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"Fast Emergency Dialer" coming to Pixel handsets as soon as this week

By Alan Friedman

Published: Mar 01, 2022, 6:23 PM

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"Fast Emergency Dialer" coming to Pixel handsets as soon as this week

Google is looking to add another safety feature to the Pixel line according to Android Police. The "Fast Emergency Dialer" (FED) will, when enabled, allow the user to follow a series of touch and swipe commands that will show the local phone numbers for police, fire, and medical services. Users will be able to call for help even if their phone is locked and the numbers are not committed to memory.

Pixel users can get in touch with the proper authorities quickly in case of an emergency

Similar to some weather apps that update your current position while you are on the move, the "Fast Emergency Dialer" will also be updated while you travel so that you'll always have the local emergency numbers to call no matter where you are. Google says that the feature has started rolling out to Pixel phones. Now that the month has changed to March, the new dialer could be part of the upcoming quarterly Pixel feature drop that could be released at any time..

Traditional Emergency Dialer at left, Fast Emergency Dialer at right. Credit Mishaal Rahman

Googlehas often added new safety features to Pixel handsets during the quarterly feature drops. The Car Crash Detection feature, which can call for help if a Pixel detects that you are not responding following a collision, was added to three new countries (France, Italy, and Taiwan) during the December feature drop; it already was offered in the U.S. with 2019's Pixel 4 series.

You might not be able to see the "Fast Emergency Dialer" on your Pixel yet but to access it you swipe up from your lock screen and tap on Emergency call. If you have the new dialer installed on your Pixel, it will show up allowing you to use the slider to find the help you're looking for as you go through the possible contacts. There are also other ways to access the "Fast Emergency Dialer" depending on the model of the phone being used and the Android version deployed on your Pixel.

You can get answers to some of your questions by opening the Google support page found here. If that isn't convenient right after an accident, just know that if your Pixel model can use the new dialer, you will see it on your phone. If not, the old dialer will be available and you can call 9-1-1 to summon help.

Back in 2021, the new emergency dialer was spotted with a different UI. It is possible that Google was testing the feature since last summer, or had released it in other markets first. Settings for the FED can be found in Google's Personal Safety app available from the Play Store. While Google has its Pixel models set to use the "Fast Emergency Dialer" automatically, it might not yet be available in all areas of the country, and from all carriers.

In areas where the "Fast Emergency Dialer" is not yet enabled, the traditional dialer can make a 9-1-1 call

Other issues might also stop the FED from working. In those cases, the phone will switch by itself to the traditional dialer which requires you to tap in the emergency numbers ahead of time. That is why the "Fast Emergency Dialer" is such a godsend to Pixel users who don't want to be in the position of having to remember the emergency phone number in the city they end up in order to properly place an emergency call beyond the usual 9-1-1..

The "Fast Emergency Dialer joins the other Pixel emergency features including location sharing for emergency features, earthquake detection, the aforementioned car crash detection, and more. And with the FED, Pixel users should feel secure in the knowledge that wherever they are, when an emergency arises, a call for help can be made to the proper authorities quickly.

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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.