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Warning to Android users about glitch causing their phone to accidentally see ‘silent dial’ 999
- British police forces have received more than 1,000 silent calls in the past month
- Police chiefs claim a new SOS Android feature is to blame for accidental calls
- According to reports, Google is aware of the issue and will fix it soon
Police chiefs have warned that a new Android feature is causing a spate of accidental 999 calls.
Monitoring stations are reporting an increase in ‘silent calls’ since the rollout of a new SOS emergency feature on Android.
Allows users to dial 999 by pressing the power button five or more times.
But authorities claim the feature means many users are unwittingly making pocket calls, overwhelming call operators with no answer on the line.
“Nationally, all emergency services are currently dealing with a record volume of 999 calls,” said the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC).
Police chiefs claim a new SOS Android feature is to blame for accidental silent calls
“There are a few reasons for this, but one that we think has a significant impact is an update to Android smartphones.
“These ‘silent calls’, as they are called, are being referred to police control rooms and the result is a significant increase in silent calls.”
Police Scotland Police, Devon & Cornwall and the Metropolitan Police are among many units that have reported an influx of these calls.
Last Sunday, just under 170 silent calls were made to the armed forces of Devon and Cornwall alone – with the number rising by 25 per cent over the past month.
Meanwhile, Northamptonshire Police call handlers also received more than 1,000 of these calls last month, ITVX reported.
But this issue extends beyond the UK as the European Emergency Number Agency (EENA) raised the alarm just a few weeks ago.
Executive Director, Gary Machado, wrote, “Both Google and Samsung are aware of the matter and are releasing updates rolling out now or very soon and through the end of June.
“EENA hopes to see a decrease in automatic false calls soon and strongly encourages our members to share their own experiences about this.”
Police Scotland Police, Devon & Cornwall and the Metropolitan Police (pictured) are among many units who have reported an influx of these calls
If you continue to experience this problem, Google suggests that Android owners can disable the SOS setting.
To do this, users can go to their “Settings” menu before tapping “Safety & Emergency”.
An ‘Emergency SOS’ feature should be visible here, which can be disabled using the slide tool.
However, the tech giant assured MailOnline that the issue would be resolved soon.
‘Keeping Android users safe and providing public safety infrastructure are top priorities,” said a Google spokesperson.
Android supports Emergency SOS because it can help users contact 911 faster in emergency situations.
“To help these manufacturers prevent accidental emergency calls on their devices, Android provides them with additional guidance and resources.
We expect that device manufacturers will soon roll out updates to their users that address this issue. Users who continue to experience this issue should contact their device manufacturer.”
Still, anyone who accidentally dials 999 is urged to talk to the police anyway to make sure they’re not in trouble.
The NPCC continued: ‘Calls to 999 where the operator cannot hear anyone on the line (silent calls) are never simply ignored. Call handlers will then have to spend valuable time calling you back to check if you need help.
“If you accidentally dial 999, don’t hang up. If possible, stay on the phone and let the operator know it was an accident and you don’t need help.’