Cambridgeshire police issue warning to Android phone users over 999 update

Android phone users are being warned about a new feature which has resulted in scores more accidental 999 calls being made to emergency services.

People with Android Smartphones are being urged to check their settings following an update, which was first available last year

Cambridgeshire Police have seen a large rise in ‘silent’ 999 calls this year, which is being partly blamed on the update, which has seen a new SOS emergency function added for devices to call 999 through the power button being pressed five times or more on devices.

Thousands of ‘Silent Calls’ every month

A spokesperson for the force said that the increase in ‘Silent Calls’ between February and April was 23%, and in May there were 3,390 silent calls across the county, hundreds more than in April.

A ‘Silent Call’ is where a phone dials 999 and there is no specific request for service. In these cases, BT pass through to the local force where the phone is located for police to make checks to ensure the caller does not need immediate assistance. In most cases, these are accidental dials or pocket dials.

The calls take up valuable time and resources, which could impact other calls.

The police spokesperson said: “Nationally, all emergency services are currently experiencing record high 999 call volumes. This is for a number of reasons but one we believe is having a significant impact is an update to Android smartphones.

“The update (issued between October 2022 and February 2023) added a new SOS emergency function for devices to call 999 through the power button being pressed five times or more on devices.

“These ‘silent calls’ as they are named, are directed to police control rooms and the result has been a significant increase in silent calls.”

Advice for Android users

Police have issued advice to Android phone users to try and reduce the number of silent calls.

The spokesperson said: “If you have an Android phone, you can check your emergency settings to turn off the functionality added in the latest update.

“Go to ‘Settings’ then ‘Safety and Emergency’ and slide the button which says ‘Emergency SOS’ to switch the functionality off.

“Calls to 999 where the operator cannot hear anyone on the line (silent calls) are never just ignored. Call handlers will then need to spend valuable time trying to call you back to check whether you need help.

“If you do accidentally dial 999, please don’t hang up. If possible, please stay on the line and let the operator know it was an accident and that you don’t need any assistance.

“As always, if a crime is in progress or if there is an immediate risk to person or property, always dial 999.

“If a crime is not in progress, then please consider reporting the incident online via www.cambs.police.uk/report in the first instance. Alternatively, you can call 101.”