APPLE has issued a warning to iPhone users that could save someone’s life.
The tech giant has quietly released an update to a memo for one of the iPhone’s brainiest features.
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Millions of iPhone models are capable of calling emergency services automatically – or with a few button presses.
For instance, the new Car Crash Detection feature on iPhone 14 can tell if you’re in a motoring accident and contact fast responders – even sharing your exact location with them.
But if this happens by accident, Apple says you must never hang up, as spotted by MacRumors.
Instead, you need to stay on the line and explain the situation to the emergency call center.
In addition to Crash Detection, emergency calls can be triggered by a five-button Lock Button press for some iPhone owners.
And the Fall Detection feature on Apple Watch can start an emergency call too.
If any of these features activate by accident, you must explain to the emergency services that the call was a false alarm – don’t just hang up.
Similarly, it could happen that you have been in an incident but don’t need emergency help.
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You should treat this situation the same: don’t hang up, but instead explain that you don’t need the emergency services.
“If the call has been made, but you don’t need emergency services, don’t hang up,” Apple explains in its updated memo.
“Wait until a responder answers, then explain that you don’t need help.”
This new advice is designed to help emergency centers.
If you hang up once an emergency call has been logged, responders may be sent to your location to make sure you’re safe.
And call centers will waste time investigating your call.
These valuable resources could be used for people in real emergencies.
Freeing emergency responders up from false alarms could mean the difference between life and death for someone in dire need in rare cases.
Crashed!
The change comes following several reports of accidental Crash Detection calls to emergency services.
False crash reports have been logged on rollercoasters and ski slopes – causing trouble for emergency call centers.
Earlier this year, a New York Times report detailed how ski resort hub Summit Country in Colorado became a hotbed of crash alerts.
“My whole day is managing crash notifications,” Summit County emergency services chief Trina Dummer was quoted as saying.
It was reported that the center received 185 crash calls in one week in January.
“Ms. Dummer said that the onslaught was threatening to desensitize dispatchers and divert limited resources from true emergencies,” the report reads.
In October last year, the crash detection feature was triggered by rollercoaster rides.
Apple has been working with emergency call centers to optimize its systems in a bid to reduce false reports.
And Apple has released software updates to improve the accuracy of its Crash Detection feature.
iSaved!
The feature has already proved its worth.
Late last year, a couple was saved by the iPhone 14’s Crash Detection and Emergency SOS via Satellite.
The pair’s vehicle dropped 300 feet down the side of a remote Californian mountain road.
Thankfully the iPhone 14 alert allowed the couple to be hoisted to safety be helicopter rescue teams.
“This afternoon at approximately 1:55 PM, @CVLASD received a call from the Apple emergency satellite service,” Montrose Search and Rescue (SAR) Team tweeted at the time.
“The informant and another victim had been involved in a single vehicle accident on Angeles Forest Hwy near mile marker 18.87, Angeles Forest.
“They were in a remote canyon with no cellular phone service.
“The victims were able to extricate themselves from the car.”
“Using the emergency satellite service on their iPhone 14, they were able to communicate to a relay center via text.”
Authorities confirmed that Apple’s call center provided an accurate latitude and longitude for the victims’ location.
“Air Rescue 5 was able to locate the victims and insert a paramedic,” Montrose SAR said.
