Smart devices & false emergencies
My phone seems to think I'm in distress far too often
There has been a growing trend over the past few years for our smart devices to be able to help us out during an emergency. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a very noble idea! If we’re all wearing smart watches and carrying smart phones in our pockets when we get into accidents, why not have these devices call for help on our behalf when we’re unable to?
Emergency stories are powerful
In fact, Apple used this premise in some Apple Watch commercials a while back. It’s a powerful story to tell. We rely so much on our smart technology, but what if something happens where we’re unable to actually use it to call for help? Apple, Google, and others are all looking to build this ability into their new products. Let’s just say that sometimes it works better than others.
As you likely know if you’ve been reading my work for a while, I’m an avid runner. I’ve competed in marathons in the past, but these days it’s more of a recreational hobby with a few strategic races peppered in when I can find the time. But I’m still out on the roads, trails, and track nearly every day. And more often than not, I have my phone in my pocket while I run. These days that phone is a Pixel 6.
My Pixel 6 isn’t perfect. I’ve written about its frustrating inability to withstand moderately warm temperatures. Now I have a new gripe with it. It has been triggering an emergency response and calling my emergency contacts while in my pocket during a run.
The frustration of false emergencies
This is obviously annoying, frustrating, slightly embarrassing and just not how Android’s emergency contact system is intended to function.
Picture the scenario. I’m running along, usually with earbuds playing music, an audiobook, or a Peloton outdoor workout. The audio suddenly stops and I hear ringing. I reach into my pocket and see that my phone has the emergency screen up and it’s attempting to call an emergency contact (in most cases, my wife).
Oddly, it doesn’t always function as a regular phone call. Sometimes it has just directly connected to my wife without the warning of a ring. My wife isn’t the worst person to instantly pop into my ear when I’m on a run, but it’s still a jarring premise. I then have to breathlessly assure that I am indeed ok (if not a little confused and winded). There have been other times when I didn’t even recognize the number that the emergency screen was trying to dial. Was it the last number called? A local authority? I didn’t wait long enough to find out.
This has happened at least a half dozen times over the past few months. There are several explanations, but none of them are really excusable. As previously alluded to, it could be a symptom of the phone over heating. When in my pocket on a warm day, the phone can certainly heat up. It thinks it’s in some inferno emergency and wants to seek help?
The other thought is that it’s just jostling around in my pocket and a serious of unfortunate screen presses causes it to start emergency dialing. That’s possible I suppose, but very strange. I guess the lock screen could have failed to unlock enough times to cause an emergency response? There are times when I look at my phone at the end of a run and see a series of incorrect attempts to enter the passcode to unlock the screen.
How can we fix this?
So what am I doing to fix this? Well sadly, I had to remove my emergency contacts from the phone as a short term fix. Now, if it thinks it detects some trouble, it can’t contact a real person. This is obviously scary if a real accident were to occur on a run, but I was sick of interrupting my wife with false alarm calls. The phone still seems to overheat or register phantom screen taps, but it can no longer bother my wife.
I could also lock the screen before runs so nothing will register as a tap. I could remove the lock screen in general to avoid the incorrect passcode issue. There are several ways that I can fix this issue, but none of them feel particularly safe or prudent.
And it got me thinking. How many other Android users are fed up with the way their phone’s emergency response is functioning? It could certainly be an issue on iPhones and Apple Watches as well. I know that my wife’s iPhone has dialed an emergency contact out of the blue at least once while we were safely driving in the car. Is this a widespread technological pandemic? Have false alarm tech emergency calls outweighed the benefits of those scenarios in the Apple commercials?
Conclusion
For every fallen mountain biker in need of rescue, how many casual runners like me have needlessly dialed their significant other? Yes, there may be the person stuck in their car only able to speak into their Apple Watch for help, but is that same technology also making iPhones call the authorities when overheated in a harmless traffic jam?
The point I’m making here is that it is an amazing idea to equip our devices with this omnipotent power to oversee our lives and seek help when we’re unable to. But from what I’ve seen, we’re a long way from this technology being perfect. And maybe that’s ok? Do I just say “better safe than sorry!” and let my phone call my wife whenever it decides I’m running dangerously too fast or there is too much bouncing in my pocket? Better that than to have it not register when I’ve actually fallen off my bike or had some other sort of emergency?
Hmm, it’s a tough call. Anyone else have experience with their smart devices having less intelligent responses to false emergencies?
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Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next week!
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