Alert Issued For Android Glitch That Could Block 9-1-1 Calls From Going Through

An urgent alert has been issued regarding Android phones that could cause devices to “freeze” when making an emergency call.

Android phones could be glitched and block 911 calls from being delivered.
Photo Credit: *Daily Voice*

Zak Failla

12/21/2021 8:30 a.m.

The glitch apparently causes Android phones to lock up when attempting to make a 9-1-1 call as the device attempts to share location with emergency service officials, rather than connecting with police or other agency.

According to officials, “unintended interaction” between Microsoft Teams and the Android operating system renders cell phones unable to place outgoing calls to 911.

Any Android user who has Microsoft Teams installed on their phone will need to update the application immediately to remedy the situation or risk being unable to call emergency services.

The flaw was initially identified by a Google Pixel user who shared their experience on Reddit in a spot that went viral.

According to the user, the Google Pixel “froze” and was unresponsive when they called emergency services during their grandmother’s medical emergency.

After dialing 911, the phone was reportedly “stuck immediately” and the user was “unable to do anything” on the device or complete the call.

“When a user attempts to call 911, the phone will ring once, sound as if the line is busy or that the call is going unanswered,” police officials said. “The call will not show up in outgoing call logs.”

Google responded to the user’s post, saying that the glitch only appeared under “a limited set of circumstances” on “a small number of devices.”

“Because this issue impacts emergency calling, both Google and Microsoft are heavily prioritizing the issue – as always we suggest users keep an eye out for app updates to ensure they are running the latest version.”

Police and Google recommend that all Android users take the following steps to ensure calls to 911 can be made on their phone:

Check if the device is running Android 10 or above. Only users on Android 10 or later versions are potentially impacted;
If Microsoft Teams is downloaded, check if you are signed in. Only those who have the app downloaded but are not signed in are impacted;
If you are signed in to Teams, stay signed in and update the app to the latest version;
If you are not signed in to Teams, uninstall and then reinstall the app, using the latest version of Teams.

Click here to follow Daily Voice Kingston and receive free news updates.