• Android phones just got a life-saving update for the Personal Saf

    From TechnologyDaily@1337:1/100 to All on Fri Dec 8 20:15:05 2023
    Android phones just got a life-saving update for the Personal Safety app

    Date:
    Fri, 08 Dec 2023 20:05:58 +0000

    Description:
    Users will now be able to send over vital medical information to emergency services, but there are multiple limitations.

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    Select Android phones will be receiving a literal life-saving update allowing users to instantly share critical medical information with first responders.

    The feature will be available on the Personal Safety app, and the way it works, according to developer RapidSOS , is the software will send over the information whenever a call is placed to a supported emergency number like 911. Or if they prefer, people can choose to send everything via text
    message. What that batch of data houses is totally up to you, but it can include your name, allergies that you have, pre-existing conditions,
    emergency contacts, what kind of medication youre on, and more.

    Everything listed out will be seen by first responders, and youll know whats being shared as it will all appear on the app alongside other important information. If any of this sounds familiar, thats because iPhones have something very similar called Medical ID . It was even made by the same company: RapidSOS.

    To activate this feature , launch Personal Safety, go to Your info, enter Emergency info access, then toggle Share during emergency call. Various limitations

    As great as this update may be, there are several limitations.

    First off, it looks like this will only be available in certain regions in
    the United States. The announcement doesnt mention any other emergency
    contact number besides 911. We couldnt find a full list of supporting locations although the post does hint at Baltimore, Maryland as one of the cities.

    Second, Personal Safety is not a widespread app. Its currently exclusive to the Nothing Phone 1 as well as the entire Google Pixel lineup . Do note that Pixel 4a and later models automatically come with the software (older devices will have to manually download it). It's important to mention that the Pixel Watch has Personal Safety, but may not be included in the rollout. It seems the patch is purely for smartphones. Also, those phones must be running Android 12 or above.

    We tried reaching RapidSOS to ask which US regions will support the data sharing and if it intends to roll out the feature to other countries. This tech runs on Androids Emergency Location Service which exists in other global regions. However, the company doesnt seem to have a straightforward way for members of the press to contact them. So, we sent our query over to Google. Hopefully, theyll be able to shed some light soon.

    Until then, check out TechRadars list of the best Pixel phones for 2023 . You might also like Pixel 8 Pro update makes it Google's first AI phone here are the 6 new features Time for an upgrade? Three of the best cheap phones are still on sale at Amazon The Apple Watch 10 could get two big health-tracking upgrades



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    Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/phones/android/android-phones-just-got-a-life-saving -update-for-the-personal-safety-app


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