Apple? Regardless, no specific date is mentioned in Google’s blog, which makes this feature a “wait and see” for now, making the rest of this conversation moot. Google clarified that the far-ahead rollout is because RapidSOS is working on adding access to more call centers across the region.
While waiting, you might as well update those emergency contact cards on your smartphone in case of a severe emergency. Pixel users can use the Personal Safety app to store essential emergency information, including medical information and emergency contacts. On other Android devices, like Samsung’s, you can try searching under Settings > Safety and Emergency > Medical Info to access this capability.
