Google Pixel's Car Crash Detection, Other Safety Features Heading to More Android Phones: Report

Google Pixel devices offer an exclusive safety feature called car crash detection, which automatically calls emergency numbers when a crash is detected. The functionality that uses motion sensors in a smartphone to detect accidents could soon reach non-Pixel Android phones. New string of codes reportedly found in Google's latest Personal Safety app suggests that certain new safety features would be making their way to other Android phones. Alongside the car crash detection feature, Android phones are expected to get the crisis alert and safety check features.

The expansion of the car crash detection feature to other Android devices was spotted by 9to5Google via an APK teardown while examining the latest version of the Personal Safety app. The Personal Safety app version 2022.05.25 is currently available on Google Play. The publication shared strings in the code referring to 'nonpixel' phones, indicating that Google could be bringing the safety feature to non-Pixel phones. As per the report, Google tweaked the code in some places to general “your device” instead of “Pixel.” Additionally, some pixel exclusive features including crisis alerts and safety checks are also reportedly coming to other Android phones.

It is not clear how the company would add the features to non-Pixel Android phones since it needs a couple of permissions to function. The Personal Safety features are expected to be released via Google Play Services. The names of Android smartphones that will initially get access to the car crash detection and other new safety features are also not known at this moment. It is likely to be available on a brand-by-brand basis.

Google's car crash detection is currently available on Google Pixel 3 and later devices in select regions with certain carriers. The feature, as mentioned, uses sensors to determine the phone's location, motion sensors, and nearby sounds to detect a car crash. The feature does not work when Battery Saver is on or Airplane mode is enabled. When a crash is detected, the phone calls emergency services, and the approximate location and car crash data will be transmitted to emergency services by Android's Emergency Location Service.