iPhone X X: Accidental 911 calls too easy

[Attirex]

Apple, for the love of god PLEASE change the two-button activation. I unintentionally auto-dialed 911 not once, but twice while at the gym when I just gently placed phone in the tray on treadmill. I got one call-back and like a big dbag, had to explain to 911 operator that I have the “new iphone” and didn’t mean to dial. Second time I managed to cancel call in time.

Yes, solution is to just not put phone in said tray, but now I’m paranoid that the side buttons are way too sensitive for this to not happen again when, say, sides of phone are merely squeezed in my pants pockets.

Might return bc of this. Awful.

 

[Rayban]

Turn off auto dial in the emergency SOS settings if you haven’t done so.

 

[fischersd]

Or you could just disable Auto Call.

 

[Attirex]

Or you could just disable Auto Call.

I did, and then it called 911 again, no lie. Not good.

 

[fischersd]

I did, and then it called 911 again, no lie. Not good.

Heh. Well, I did and all it does is screen shots now.

Are you on iOS 11.1.2?

 

[Attirex]

I am. Not touching those buttons again.

 

[Rayban]

I did, and then it called 911 again, no lie. Not good.

I don’t see how it is automatically calling then. You have got to be manually swiping on the call emergency bar after holding the power button and volume button.

 

[Attirex]

Dunno, I was able to cancel the second call so it prob worked as intended—i was too panicked to do anything other than stab at “Cancel.”

So there is no way to disable two-button activation completely?

 

[Lobwedgephil]

Dunno, I was able to cancel the second call so it prob worked as intended—i was too panicked to do anything other than stab at “Cancel.”

So there is no way to disable two-button activation completely?

Yep, don't press them at the same time.

 

[Mr. Y]

I did this while on a call, I wanted to go back to the home screen while on speaker to look something up and I wasn't sure how to get back immediately so I pressed the side key one too many times and it ended my call and began ringing 911. Was a little scary.

 

[Jordan921]

I did, and then it called 911 again, no lie. Not good.

Don’t know how it still called if you turned it off.

 

[Attirex]

Yep, don't press them at the same time.

Thank you, very helpful.

 

[Lobwedgephil]

Thank you, very helpful.

Just a joke, I just find it pretty hard to do since you have to press both and hold. Never had it activate accidentally.

 

[keysofanxiety]

You're holding it wrong.

 

[Newtons Apple]

Just do not see this happening. You would still have to "slide" the emergency button AFTER holding both buttons. Seems it would take a deliberate action to get it to call 911

 

[haruhiko]

Accidental Raise to Wake or Tap to Wake inside the pocket + Face ID fail + Emergency call screen + Medical ID = Calling your mum or your spouse. It has happened several times for me. Not once before.

 

[Attirex]

The second time it happened (after I turned off auto call), I'm sure the phone displayed the emergency slide button, but in my panic I didn't notice it and just looked for any kind of "Cancel" or "Stop this #@%$ stupidity" button as fast possible.

Regardless, it's way too easy to unintentionally start the emergency call process (if that's what you can call it). I don't want to tie up 911 time/resources with accidental dial when someone out there might really need help (and/or also end up in jail). And going by the tone of the operator who called back after the first 911 dial, prob not the first time this has happened to them.

Thanks, Apple! Idiots.

 

[eagleglen]

Dunno, I was able to cancel the second call so it prob worked as intended—i was too panicked to do anything other than stab at “Cancel.”

So there is no way to disable two-button activation completely?

Do you also have the countdown sound turned on? It’s pretty loud, so might make it harder to miss when this happens.

And have you tested what happens if you turn off Auto Call? While still in settings, when it’s on and I hold the side buttons, it calls 911, and when it’s off, it doesn’t. If your's still does, I’d replace the phone.

 

[pdxmatts]

This has happened to other people too.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/iphone-x-called-911-by-itself.2087318/#post-25450949

https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...e-activating-in-pocket.2088783/#post-25474291

 

[Attirex]

Do you also have the countdown sound turned on? It’s pretty loud, so might make it harder to miss when this happens.

And have you tested what happens if you turn off Auto Call? While still in settings, when it’s on and I hold the side buttons, it calls 911, and when it’s off, it doesn’t. If your's still does, I’d replace the phone.

All the default SOS options were turned on by default initially (have had phone for a week), but I turned them all the #$@ off after the first accidental dial. I was wearing Apple's ear buds when both calls happened, and don't recall hearing the countdown sound either time. I just happened to glance at the screen and see SOS had been activated, and panicked (imagining a fleet of emergency vehicles pulling into parking lot of my YMCA, sirens blaring).

I'm really hesitant to even test. Not touching those two buttons again if I don't have to, so working under the ass-u-me-umption that Auto Call is truly turned off.

This has happened to other people too.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/iphone-x-called-911-by-itself.2087318/#post-25450949

https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...e-activating-in-pocket.2088783/#post-25474291

Awesome. Glad I'm not the only one Apple has made look like a complete jackass (although admittedly I do that every day of my life (even without Apple's assistance)).

 

[Donmusuc]

Apple, for the love of god PLEASE change the two-button activation. I unintentionally auto-dialed 911 not once, but twice while at the gym when I just gently placed phone in the tray on treadmill. I got one call-back and like a big dbag, had to explain to 911 operator that I have the “new iphone” and didn’t mean to dial. Second time I managed to cancel call in time.

Yes, solution is to just not put phone in said tray, but now I’m paranoid that the side buttons are way too sensitive for this to not happen again when, say, sides of phone are merely squeezed in my pants pockets.

Might return bc of this. Awful.

[doublepost=1514226374][/doublepost]I just woke up Christmas morning to see the emergency SOS screen on my phone. I had never heard of it or seen it before. How did I activate it? I was turning off my wake up alarm. That’s all. I just reached over and mashed around for the button, and nearly called emergency services. I could easily have swiped by accident while reaching over. (like when my iPod deleted my entire playlist from within my pocket at the gym; the friction against my leg did the swiping). This is unacceptable, and the last straw. No more Apple products for me. Your “feature“ is a BUG.

And a very dangerous one.

I’ve read enough threads on this website to know better than to expect helpful responses. So, go ahead and waste your time posting snarky useless replies. I mean, it’s only a matter of life and death, right?

 

[C DM]

[doublepost=1514226374][/doublepost]I just woke up Christmas morning to see the emergency SOS screen on my phone. I had never heard of it or seen it before. How did I activate it? I was turning off my wake up alarm. That’s all. I just reached over and mashed around for the button, and nearly called emergency services. I could easily have swiped by accident while reaching over. (like when my iPod deleted my entire playlist from within my pocket at the gym; the friction against my leg did the swiping). This is unacceptable, and the last straw. No more Apple products for me. Your “feature“ is a BUG.

And a very dangerous one.

I’ve read enough threads on this website to know better than to expect helpful responses. So, go ahead and waste your time posting snarky useless replies. I mean, it’s only a matter of life and death, right?

Sounds like it's all not for you, as you mentioned.

 

[Attirex]

Like I said, I panicked because a) I was running on a treadmill (not just sitting in a chair staring at my phone b) I am not familiar with the SOS screen and its controls c) I did not want emergency vehicles showing up at my YMCA. I think I had good reason to react in the way I did.

 

[Knowlege Bomb]

Wait, so how does this happen again? I just tried a bunch of stuff on my X sitting here at my desk and ended up taking a couple of screenshots before realizing I had to hold them down to get the power off/emergency SOS sliders to come up. Did you accidentally slide the SOS slider instead of hitting the cancel button?

Genuinely asking here. Not trying to be condescending if it sounds that way. Also, I'd edit the post above mine to remove the profanity/name calling. You gotta have thick skin around these forums and stuff like that will get you the boot.

 

[posguy99]

I’ve read enough threads on this website to know better than to expect helpful responses. So, go ahead and waste your time posting snarky useless replies. I mean, it’s only a matter of life and death, right?

Which is why making it *harder* to call 911 should be a non-starter.