Emergency calls have been around forever, connecting phone users with life-saving services. But more recently, smartphones and wearables have given us some cool new ways to access that help, likecrash detectionandfall detection. Nevertheless, sometimes these systems go wrong, like they did earlier this year when Android phones started makingaccidental 911 calls— and now, it’s happening again.

Emergency SOS debuted on Pixels with Android 12, and Google made its presence on phones a requirement for other OEMs, as well. The feature is intended tomake it easier to contact emergency servicesduring a crisis by just jamming on your phone’s power button a lot — hitting it 5+ times will start a countdown that automatically dials for help. Unfortunately, that seems to be an action that’s all too easy to accidentally perform without realizing the consequences.

When Android phones inadvertently contact emergency services, that not only burdens communication centers with “silent” calls, but also possibly delay help for those in genuine need. As authorities worldwide sound the alarm, Google finds itself charged with addressing this problem.

The UK’s National Police Chiefs Council speculates that this record number of 999 calls is, in part, due to the growing availability of Emergency SOS on Android phones. Police forces across the UK, such as Devon and Cornwall Police, have reported that silent calls have been consuming significant resources, with each call taking up to 20 minutes to handle.

Responding to the growing concerns, Google explains that it expects device manufacturers to issue updates to resolve this issue. In aconversation with the BBC,a Google spokesperson clarified that the company will be helping OEMs prevent these calls by providing them with more guidance and resources. Users who have experienced this issue first-hand are encouraged to switch off the Emergency SOS feature.

Android expert Mishaal Rahman further highlightsthe global extent of this issue, pointing to warnings from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in British Columbia. And according to the European Emergency Number Association, this is also a problem there, where association members are noticing a surge in false Emergency SOS calls coming from Android devices.

Despite the recent update to Android 13, the problem seems to have persisted since the initial deployment of theEmergency SOS feature in Android 12.