- Google Pixel’s car crash detection feature has been expanded to five more countries.
- It detects if you’ve been in a car crash and contacts emergency services.
- This feature has been launched in India as well.
Google launched ‘Car Crash Detection’ for Pixel phones back in 2014. As the name suggests, this feature detects if you’ve been in a car accident. At launch, this feature was available only in the United States but Google has now expanded this to more countries including India.
Pixel Car Crash Detection feature now available in India
The Pixel car crash detection feature is available in five more countries including India, Austria, Belgium, Portugal and Switzerland. The list was updated on Google’s support page and spotted by Mishaal Rahman. With the new additions, the car detection feature is now available in 20 countries globally.
How does it work
What this feature essentially does is it automatically contacts emergency services and share your location if it detects that you might have been in a car accident. Also, if there’s anyone at the accident site, when they pick up your phone they’ll be able to view your lock screen message and emergency information.
How to use Pixel Car Crash Detection feature
- Open the Personal Safety app on your phone.
- Click on Features.
- Scroll down to look for “Car crash detection.”
- Click on Set up.
- You’ll then have to select “Allow while app is in use” when asked to share your location.
- You’ll also have to allow to share your microphone and physical activity.
You’ll have to save your emergency info in the Personal Safety app. Google also mentions that your phone will have emergency services pre-saved, and certain carriers do that too. In India, emergency numbers are already available with every telco.
This feature is available in Pixel 4a and later models, and the newly launched Pixel Fold as well. It uses your phone’s location, motion sensors, and nearby sounds to detect a possible car crash. It also requires your location, physical activity and microphone permissions which is why you’ll have to allow these when setting up the feature.
But do note that the feature isn’t perfect and it might not detect all crashes. It can even consider high-impact activities as a crash and wrongly alert emergency services. In cases when there’s poor cellular connectivity or you’re in an ongoing call, it might not be able to contact emergency services. But it’s still very helpful and can be a life-saving feature.
