An Apple upgrade is blamed for a wave of accidental 911 calls in Nebraska. So far this year 7,000 abandoned calls were placed (via CBS).
911 Calls
CBS says an “Apple upgrade” and it probably refers to iOS 11’s Emergency SOS. This lets you quickly press the power button five times in succession to call 911. I think when I upgrade to iOS 11 this setting was on by default.
Sarpy County Communications in Papillion said it has received 7,000 abandoned calls so far this year, taking up valuable time and resources that could used for true emergencies.
Dispatchers say when somebody calls and disconnects, they have to call back to verify there was no emergency and determine whether or not to send authorities.
Apple Watch Series 4 fall detection can also display an option to call emergency services. If your watch detects that you haven’t moved for about 60 seconds, it will automatically call 911.
Officials say that if you do accidentally call 911, don’t hang up. Stay on the line and answer the dispatcher’s questions so they know what happened. If you hang up they have to call back to make sure there wasn’t an emergency and figure out whether to call police or not.
Further Reading:
[iOS 11 Emergency SOS Can Also Disable Touch ID]