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Surprise! Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL receive updates to kill bug that disabled 911 calls

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By Alan Friedman

Updated: Jan 07, 2022, 9:05 AM

Surprise! Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL receive updates to kill bug that disabled 911 calls

What can be more exciting to a phone owner than to receive a surprise in the form of an unexpected software update. That goes double for an Android series that had already lost support from Google. The series in question is the Pixel 3 and this lineup includes the Pixel 3 and the Pixel 3 XL.

The line, originally released in 2018, was supposed to have received its last update after the release of Android 12 in October 2021. Google has promised Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL users one more update which should exterminate any last bugs that might be troubling users of the device.

But even before Google disseminates its final send-off for the Pixel 3 line, during the January security update that Google pushed out the other day, the changelist mentioned that the Pixel 3 and 3 XL are receiving "a fix for issue preventing emergency calls in certain conditions while some third-party apps are installed."

Google sends out surprise update to Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL to exterminate bugs that prevent 911 calls from being made

This is the infamous bug that prevents Pixel handsets, including the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, from making an emergency 911 call. The problem occurs on a small number of Pixels with the Microsoft Teams app installed. Affected handsets are running Android 10 or higher. If your phone is running Android 9 or lower, you still can call 911. The update is rolling out this week with build number SP1A.210812.016.A2.

You can see if the update has hit your phone by going to Settings > System> System update.This fix is also being sent out to the Pixel 3a, Pixel 3a XL, Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL, Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a (5G), Pixel 5, Pixel 5a (5G), Pixel 6, and Pixel 6 Pro. However, keep in mind that the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are not expected to receive the update until later this month.

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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.

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