A scary glitch on some Android phones is preventing users from calling 911 in an emergency.
Google confirmed it is working on the issue, which appears to be impacting devices with the Microsoft Teams app installed.
The glitch was first reported on Reddit by an Android user who was trying to call an ambulance for her grandmother, who appeared to be suffering from a stroke.
"My phone got stuck immediately after one ring," the user explained, "and I was unable to do anything other than click through apps with an emergency phone call running in the background. This is all while the phone informed me that it had sent my location to emergency services. Sadly I couldn't tell the person on the other end what apartment I was in or what the actual emergency was, as I was unable to speak to a human."
The user went on to say that luckily her grandmother has a landline, or else she really would have panicked.
"I sure as hell don't want a phone that freaks out when I try to call 911 in the middle of a life-threatening emergency," she said. "I'm supposed to trust that a phone will do the main thing is built for, and place the call, and let me speak to the human on the other end."
Related
Google looked into the issue and explained in a statement on Reddit that the problem "is only present on a small number of devices with the Microsoft Teams app installed when the user is not logged in."
They continued, "We determined that the issue was being caused by unintended interaction between the Microsoft Teams app and the underlying Android operating system. Because this issue impacts emergency calling, both Google and Microsoft are heavily prioritizing the issue."
Microsoft Teams users are urged to keep an eye out for app updates to ensure they are running the latest version.
"We will also be providing an Android platform update to the Android ecosystem on January 4," Google said.
In the meantime, users should install the latest version of Microsoft Teams from the Google Play Store to make sure 911 calls aren't blocked on their devices.
Google suggested users with Microsoft Teams installed on any Android device running Android 10 and above take the following steps:
-- If you are unsure what Android version you are on, confirm you are running Android 10 or above by following the steps here. If you are not running Android 10 or above, you are not impacted by this issue.
-- If you have the Microsoft Teams app downloaded, check to see if you are signed in. If you have been signed in, you are not impacted by this issue, and we suggest you remain signed in until you’ve received the Microsoft Teams app update.
-- If you have the Microsoft Teams app downloaded, but are not signed in, uninstall and reinstall the app. While this will address the problem in the interim, a Microsoft Teams app update is still required to fully resolve the issue.
Related
The Reddit user who initially posted the issue updated the thread after hearing back from Google. While thankful Google is working to fix the problem, she said she was surprised the company wouldn't "send a push to all Android devices with teams installed to inform their consumers of the possible issue."
"People shouldn't have to wait for this story to make headlines to find out they need to resolve an issue of this magnitude," she said. "You have the ability to push a notification that informs us our software is out of date, which means you have the ability (and in my opinion the responsibility) to inform us that our life line to emergency services is potentially flawed due to a gap in YOUR software."
Related
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign up and follow Audacy
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram