Google Pixel phones getting Fast Emergency Dialer on the lock screen

Google Pixel phones will be getting a new Fast Emergency Dialer (FED) on their lock screen as part of an update to the Personal Safety app. This new dialer provides a quicker way to dial emergency services in your area with the swipe of a slider.

Pixel phones will be set to use the Fast Emergency Dialer (FED) as opposed to the previous Traditional Emergency Dialer (TED) which shows a dialpad instead. This was originally reported by 9to5Google yesterday, followed by Android Police which was able to confirm this rollout directly with Google. Below are the new features of the Fast Emergency Dialer:

• Quick access: To call an emergency number with one action, use the slider.

• Automatic emergency numbers: Your phone finds emergency numbers automatically, even when you travel.

• Multiple emergency numbers: Your phone finds available numbers for your area, like Police, Fire, or medical services. Use the slider for the emergency service you need.

Google Pixel Phone Help Page

From what I can immediately see, the benefit of the new dialer over the old is that it will check what the local emergency numbers are for the location you are in. This can come in extremely handy if you are traveling and are not sure what number to call in the event of emergency. Here in the United States, we all know that the emergency number to dial is 911, but that may not be the case in other countries.

Though the Fast Emergency Dialer is already rolling out – and I already have it available on my Pixel – it is important to note that it is not available for all locations and may be limited by your carrier. However, should the FED not be available to you, your phone will default back to the Traditional Emergency Dialer. You can access the emergency dialer on Pixel phones by swiping up from your lock screen and tapping “Emergency call” as well as by long-pressing the power button – or the power and volume up buttons on Android 12 and the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro – then tapping “Emergency“.

If you are a Pixel phone owner, this would be a good time to open up the Personal Safety app to make sure you have all your emergency contacts and emergency event sharing information up to date. Features like Car crash detection being able to ping emergency services in the event that you cannot pick up the phone could actually save your life – or that of your loved ones.