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Google is adding a new safety tool to Android that could reshape how people communicate with emergency services. The company has introduced Android Emergency Live Video, a feature that lets users stream real-time footage directly to responders during an emergency call or text. The technology aims to give dispatchers a clearer context during car crashes, fires, or medical incidents, which could speed up critical decisions.
The process requires no advance setup. Instead, a dispatcher can request access to a live stream once an emergency call or text begins. Users can then choose to share their camera view, which remains encrypted and can be stopped at any moment. Google says the feature helps responders assess situations faster and guide callers through urgent steps such as CPR until professional help arrives.
Both Google and Apple have expanded their device safety features in recent years, offering tools like crash detection, fall detection, emergency SOS, and satellite-based location services. Google’s latest addition continues that trend as tech companies work to improve response times in fast-moving emergencies.
Android Emergency Live Video works on devices running Android 8 or later. Google has begun rolling it out in the U.S., along with select regions in Germany and Mexico. The company plans wider expansion as emergency partners adopt the technology.
