Pixel phones have long been plagued by a troubling bug that prevents users from successfully contacting emergency services, specifically 911. Given the severity and potential real-world ramifications of this issue, one would expect Google to address it promptly and effectively. Unfortunately, that has not been the case, as complaints continue to surface from users, particularly those with the Pixel 10, as recently as September.
In the past 24 hours alone, numerous users of Pixel 9 and Pixel 10 devices have taken to platforms like Reddit to voice their frustrations about their inability to connect to 911. This issue appears to affect major US carriers, including AT&T. One frustrated user with a Pixel 8 shared that it took him an excruciating 10 minutes to get through to emergency services, solely because his phone refused to make the call unless Wi-Fi calling was enabled. This incident occurred in an area with robust mobile network coverage, highlighting the absurdity of the situation, as he was able to place a successful 911 call from another person's phone without any issues.
In a notable development, Canadian telecom operator Bell issued an emergency alert on Thursday afternoon, notifying customers that owners of Pixel 6 through Pixel 10 might face challenges when trying to reach 911. Although this particular issue has since been resolved, no similar advisory was provided by major US carriers. Given the serious implications of being unable to contact emergency services, such notifications should have been issued if the carriers were aware of the ongoing problems. Even if this was merely a temporary glitch, the frequency at which these incidents occur is alarming and predominantly affects Pixel phones.
Over recent years, numerous reports have surfaced regarding Pixel users being unable to reach emergency services due to this persistent bug. While users of other brands, like iPhone or Samsung, have reported similar issues, the frequency and severity of the problem among Pixel devices are concerning, especially given Google's smaller user base. It is imperative that Google elevates this issue to a top priority and collaborates closely with cellular providers to rectify the root cause of these failures once and for all. There is simply no justification for any smartphone to fail in making critical calls to emergency services.
