Google’s Personal Safety app, which is pre-installed on Pixel phones, allows users to enter emergency contacts, medical information, and other details that can be displayed during an emergency. It can also detect when you’re in a car crash and automatically call emergency services.

Now Google is rolling out an update that brings an “Emergency SOS” feature that lets you record video, call emergency services, and share information with emergency contacts by pressing the power button quickly 5 times.

via xda-developers

As reported by xda-developers and Android Police, an updated Personal Safety app with the Emergency SOS feature is rolling out through the Google Play Store, but users will need to manually set it up before it can be used.

Among other options, you can choose:

  • What number to call for emergency services
  • What information, if any, to automatically share with emergency services
  • Whether to share information with your emergency contacts
  • Whether to enable Emergency Recording
  • Whether to play an alarm when Emergency SOS is beginning

The Emergency Recording feature can record video for up to 45 minutes assuming you’ve got enough storage space (the app uses about 10MB per minute, so you’ll need 450MB free). You can continue to use your phone while the video is recorded, and videos will automatically be backed up to your Google account where they’re stored for 7 days,and you can choose whether they video will be shared with your emergency contacts automatically.

There’s a 5 second delay after you trigger Emergency SOS, which gives you a little time to cancel if you accidentally happen to hit the power button repeatedly.

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2 replies on “Emergency SOS for Pixel phones can record videos, call emergency services and alert your contacts”

  1. I’ve had it for year’s too.
    3 pushes. Haven’t needed it, but send one accidentally every once in awhile.
    The wife calls and I say I’m ok. At least I know it works.

  2. This has been a feature in phones since 2014. My galaxy s5 sport had it although it was a hard to find setting and didn’t record video.
    I get the feeling that if I ever actually needed it, I’d probably be better off keeping the phone in my pocket while pressing the button until it was safe to pull it out.

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