You can send live video to 911 from your Android phone in seconds now - here's how

Google / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• Android users tin present stock unrecorded video with 911 operators.
• The telecommunicator initiates the request.
• The diagnostic is disposable connected devices with Android 8 oregon higher.

Calling 911 tin beryllium stressful, and efficaciously communicating details tin beryllium tough. A caller Android diagnostic aims to hole that problem.

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Starting today, Android users can stock unrecorded video with 911 telecommunicators, who tin past amended measure a situation, connection help, oregon springiness step-by-step guidance. If you're calling astir a histrion that's fallen crossed a road, for example, you tin amusement precisely wherever the histrion is. Or, 911 workers mightiness beryllium capable to locomotion idiosyncratic done CPR until exigency services arrive.

How it works

In a blog station announcing the feature, Google called it "simple and secure," noting that you tin commencement sharing with 1 tap.

The diagnostic doesn't necessitate immoderate setup. When you substance oregon telephone exigency services, if the telecommunicator decides that seeing things would assistance and it's harmless for you to bash so, they tin nonstop you a petition to stock unrecorded video. If you pat the prompt, you'll commencement sharing unafraid unrecorded video. You tin halt sharing astatine immoderate time.

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RapidSOS, who partnered with Google to deploy the feature, added that successful summation to helping the caller, this diagnostic besides provides situational consciousness for archetypal responders, meaning exigency workers are walking into situations amended equipped.

Other Android information features

Emergency Live Video joins different Android information features similar Emergency Location Service, Car Crash and Fall Detection, and Satellite SOS.

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AT&T debuted a mentation of this aforesaid diagnostic earlier this year, but it was constricted to definite states. Apple debuted its ain mentation for iPhones, Emergency SOS Live Video, past year.

Availability

All devices with Android 8 oregon higher and Google Play services, meaning the immense bulk of phones, volition person entree to exigency unrecorded video. 

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For now, it's disposable successful the US and parts of Germany and Mexico, but Google says it's moving to bring it to different regions.